No phrase frustrates me more than this. For much of my life, I have needed medication. When I was 15 years old, I was struck with Ulcerative Colitis and to treat it, for many years, I had to take a daily regimen of Asacol, Cultuerelle (a pro-biotic), and fiber pills. It took years, but as I lived on my own in grad school I realized that drinking a lot of water and eating better helped keep my colitis in remission. I haven't needed the pills in five years, and the colitis has been in remission for that entire time.
For my mental issues, the story has been similar. In September 2004, I had a psychotic reaction to prednisone, a steroid prescribed to me to help combat the flare-up of my colitis in late August. To help push away the effects of this psychosis, I was stuck on many medications in El Camino Hospital. Slowly that fall, we cut them back. Months later, I was on an incredibly low dose of Paxil and used Zyprexa as a sleep aid "as needed". It was needed so rarely that I had the same bottle last three years, from 2004 to 2007.
Since then I've found myself weaned on and off various medications. But since September 2010, when I stopped taking my Geodon after realizing it was causing me to sleep 15-hour days. (My dad had also noted geodon made me much angrier overall).
Medications helped in the beginning for many things. But I believe the ultimate goal of medication is to get one in a state of mind where therapy can then achieve results. Therapy from 2007 to 2010 helped more than medication.
But still, to this day, there are people out there, usually people I've only known online who like to use the fact that I've been on medication for psychological issues against me. No longer do I fear them. They are afraid that I will call them out for the sins they have committed, and medication will sedate me and keep me from doing so.
They should be afraid. Because I will call them out, when the time comes.
My advice to you:
Feeling manic? Walk for hours. Write something. Blast music. Live your life.
Depressive? I don't know. I've never been.
Eat when you're hungry and sleep when you're tired. Don't let the others define you based on any labels.
For my mental issues, the story has been similar. In September 2004, I had a psychotic reaction to prednisone, a steroid prescribed to me to help combat the flare-up of my colitis in late August. To help push away the effects of this psychosis, I was stuck on many medications in El Camino Hospital. Slowly that fall, we cut them back. Months later, I was on an incredibly low dose of Paxil and used Zyprexa as a sleep aid "as needed". It was needed so rarely that I had the same bottle last three years, from 2004 to 2007.
Since then I've found myself weaned on and off various medications. But since September 2010, when I stopped taking my Geodon after realizing it was causing me to sleep 15-hour days. (My dad had also noted geodon made me much angrier overall).
Medications helped in the beginning for many things. But I believe the ultimate goal of medication is to get one in a state of mind where therapy can then achieve results. Therapy from 2007 to 2010 helped more than medication.
But still, to this day, there are people out there, usually people I've only known online who like to use the fact that I've been on medication for psychological issues against me. No longer do I fear them. They are afraid that I will call them out for the sins they have committed, and medication will sedate me and keep me from doing so.
They should be afraid. Because I will call them out, when the time comes.
My advice to you:
Feeling manic? Walk for hours. Write something. Blast music. Live your life.
Depressive? I don't know. I've never been.
Eat when you're hungry and sleep when you're tired. Don't let the others define you based on any labels.
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