SO WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE?

Hi all, first post.

So, psych drugs are clearly bad. I've been taking Olanzapine for a few years now for Bipolar One disorder.

Side effects include sleeping 12-14 hours a day and having no interest in doing...anything. I really just want to hibernate on this drug. Oh and it makes me fat too.

But without it I have issues with mania. What mania is for me is a state of INTENSE anxiety that comes with paranoia. It's like a extended adrenaline rush. If I don't take Olanzapine this eventually happens and it can't be stopped without Olanzapine.

Mania is really hard on my body it causes my muscles to be super tense and makes it hard to eat and sleep properly and function in day to day life. Not to mention the general feeling of insanity.

BUT BEING ON PSYCH DRUGS IS REALLY BAD TOO.

So what's the alternative? You guys are anti-psych but do you actually know of any non-drug solutions to make me healthy?

I'm really feeling sad about life these days. Seems like there's no winning move for me. Either be insane, or take drugs that make me feel $#%^.

Hi and Welcome to the forum


What you describe is not uncommon with meds, a lot of people report is as side effects. They suck, no doubt about it. Have let your psychiatrist know about the symptoms you are having?


While I am not a mental health professional and do not know what will work for you, there are many alternative treatments. There is Hypnosis, EMDR, psychoanalysis, cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy, sensory modulation, art/journal therapy to name a few. There are also nutritional, spiritual, holistic, based treatments. Each one of these is a school of thought all on its own (but often overlaps in treatment) with variants and spin offs of each one. Entire books and papers are published on alternatives to convectional psychiatry.


The key is finding what will work for you, and of course I recommend this be done along with a professional. Having something as simple as a psychologist you like (psychologists can not prescribe medication) can make a positive difference.

I think that for a lot people, the problem is estrangement and that the solution is overcoming estrangement. Estrangement is caused by the culture of narcissism and the reductionist tendencies of our time which Christopher Lasch described so well. Estrangement from ourselves, from interpersonal and social participation, from nature and from God, and ultimate concern. We are minimal selves, whose only purpose in living is to survive and not much more and that is a cause of despair.

NoDrugs wrote:So what's the alternative? You guys are anti-psych but do you actually know of any non-drug solutions to make me healthy?

Anti psych is not really about being drug free.

It's about understanding that psychiatry is a crock and based mostly on lies, an industry based on greed that has no morals.

Olanzapine was the worst thing that ever happened to me , that crap sucked the life out me (anhedoinia) then when I tried to stop taking it I had withdrawal reactions from hell that of course the "professionals" all saw this as proof I 'needed' to take that zombie drug from hell.

NoDrugs wrote:But without it I have issues with mania. What mania is for me is a state of INTENSE anxiety that comes with paranoia. It's like a extended adrenaline rush. If I don't take Olanzapine this eventually happens and it can't be stopped without Olanzapine.

How do you know this is not a withdrawal reaction ? INTENSE anxiety, paranoia , insomnia was all part of my withdrawals that went on for weeks. Anything was better than that flat nothingness that was Zyprexa. Thats right for me pacing , vomiting and having panic attacks for weeks was better than that flat nothingness and I did get through it.

What about Seroquel ?

Seroquel kicks down mania with its zombie hungry want to take a nap now effects but unlike Olanzapine it wears off several hours later.

They are both "anti psychotics" but totally different drugs with different effects, that term "anti psychotic" doesn't mean all that much.

I will take Seroquel, but F*** Olanzapine !

Anyway you don't have to be drug free to be anti psychiatry and pro human rights.