seem to be bullied into taking meds

I wanted to get of respiridone but everyone bullied me into taking it...this i feel is not fair I want to have my old self back again...

does anyone else have this..?
can anyone help?

do I really have to keep on taking it

My sister was institutionalized for 3 years. She got out about a year ago, 6 months later she stopped taking her meds. She started living on the streets made life hell for my Mom and Dad and is now pregnant with a child that she will probably get tired of soon after its born.

I don't know what medication you are on or even how it makes you feel, but I feel staying on your medication is best. Sometimes your "old self" isn't your best self.

I don't know your situation so I might just be talking out my *** here.

Anonymous wrote:I wanted to get of respiridone but everyone bullied me into taking it...this i feel is not fair I want to have my old self back again...

does anyone else have this..?
can anyone help?

do I really have to keep on taking it

When I stopped meds, I got bullied, so I gave up the bullies as well. What I mean is, I ended every dysfunctional relationship, including family and went my own way.

Looking back, the main reason I ended up in a psych hospital was because of controlling family members.

Get rid of the bullies as well as your meds.

Bad advice. DO NOT STAY OFF OF YOUR MEDS.

Keep taking your meds.

I really really know how you feel, but I am sure you must be on them for a reason.

I think about stopping taking mine everyday, but if I were to do that then I would probably end up in a hospital for the rest of my days.

Please please please don't stop taking them.

The frightening part about taking antipsychotics is the new evidence that shows taking meds changes the structure of the brain and causes what is called iatrogenic chronic schizophrenia.

Definition of iatrogenic is "Induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy".

Here's an article on what I mean.

"In support of that hypothesis, Whitaker points out that "MRI studies have shown the ... link between [psychotropic] drug usage and chronic illness. In the mid-1990¹s, several research teams reported that the drugs cause atrophy of the cerebral cortex and enlargement of the basal ganglia. Then, in 1998, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania reported that the drug-induced enlargement of the basal ganglia was Œassociated with greater severity of both negative and positive symptoms.¹ In other words, they found that over the long term, the drugs cause changes in the brain associated with a worsening of the very symptoms the drugs are supposed to alleviate. The MRI research, in fact, had painted a very convincing picture of a disease process: an outside agent causes an observable change in the size of brain structures, and as this occurs, the patient deterioriates." These patients represent the new iatrogenic chronic schizophrenics."

Source > http://psychrights.org/index.htm

So taking meds can change you brain and give you life long SZ. Not Good!

Even if that is true... what are the other options?

Compare it with someone with cancer... if they are ill they can choose to live by taking treatment that could harm them- and certainly does in the short term.

As far as i am concerned if medication needs to be taken then it should be taken. Of course with caution, and on a low doesage if possible, and for as little time as possible.

I am not happy with taking medication myself. I am not totally convinced I actually have schizophrenia (which was why I started reading forums such as this), and I have spent my life avoiding doctors and food- I have fears of getting purposefully poisonned... every pill I take is like taking my last... but if I don't take them then I won't be able to function at all.

I would ask the original poster to consider discussing giong to another form of antipsychotic, such as olanzapine. Speak to you P-Doc about it and see what he/she says.