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Medicated vs Un-medcated
I know this is a controversial topic but it seems to pop up a lot. I do want people to discuss their ideas and keep an open mind. There is no need to argue or be disrespectful in stating whether or not they choose to be medicated or not. Instead let's use this discussion to tell how we came to our decisions to live life medicated or un
medicated. Someone might take something away from this.
medicated. Someone might take something away from this.
That's great your friend was able to transition. I forgot to mention that the test also can tell you how you matabilize the drugs. Obviously if your not matabilizing a drug than it's certainly not working the way it should.
On another note, you mentioned my husband. He is a frustrating person to cope with. Unless I'm sucidal and hospitalized you can forget any support from him. From the time I started taking meds to before that, he sees a big downslide. I of course do too. I'll let you know how the test comes out.
On another note, you mentioned my husband. He is a frustrating person to cope with. Unless I'm sucidal and hospitalized you can forget any support from him. From the time I started taking meds to before that, he sees a big downslide. I of course do too. I'll let you know how the test comes out.
If the meds aren't working, then I can see why you would want to stop taking them. I am surprised your husband sees you getting worse, but isn't into you trying something different. With the info in that Geotest, you will be able to check you folate, methionine, trace elements, and many nutritional deficiencies that may help you be more stable than meds. I have a friend who did the Geotest and is now on natural supplements and specific diet only, after she was on meds for 10 years. I think you are on the right track with getting more tests done. I'd love to hear what comes of it all. Never stop searching for answers.
Thank you for your comments. I have never heard of a mood disorder dr. I thought the pdoc's took care of that. I meet my pdoc monthly. In a bad episode more often. She has not been able to tell me if the meds make me worse. I am med sensitive and have tried every med, believe it or not, on the market for this disorder. One thing I will say is since starting meds 8 yrs ago I have only gotten worse and my husband will agree. Therefore, that is the reason for contemplating the no med idea. With the way my life of the past 8 yrs have been things could not get any worse unless I just wasn't here. Have had some close calls with that. My life was ten times better before meds. The bipolar was mild and did not ruin my life. I need my life back! One episode after the other, the instability and messing up words in speaking and writing are no way for me to live. There are no med answers for me. Yes I am afraid to stop meds since I've been on them so long and it's a risk. I hope I will be able to get to the point of making that final decision. I have had the same pdoc for 8 yrs so she would be watching out for me. I am getting ready to do the Geomind test. What a blessing that they came out with that test. You swab the inside of both cheeks. You send it out and get the results in 36 hrs. It gives you very extensive info about you, your genes and meds, meds you sould try and shouldn't try and meds to use with caution. The info is invaluable. I have a friend that did it last month. The more info about oneself, the better. Thanks again to everyone.
I have decided to let those who love me decide if I am going to be on meds, so your situation would be difficult for me Crystal. My therapist and doctor want me on meds, but my wife and kids are willing to go through the trial and error of finding a med free way for me. Just talking about me, never having been inside your head, I don't think I could be med free if I was the only one who believed in my efforts, though that is impossible for me to know for sure. I think the resistance from my daily interactions with those I love would become triggers. My family knows if I mumble an answer to a question and walk outside, then I need time to calm down or perk up. There is nothing anyone can do, once I am in a mood, so it's best if I am left alone. If my wife told me in that state to , get a grip or told me I should be medicated, I believe my resentments, obsessive thinking, and mood would just carry me into a bad place. So, if I were in your shoes, I believe I would have to think long and hard and form a very solid plan to try and do it, and I wouldn't ever think of trying it totally alone. Maybe there is a local support group, something to have supportive people watching, to give objective perspectives and accountability. I try to never give bipolar advice, just trying to see the world from your point of view to relate, and possibly give you some things to think about. I hope you find peace, one way or another.
Yes when I discontinued medication (this was 20 years ago) it took two weeks for the medications to have a low enough blood level for them not to work. By that point in time I had lost control and judgement and ended up signing myself into the hospital because it was necessary. After that this did not occur again but in the past sometimes I would lower it to a less than effective dose but could see where I was going so I would bring it back up again.
As each mental health condition in severity varies the specific effect of discontinuing treatment is different. In all cases it will bring the person back
to where they were before starting medication. Sometimes a medication can be partially effective and resolve some symptoms and a person not realize it.
It would be worthwhile to ask your psychiatrist their specific concerns, discuss your concerns about efficacy of medications and side effects and ask what available options they would consider trying. If they don't have any specific ideas sometimes a referral to a mood disorders specialist who can then provide your psychiatrist with more ideas can be of help.
