Those who stopped medication

had a dream last night that I was prescribed this herbal nuts to chew on to lower prolactin...it was a good dream[/quote]

lol. they sound good. I need some!

It seems that many people are coerced into putting pills into their own mouths or submitting to depot injections solely due to the threat of being put into the hospital. The social workers and nurses at the clinics say, "You don't want to go back to the hospital" as if it's the worst thing in the world.

Quite often these SW's and nurses are the same people that have visited the "patients" at their homes to "check up on them" or drug them or take them out for coffee or something. They then know that many of their "patients" drink alcohol daily, smoke marijuana daily, play Minecraft 20 hours a day etc and are terrified at the prospect of these things being unavailable. So they pretend to be buddy buddy "Won't tell the doctor" and use it to do exactly what the system wants which is to keep you in your hole.

Grow a backbone. Call their bluff. If you spend a few weeks in their hospitals save your money. Eat their food. Demand more food. Make some contacts. Tell the workers at the hospital that you are wise to their game.

I think your right I n way, it would be good if more ppl could stand up for themselves. I think it could work *sometimes* , but other times they will still force treatment onto you.

With my own case, my parents were also putting pressure on the psych to put me on a cto (this has happened 3 times) and to drug me, to keep me in the hospital longer and tried to put me in a 'rehab' (as in rehab for LIVING!!!) program that seemed to be for homeless ppl I showed my parents the homeless ppl sitting outside and told them it is not even used as a rehab but for housing ppl but they didn't care they still pressured my dr who coerced me into being assessed for the program. I eventually said im not going there (it was voluntary after all)!

I guess allot of ppl feel overwhelmed at the brutal force wich acompaines being locked in a psych ward and try to 'play the game' to be released rather than trying to stand up for themselves. It may be a good option for ppl with no history.

I have taken everything from many SSRIs, lithium and lamictal for depression. I have been anti depressant free for 4 years after realizing that nothing worked. Sure they number for a bit, but the deep rooted feelings that created my depression could never be totally masked by a pill, my depression is far deeper than a chemical imbalance. The SSRIs came with terrible side effects and aggravated my already severe IBS that my doctor has agreed the cons outweigh any pros they may have with someone with my physical health issues. One antidepressant, Wellbutrin does not have gastrointestinal side effects however insomnia side effects. As I am as severe insomniac this medication could also do more harm than good for me as my sleep deprevation contributes highly to my mental health issues.
I would be open to an anti depressant without stomach and sleep side effects just to try it out, I'm kind of desperate, but none exist.

Copy_Cat wrote:"'Antipsychotic' drugs such as Risperdal, Zyprexa, Seroquel and Geodon are used literally to chemically lobotomize millions of adults and children because the resulting apathy and indifference...***snip***

Pretty much describes Television, Video Games and Popular Culture in general.

Where do we start to stop the madness? The totality of our so-called "modern life" could kill us yet.

More blood to the brain!

Otter.

This subject is not black and white for me. I agree that far too many doctors are prescribing SSRIs and other meds like candy to people who suffer from what I call domestic anxiety and depression. I guess I'm a curmudgeon regarding our culture (see above), because my feeling is that we are our own worst enemies. Television is one big radiating mass of anxiety. It's hard to find any show that isn't fueled by anger, shock, and other emotions that impact our perception of things. Nutrition is a joke with obesity levels at the highest they have ever been.

Is it any surprise then that so many middle class people run to their doctor because they can't sleep at night, feel oddly "down", or on the verge of a panic attack? I see this everywhere in my community. What can doctors do? Change the way culture is feeding on itself? No. Instead they offer up mind altering drugs that pacify people enough to bury the body and mind that is crying out or understanding and the kind of fulfillment that pop culture can't give them. It's ALL wrong.

That said, I was without medication for years, binge drinking, have manic attacks, drinking more, until I finally said enough - and started taking meds to help my addled psyche. But I had no illusions that it would CURE me, and often I had to regulate or reduce what doctors gave me.

Did it pacify me? Not to the extent that I could not think. I am a very creative person and if anything it helped control my ability to focus on my creativity as an expression, not some half baked thing soaked in alcohol?

I am working on my physical well being. Alcohol is out of my life. I eat sensibly and I am starting to exercise. My hope is that I am one day clean of the bad things I have done to myself. I am done with junk culture. So it is my hope that I can start weening myself off of meds. But I do believe that my brain is not perfect. I exhibit the symptoms of Bipolar 2 (which I was diagnosed with), and without meds they could reach nightmare proportions.

I think the issue of drugs needs to be looked at seriously. This may be difficult because of drug companies and doctors willingness to pump out the product. However, simply taking away the drugs is as likely as making the kind of TV programming we have illegal.

Otter.

I stopped because I never needed it to start with. It was prescribed after I was committed against my will for 5 days. It was just another tool for them to make a case.

I weaned them off because of the side-effects and because I feel more at risk committing suicide while on them. The side-effects of Seroquel were sedation, dumbing down, hard time concentrating, numbing of feelings, extreme sleepiness, demotivation and risk of missing morning appointments like if I had a permanent hang-over from a night with dope (but without the benefit of a high). Plus restless legs, cravings for sweets and weight gain. I even had the only suicide attempt in my life after one month on Seroquel - usually, I fight suicidal urges by rationalizing with my mind and by procrastinating suicide until I feel better, treating it a bit like a nasty cold. On Seroquel, in that situation, I was not only very despaired but also dumbed-down and robotic so there was not much of a mind there to fight the urge. Did not work for me.