[CaliRockfish]

Anyone else hate meds? I can not stand them. Unless it's for something immediately urgent and temporary, I pretty much oppose it. I can't help seeing peoples long lists of psyche meds and thinking well no wonder you're all over the place...

I won't take any SSRIs. Only take a benzo (alprazolam) for an extreme emergency when I just need to get knocked out, mainly to save me a drive.

Anyone else anti med?

[kaliope]

i am very antimed........that is why it took me 30 years of misery and a complete break down and being hospitalized against my will before i took them. now i take them everyday because i tried everything else and now i am stable and they work. i still hate and resent them but life is so much better and i dont want to go back to hell.

[~Christina]

Taking or not taking medications is a personal choice, If a person is able to function and go about the day to day living and feeling well . Then taking meds daily does makes no sense.

Of course If you aren't taking meds and not having a enjoyable life or maybe your in a relationship and it causes a hardship for your love ones....You might want to reconsider.

But really taking medications or not taking are a personal choice.

I don't feel that anyone is "happy" that they might need to take meds daily to have a productive healthy life.

Good luck and welcome to PC

[kiwi33]

I am neutral about this.

A while ago my psychiatrist told me that probably I will need to be on my AD for the rest of my life - I was not thrilled to hear that.

His comment was "Suppose you have Type I diabetes - do you agree that you would need a daily dose of insulin to stay alive?"

Of course I agreed.

I think that the point that he was trying to make is that some people (through no fault of their own) need a daily dose of insulin. Other people, like me, and it is not my fault, need a daily dose of a psychiatric medication in order to function.

I see no fundamental difference between those classes of medications,

[BlessedRhiannon]

I was extremely anti-meds until my therapist talked me in to just talking to a p-doc. No commitment to try any medications, just to talk to him. I did, and when I left with a prescription, I decided it really couldn't hurt to try just one medication. When I saw what a difference it made to my mental suffering, I was actually very angry and disappointed in myself that I hadn't tried medication earlier.

I think that if you aren't on the right medication or don't have a good p-doc, then being prescribed medication for mental health can be very difficult. You end up experiencing more negative side effects than good treatment. But, if you have a good doctor, and are on the right meds, they can greatly reduce suffering.

I've been on both sides of the fence. I understand both sides of the fence. And, I feel like each person needs to make the decision that is best for them. If someone wants to hear about my experiences with a particular med or what made me change from anti-med to being willing to take them, then I will happily share my story.

[ofthevalley]

I hate taking meds but I hate the hospital more.

[CaliRockfish]

Heard the diabetes (and other diseases) argument before. The thing with that is blood sugar is obviously and easily measured. There is not brain stick to quickly tell you need to adjust a chemical one way or the other.

I'm not saying this as someone who wouldn't try it. I'm saying it as someone who has agreed to try countless drugs. All but one extremely exacerbated problems. That is a big part of why I feel most of them are closer to a poison than solution. Except as I said as an immediate possible life saving drug.

As far as not being happy without them- Even if that was true, a chemical happiness isn't happiness to me. It's...the same as any other drug. You're right, personal choice.

The only one i've really come to like is Propranolol. But even still, I stop taking it, tachycardia and hypertension. Body eventually gets used to it and returns to baseline only to go in the opposite direction once you stop. Not fun. It helped for a minute. Now it hurts.

[venusss]

His comment was "Suppose you have Type I diabetes - do you agree that you would need a daily dose of insulin to stay alive?"

I'd say "So what, I don't have diabetes" and walked straight out office of somebody using such simplistic term.

I read some doctor saying he know this is simplistic, but he uses it to convince his patients to take meds. WOW, these things must really suck when you have to use such BS line to speak for them... like is there nothing to say of their actual benefit? You have to resort to propaganda?

I am not against people taking meds, if that works for them... but I am irritated by the whole "is chemical imbalance" being used as if it was some actual truth. But I guess you cannot tell people that these meds are pretty much mind altering drugs, after they been hammered it "drugs bad" and "just say no" for decades........

So yeah, I am slightly anti-med..... and it's mostly the pro-med arguments actually that convince me to think that way.

[4aminsomniac]

I believe there are many conditions/circumstances, like mine, that there is no targeted medication/solution for immediately. I hate taking anything, wish I was "normal" like my spouse who never even has to think about anything like this, ever. Powers through a cold and keeps on going to work like it is nothing. Rarely takes a day off work etc..

Me...well, not horrible, but finding a solution has been a real nightmare and conundrum. Going around the med circle and trying to find something to deal with the problems, yet, no side effects.

Only benzos can deal/handle with my issues so far...and they have their own issues of course we know.

Would be nice if I didn't have to take anything...that is the dream!!! But not reality for some.

[Zippo]

**His comment was "Suppose you have Type I diabetes - do you agree that you would need a daily dose of insulin to stay alive?"**

Did he/she say what to do when the drugs cause diabetes? They forget to mention that little issue.

[AncientMelody]

Originally Posted by Zippo

**His comment was "Suppose you have Type I diabetes - do you agree that you would need a daily dose of insulin to stay alive?"**

Did he/she say what to do when the drugs cause diabetes? They forget to mention that little issue.

Yes, a very legit concern for the antipsychotics....