[185329]

For the first ten years after my contraction of psychosis, I was anti-psychiatry, unfortunately for me. This was such a lousy predicament for me. If I had just taken the dang pills from the start, maybe I could have moved on with my life instead of getting worse and insisting that the medication is "evil" or "wrong" or that I did not need it because I wasn't sick. But for the past five years I have been 100% medication compliant. That is, I have worked closely with my psychiatrist and have taken my medication as prescribed. And I remember my psychiatrist saying to me, before making a medication reduction, that if I feel worse or more symptomatic, I can increase my dose back up to where it was before I made the reduction. And that's what I did.

[Yaowen]

Thanks so much for kindly posting this. I was sort of in the same frame of mind you describe and it took a breakdown and a stint in a psychiatric hospital for me to begin psychiatric medication. Best thing I ever did since I have been 99% free of depression, anxiety and panic attacks for 30 years now. The 1% of breakthrough illnesses are mild and of very short duration. I feel blessed to be one of those people who respond well to medical treatment for mental illness. Like you, I wish I had started medical treatment years earlier. You are so kind to share your happy experiences! Yao Wen

[185329]

Thanks, Yaowen. We are fortunate, indeed, to respond well to medication. Sometimes it feels like I am not really making much progress, but then I just have to reassure myself that things will get better with time; and with the continuation of my treatment regime.

I just want to be well already, lol.