To Be Medicated or Not to Be Medicated, That is the Question

This argument of if medications really help has gone on forever and it'll still go on after I post this. I think it's not just a question of if you need medications for a mental illness or not but if you the person wants to be medicated. I think the real problem is mental illnesses seem to come in packages! Which at the end of the day makes it very hard on those who have to figure out what we have. Then there is one drug might work great for one illness were for another it makes it worse. Then is how the mentally ill person wants to move forward. There are three ways in which that can be done.

One you can keep working with a Psychiatrist on finding the right medication and even then it might not be perfect but it helps make your life easier. Two not to be medicated. Which at the end of the day takes a very strong person to do this. It's hard work but I'm in no way saying that it can't be done. Three you could find a balance of the two. Which is what I'm working on. I've been medicated, didn't ever know who I was not medicated, then not medicated for 15 years and now I'm back to being medicated. I believe that I'll find that balance over the next year or so I hope!

The reason I post this is I'm quite tired of the argument at the moment as I've had some pro no medication people come down on me. Not on here so much but in real life. I've never asked for approval but I somewhat feel like I need it. I don't know why! It's just my personality. All I know is that I was falling off the horse not medicated but now that I'm medicated I'm getting better at dealing with my life.

I think I am afraid to start a medication- which is why I have put off testing.

I've been interested in going "fully-raw". Just eating raw fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds- nothing cooked. I read about people with different ailments, disorders - some were going into the hospital every month- once they turned fully-raw, they never had health issues.

I would personally love to try this and see what type of effect it has on someone with ADD. I think I would start with medicine though- as I work my way through becoming vegan.

I think I just rambled.

People are going to think what they think about medication for ADD/ADHD. It doesn't matter though. I think we all have to decide what's right for us- and that may change with time. I think people are often too critical of others- they are quick to criticize. But there is a lot that we don't know about ADD/ADHD- even the research that is out there may not be necessarily interpreted the right way. If medication works for you, then keep up with it. As long as you don't abuse it, I don't see anything wrong with it.

google "Ritalin boosts learning by increasing brain plasticity"- there's a great article done at a notable university.

Heck, by the sounds of it- we need to learn more about the medications given too! People assume that "medication" for a disorder is a terrible thing. It's for the lazy people who just want to rely on a crutch. I think many of us are misinformed. We also don't know everything about ADD/ADHD. How could we see/understand the whole picture?

That's my rambling opinion.

mrtoni,

No your right, there's no right or wrong answer here. As I said before I went off meds to find out who I was. It was needed as now I have learned how to control myself unmedicated. It's just I've gone back to school and I work.

I can't leave or even cut many hours at work as my boss thinks highly of me. Then school is the most important but I need a balance to make both work. I can't just care about one as I might get myself fired, which almost happened, or might fail horribly at school. Neither of which sounds great to me

Arwen,

The folks who have been giving you "no medication" argument, do they believe ADHD is a real illness?

yellowfrog,

Some are like that but I also get a few ADDer's. The ADDer's mainly because medications didn't really help them or it had made some other problem worse. Once I tell them why I choose to go back on meds they back off.

Just really tired of defending myself.

I personally have had bad experiences with meds. But I was given them as a child and had a lot of side effects but it wasn't properly monitored. I was kinda on my own with it and didn't notice all the negative effects it was having on me. When I look back now as an adult I can see it so clearly but I couldn't then. As an adult I find that having a short acting medication is best. I've found ritalin to be fairly ineffective for me. Focalin worked well. Something short acting like focalin, dexedrine, adderall or ritalin. I don't use it all the time so it doesn't become my reality. Just if I have something I really need to focus on or get done like I want to learn a new song, have paper work to do, resume stuff or applications, cleaning or a book I really want to read. A lot of time I use it for my own pursuits. Something I really already want to do like a book I really want to read, Idea I want to write about and think about or song I want to learn. I use it to help me to learn it more effectively. When I was doing things I really didn't want to do in school and taking them it made me more frustrated cause I felt weird but I just didn't care about the work I was doing and no matter what couldn't convince myself it was worth it. I was just so bored and overwhelmed by it. But in adulthood I find things I really want to learn like instruments, book etc. and I know I could go really far if I could just focus so sometimes I use stimulants but it is a good experience now that I'm not in school and using them to focus on things I really want to do. But I never really enjoyed it as an every day sort of thing. I found it helpful the night before tests, with a big paper or sometimes just to regain a little clarity and normalcy in my mind. I think it can be good short term to really get the ball rolling and get some good plans and behaviors in place and catch up a bit. Good for a couple of years tops as far as regular use goes. A lot of studies have shown that their benefit decreasing drastically after a couple of years. They prove to be more effective for a couple of years like I said to sorta catch up and figure stuff out and put supports in place and then go off of them cause long term effects we don't really know. Also, some people notice a tolerance and can get dependent on them and it can affect your brains chemicals. Side effects can get worse for some people the longer they take them. I don't feel like they are good for your body long term.

i've been on meds for over 30 years, im schtzoaffective so i do need them. are you daignosed with any mental conditions? i know i am addicted to them but without them, as i have tried several times to go off of them, i am a mess. as soon as i get stabilized again i feel great.

That's it some people just need the medications! I personality could be fine without them but I wanted to see if I handled life better on something. Which I was till I found out I was pregnant so now I can't take them. Not until the baby comes and at least I know the drug I was on worked. I just wanted to test it for a year. Only got 4 months out of it.

I was always anti medication until about a year ago. the reason for this was because I was put on various ssris that made me basically manic/suicidal. then everything became unbearable, I found a new therapist, and she spotted my adhd. I feel like a new person with my medication. well not new, but like my old self, when I was a teenager, before I was overwhelmed with life. I am trying to ween myself off or go as low dose as possible right now because of sexual side effects. otherwise it has been great. good luck

I have taken meds for depression for years. My doctor is trying out Adderall for me for ADD. It's been 4 months, 1 month each with 5mg, 10,15 and now I'm on 20mg 1 time a day. None of these have changed anything. I am so sick of this trial and error. I can't afford to see a Psychiatrist, insurance only pays for 4 visits and that's it. I just want my mind to slow down...and is to much to ask for a little peace and happiness for a change.

I was recently diagnosed with ADD. I would read a book and then moments later, forget what really happened? I was in community college for seven years with passing grades and then three years at university just for an undergrad. I always wanted to learn other languages but struggled and even improve on English vocabulary but couldn't.

Since my diagnosis, the doctor gave me Ritalin 10mg twice a day. And it has worked wonders for me. I can't freaking believe how much focus I have. I went to the library and learned eight chapters of Latin with no distracting thought. Even there were some noisy people but it didn't bother me. It's like everything else is subdued and muted. And the best thing about the drug is, it lets me do one thing at a time with full concentration. I love it.

I wish I had gone to the doc earlier instead of wasting all those years staring at a book. However, it also has minor side-effect. It made me really twitchy. The speed at which I talked was increased. Also, loss of sleep and appetite.