[Lillybird90]

Do they really help? Or is it just a big waste of time?
I was curious. My mother is going to get me an appointment
With a psychiatrist so they'll probably put me on something...
I might have schizophrenia, I am 24 Would taking meds mess me up
for life (do more damage than help) or what?

[live2ski66]

llilybird, like anything in life, things work because you believe they will work. I freely admit I like pharmaceuticals and I believe in them. My outlaw mother is a pharmacist, my father was a chemist this was my launching pad into the world of treatment. If I'm ill, my first instinct is to find the medicine that will alleviate the problem. If I'm somewhat stable and in control I may experiment with alternative medicines like herbs, acupuncture, reiki, meditation, etc. the minute my life is off balance I go back to pharmaceuticals as my first option. Finally, don't get me wrong, I never stop taking pharmaceuticals, the alternative medicines are an adjunct to my treatment.

So the question you need to ask yourself is what do you believe in, what do you believe will have the best chance to help you.

Good Luck!

[sewerrats]

you haven't been to the shrink yet , schits is a big name to put on yourself when you haven't even seen a shrink . He may send you home with just a talk , don't put things into your head

[splitimage]

I find meds to be a lifesaver. I'd probably be dead without them. I've been on some sort of psychotropic medication since around 1999. I'm now on a new chemical cocktail, and my mood is better than it has been in years.

However I believe that the best combination is meds and talk therapy, so if you can afford both that's the way to go.

splitimage

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by Lillybird90

Do they really help? Or is it just a big waste of time?
I was curious. My mother is going to get me an appointment
With a psychiatrist so they'll probably put me on something...
I might have schizophrenia, I am 24 Would taking meds mess me up
for life (do more damage than help) or what?

I don't have any experience with schizophrenia except for two friends. In my opinion they were far better off on meds despite the risks. They had it at the pretty extreme end of the spectrum and were unable to work even on meds. On meds they could live on their own and take care of themselves. Off meds a whole different story. My good friend from when I was a kid ended up refusing help and refused to take him meds and ended up homeless walking the streets in northern Michigan talking to trees. Not a good place to be homeless. The other girl....every couple of years like clock work she would go off her meds for some reason and end up hiding in the closet because the CIA was trying to find her and people were trying to kill her and all that. When her family went to check on her they would finally get out of the closet and to the hospital and get stabilized again. She would be good for another two years. So in those two cases I would say meds were best.

Like SR says don't be so quick to pin a label on yourself until you get a thorough evaluation. And I don't mean a 15 minute talk with a psychiatrist, I mean like a total of two hour with a psychologist, a nurse, blood tests, and then a psychiatrist. That is how it should be done here in the states. Go to a clinic who offers all of those services and not just a psychiatrist that will put you on meds after 15 minutes.

My experience is with depression so I can speak to that. My Dad is a pharmacist and I come from a medical family so first Like live2ski66 my first inclination is to go to meds. Meds have not worked well on my depression but neither has therapy for that matter but mine is complicated.

The research on depression says that meds work on about 50% of the people. It is most commonly believed in the field that meds with therapy is the most effective. Meds alone don't cut it and therapy alone don't cut it. You need both.

Its a big decision and depends on so many factors. Family history, genetics, history of abuse, trauma, neglect, etc. What symptoms you are having, how much it is affecting your like and so on. Meds have risks but are they worth the risks...

[Lillybird90]

Thanks for the info everyone. I just was going off the deep end It's too much pressure and really hard at times when your whole family is backing up the fact they think something is wrong with you..I heard them talking in the other room with each other they don't know I did. But regardless I just hope My appointment will go well and I'll get to know what's up.

[Altered Moment]

Originally Posted by Lillybird90

Thanks for the info everyone. I just was going off the deep end It's too much pressure and really hard at times when your whole family is backing up the fact they think something is wrong with you..I heard them talking in the other room with each other they don't know I did. But regardless I just hope My appointment will go well and I'll get to know what's up.

If your family is concerned and supportive let them help you. Often others see things in us that we don't see. There is nothing wrong with you. You may have a medical condition. You sound young. We are having a long discussion in another thread about how important early intervention can be. And success stories in my family from early intervention. Maybe you get on top of it and don't need meds. Your family may need a lot of education too.

[onionknight]

Originally Posted by Lillybird90

Thanks for the info everyone. I just was going off the deep end It's too much pressure and really hard at times when your whole family is backing up the fact they think something is wrong with you..I heard them talking in the other room with each other they don't know I did. But regardless I just hope My appointment will go well and I'll get to know what's up.

It sounds like you need to have a long talk with a professional--explain how you feel, why you think you feel this way, fears, goals, things that are interfering with your functioning, living, whatever is bothering you, etc. You need to be concerned with your internal state and your interactions--not what others are saying about you. It isn't going to be helpful for you to internalize the idea that there is something "wrong" with you. Sometimes well-meaning families focus on blaming and correcting the "wrong" and it only serves to further marginalize the person who is suffering. You should work to develop a plan that will get you where you want to be--whether it be with life goals, symptom reduction, etc. Medication may be a tool that you use, but you should understand that once you start taking them, they can be hard to come off and their use changes the brain potentially making relapse more likely. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of alternatives to medication available.

Psychiatric medication has saved my life. Mental illness has robbed me of big pieces of my life, but I can't blame the meds for that. Meds are not fun, but they can be life-saving. They can make it so you at least have a chance at a normal existence...so you can make the choices instead of your illness making the choices for you. Best of luck to you - keep us posted~

[Stronger]

It depends on the med and your body's reaction to it.
But for me, without meds I am a complete mess.
A few months ago one of my meds started loosing it's effect on me. It made me so so sad because on the max dose, it had been my miracle med (Zoloft) for three years. But since I didn't change meds in time, I had a major depressive episode that put me back in the hospital.

Meds certainly are not a quick fix it all, and usually a combination of meds and therapy work the best. But the right dose of the right med should definitely help get you back on your feet.

Good luck! Finding the right med and /or meds combo can be frustrating at times.