Words fail, buildings crumble, the ground opens wide

[wednes]

So i'm not going to therapy until next week.

and I'm not taking those meds anymore. I just quit them cold turkey. i hate having to be at the whim of these docs and i resent having to be some kind of over medicated basket case.

Take THAT, Guernica!

Comments

[lostsatellite.livejournal.com]

I quit anti-depressants cold turkey (as far as I remember) five years ago and haven't been on them since...I've since learned that they shouldn't be stopped cold turkey because it fucks with your brain chemistry...of course, five years later is a little late to be learning that!...

I've recently tried using 5-HTP...it's a natural supplement that helps boost serotonin levels...I don't remember offhand all the details as to why it works or anything, but it might be a possibility of something to look into...I don't always remember to take it every day, but at this point it doesn't seem like I necessarily need it every day...and that in itself is amazing to me!...

[princezna.livejournal.com]

That's what I did.

6 months later & I'm still just fine... actually less crazy.

You'll be fine. You just have to believe you are.

Of course

Kava kava
5-HTP
B Complex
hypnosis
& St. John's Wort do help.

[princezna.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah... & weed helps too!

Why use meds.....

[shakeshookshock.livejournal.com]

when you have me.

<3

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I hear that! it's a slippery slope with these meds, and I know I should probably talk to the doctor about quitting. but its not like I'm dangerous. sometimes i just need some help dealing. but right now I'm feeling okay, so why fuck it up with a bunch of drugs?

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm with a few of those.

i also like aromatherapy, meditation, yoga, and weed.

Re: Why use meds.....

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I...don't know...

[lostsatellite.livejournal.com]

I understand what you mean...if you want to live without medication, more power to you...but it might be better to go off them more gradually than just go cold turkey, as far as long term health for your brain goes...I don't know enough about that sort of thing, but the look on the face of the two recent counselors I've seen was enough of a warning sign to not go cold turkey again...(though thankfully I've staved off getting any other medications for the time being, and I hope to keep it that way)...

[princezna.livejournal.com]

YOGA! YES! Whenever I don't do it I end up feeling down.

I wish I had a big bathtub to meditate in.

I need 'em. Maybe you do too.

[uterdic.livejournal.com]

You know what? I feel pretty good today. I think I'm going to stop taking my meds today too!

Afterall, just because there is something wrong with my pancreas doesn't mean I have to be a slave to insulin. Hell, if I don't take the injections, it'll be kind of like taking the Atkins Diet. It does the same thing.

And last night you were freaking out because you didn't have your meds.

Some people need these to survive. That's why I made the insulin reference. If you have an imbalance, and the drugs that supply these items are important to your welfare, then you should be taking them.

I'm going to compare it to another discussion we had a couple of years ago while we talked about cutters. I said, "That's really dumb, just don't cut yourself." You responded with a lot of the emotional and psychological reasons as to why people cut themselves. It's not always just a frame of mind. Sometimes (frequently) there is a reason and a remedy through medication. Not always, no. But for you, I'd tend to say that I believe you should probably be on your medication. Especially considering how I see you when you are not on them. I've had 2 friends believe that they could go off of their medication when I lived down south. One was committed 2 days later. The other disappeared for 2 weeks. He was just walking around. His roommates, friends and family didn't know where he was. Both ended back on the medication and were much happier as a result. they just didn't know how bad it was at the time.

Just because you feel good today doesn't mean that it's over. You might have a real problem that requires medication. Maybe you just need some herbal remedies, but maybe not. I know they've been juggling your dosage for a couple of years, but you only go every couple of weeks (despite weekly appointments).

This concerns me, obviously. Just don't jump into anything. Talk with doctors about it. Discuss other potential possabilities with professionals. We can all offer wives tales, or situations that have worked for us, but many of us don't know what the hell we're talking about (not flaming anyone in particular). And consulting a pro can be a benefit.

I'm guessing we can talk about this later. I'm not trying to anger or upset anyone, but I thought this was more important an issue to open discussion rather than a personal email or to just talk about it.

Re: I need 'em. Maybe you do too.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we'll talk about it.

[tallulahmae.livejournal.com]

I stopped taking mine on Friday! I felt OK for a couple days and now I feel really fucking weird! Zzzap. Zzzap. Do you get the brain zaps? I don't know what else to call it. I'm hoping I can muddle through and convince myself I don't need meds. With diabetes, the doctors know you need Insulin. Insulin works for everyone and it's a fact. With depression, it's a crap shoot. It's, "Why don't you try this med? It works for some people..." Sometimes I don't know if the meds help or not. aurgh. I want to see who I am without them. Anyhow, good luck!

[lovelesslover.livejournal.com]

I always thought it was nice to be a basket case. Guess that's just me. I quit my antidepressants a while ago, and although the world isn't shiny and happy, I think I'll be alright. This journal make me look all morbid and suicidal though, I have to change that >.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. it's easy for sane people to say 'take your meds, the docs know what they're talking about". but i've been on this ride since I was very young...and they still don't know any better than they did in the 70's. and while they are cramming that crap down our throats, they cleverly omit to tell us that we are thier guinea pigs.

but I'm not taking them anymore, unless i really can't handle things.

Re: I need 'em. Maybe you do too.

[nate101000.livejournal.com]

Ya know I wish I was that coherent right now. But I do have something insightful to add. A friend of mine hates being a slave to his medication. He also feels much better when he is NOT taking his medication. But he fucks up his life and pays for it later. He also pisses off just about everybody around him. So part of the reason he needs his medication is to be more considerate of others. So the medication is helpful to those around you. That isn't to say that you going off you meds isn't worthwhile. There is a question of how much of your personality should you sacrifice for the sake of the convenience of those around you? It isn't wrong to say that you want to be yourself.

[madush69.livejournal.com]

When Chilton skips meds I pay. She feels she's lost her edge while medicated, and feels better without them. With them she hollers less and doesn't make me cry as often.

[derekfz.livejournal.com]

Your reasoning for not wanting to take the meds goes hand-in-hand with the objections I sometimes have to medications and doctors and stuff that are supposed to be, you know, good for your brain (or whatever). When it comes to people I care about and them being on meds, I hate feeling that they are indeed at the whim of the doctor who's prescribing them, and I always fear them being these overmedicated zombies who just break down into this nightmare world when the meds go away or whatever. Blah. I'm not stating it very eloquently, but.. but I think you understand what I mean.

I would, because I consider you a friend, rather you find mental stability and happiness your own way than being overly reliant on medication (which I'm not saying that you are or were). I find your statement and choice of direction on this matter refreshing, because it seems to go against how almost everyone else I know feels about being on meds. And I love that you want to do the mental health thing the way you see fit, instead of being pumped full of drugs.

I shall hug you now. Hug. Ah.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Thanks, man. It's a long road to sanity, and I shall be making many stops along the way, as it were.

(me lose brain? Uh oh!)

I appreciate your kind words, and your hugs!