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Danialla said:
Why would you bury your "support" for those of us who have had a positive experience with the use of medication, within the same paragraph where you use the terms such as "emotional flat line" & "frontal lobotomy"?? HMMM... Doesn't sound very supportive to me. But hey, I'm on medication and my thought processes are "controlled" right?
</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">I'm also on medication so I can see where you're coming from Danialla but I think you're being slightly insensitive. There are many people who HAVE had negative experiences w/meds. You're discounting the people who HAVE experienced the "emotional flatline" and "frontal lobotomy" symptoms.
I've had caring doctors who tried to work with me as a whole person. I've also had docs who didn't give a sh** about me and simply signed the prescription pad and shoved me out the door after spending two minutes with me. The people on this board have had diverse experiences w/meds, both good and bad. I don't see why you're being defensive. The original poster was just sharing one of many different types of experiences. Everyone is different. What's good for you may be horrible for someone else. Don't discount the people who've had bad experiences.
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Danialla said:
I did try life without medications, many, many times. I have gone years without medications. They were not good years.
Trust me, I should have! Having clear thought processes would have made the world of difference in my life. I would have had many less regrets...anyway.
</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">I can completely relate to that. My meds allow me to think clearly and function normally. I do not feel "drugged up" and my creativity has not been stifled. In fact, I'm more creative because the drugs clear my brain fog and help me think more clearly which allows the "real me" to emerge. I wish I had been treated earlier (not just w/meds but other approaches too). It's hard not to look back and think about regrets and missed opportunities.
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Danialla said:those of us who brave the stigma and seek treatment, are not only fighting ourselves, but have to justify our need for medications
</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">That's part of the reason WHY I'm so strongly against the overprescribing of medications. Overprescribing/overdiagnosing only creates more STIGMA against people who really have mental disorders.I'm SICK of having to justify my need for meds because of selfish college students pretending to have ADHD, yuppie parents getting Ritalin so their precious little Johnny can get straight A's and idiot docs who distribute pills like Halloween candy. Everyone & their mother seems to be on a psych med these days. As a result, everyone thinks that legit folks like you and me are just jumping on the bandwagon looking for excuses. That's why I don't disclose my condition to people, because they'll probably say, "Yeah right, don't we
all have ADHD." Our experiences are trivialized because psych drugs are overused.
Pill-popping needs to be addressed. Many people use pills to deal w/normal life problems. I knew a girl in high school who went on Prozac because she was upset at being rejected from Princeton (Oh gosh, the horror!). There are college students pretending to have ADHD to obtain Adderall to cram for exams and anorexics who use it to lose weight. It's sickening. And unfortunately, sometimes doctors DO use anti-psychotics to make patients more um..."manageable". It's not because they're evil dictators conspiring to "control" people. It's due to the joys of "managed care".
Many hospitals are understaffed so doctors & nurses simply don't have enough time to work w/patients. My friend is a nurse and she says this is a huge issue. There's also the insurance issue. Insurance companies aren't very generous about paying for non-pill treatments. Pills are all too often used as a Bandaid solution for our broken health care system. If pills are used, they should be a
tool in a comprehensive
multifaceted treatment plan, not as the entire treatment plan.
I wish I didn't have to take meds but there's no doubt that I need my ADHD meds. However, I do question my need for ADs. I've experienced suicidal ideation before but I've never actually attempted it. I've had therapy in the past but I can't afford it right now. D*** those evil insurance companies!
But that's an entirely different topic. I'll probably moonlight as a waitress for some extra income so I can pay for therapy. I've accepted that I need meds for ADHD but I would definitely like to get off these anti-depressants at some point.