As each mental health condition in severity varies the specific effect of discontinuing treatment is different. In all cases it will bring the person back
to where they were before starting medication. Sometimes a medication can be partially effective and resolve some symptoms and a person not realize it.
It would be worthwhile to ask your psychiatrist their specific concerns, discuss your concerns about efficacy of medications and side effects and ask what available options they would consider trying. If they don't have any specific ideas sometimes a referral to a mood disorders specialist who can then provide your psychiatrist with more ideas can be of help.
I think if you can, it's better not to be medicated. Having said that, your article couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Having been dx for the past 8 yrs and medicated, the episodes just keep coming, some more sevre than others. I am much worse than before my dx. I have been seriously contemplating going the no med route with the assistance of my pdoc. I have brought it up in the past and she is against it, my husband is too. The way I look at it is you don't know unless you try and for me it can't be any worse than it already has been. Anyone have any experiences having been on meds then off that you would like to share? How you felt?
I never answered the question, oops. The abbreviation, vs, infers, "which is better." Of course, totally natural and eating fruit and seeds in the Garden of Eden is my ideal. But there is a time and a place for everything under the sun, even imperfect things like medication. I used them to salvage my mind and get a plan in place, much like I used subs to get me through the insanity of opiate addiction. I think that for some, meds are better, if they believe it is better, then it is. I also think many who are on meds would be better off without them and people off meds who should be on them. Some people do better using meds on an as needed basis. There is no wrong way, so long as the person feels good about it.
Great post, thanks. I have thought a great deal about this subject and talk about it to few. First off, I never consider what I am doing to be advice of any kind. I tend to do everything the hard way, so I am certain I will be changing my approach again.
I first knew about my bipolar at 20, I related to what I read and my wife and friends could see it too. It started to scare me, so I totally avoided the subject for the next 20 years. I will say that lead to a pretty exciting life and I developed coping skills over the years. I didn't think of them as bipolar coping skills, just life coping skills for a unique homosapien. I guess I always liked the intensity and was never told it wasn't okay. I suppose I worked real hard to be a healthy bipolar, never thinking of psych meds as an option or even an idea. I never blamed nor explained anything blaming bipolar, I pretended it wasn't even there. That life was filled with really good and real hard times, though I never thought of them as bad times, just intense or educational.
When my first child was born was when I came to the thought I would probably end up taking meds or being a hobo. I was 31 and started taking opiates a short time later to keep up with my pain and responsibilities. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was medicating my bipolar too, or maybe mostly. Methadone did help with my moods, though nothing seems to stop them. The side effects of methadone became worse than bipolar, I was surely going to die. It was the detox of methadone and all the life situations I chose in mania that built up stress that landed me in a psychotic break. I have always avoided hospitalization by living in rural areas and going to another country when severely manic. Kids stopped that ability to just wander.
I didn't jump a train or get on a plane, though every cell in my being wanted too, I believe that resistance to my bipolar instincts caused my break. I got bad news that I couldn't get help with my bipolar/addiction and snapped. Went to jail, lost my memory, hell, I forgot I had a family and house for awhile there. That lead me to take medications. I think the lithium helped my memory return, though it made me sick and I went psychotic while taking it. Lamictal made me feel flat and I hallucinated ravens dive bombing my head on Abilify. My wife and I noticed that drugs either have way less affect on me or they really change me. I do think the meds helped me land back in the 3D world for sure.
I adjusted my life, which was way hard, and I got my affairs more in order. Then I decided, with my wives' approval, to stop all meds. That is key, I have someone watching me all the time, so I can remember and know if what I think and how i am acting is at least close to the same. If not, then I have to go and retreat and get a grip. I like being manic, but psychosis and mixed states are not something I ever want to feel again. I felt like I was in a mixed state for most of a year after I quit methadone, with some true mania popping up every so often. The meds may have played a role in getting me back on track, I think they did.
So, I guess my approach is, if I and others think i am a threat to me or others, then my wife will stick a pill down my throat. Luckily, I live very alternatively, so I don't have to fit in and I am by far not the craziest person in our little New Age Hippie Alien town. If I spew poetry on the street and talk to a lamp post as if it were Jesus, the cops will just roll their eyes, unless I am a threat. I couldn't live in a big city long term, I would surely have to be on meds. I am changing my world to fit my mind, rather than changing my mind to fit the world. My goal is to discover the difference in HEALTHY Bipolar and UNHEALTHY bipolar. The hype and bias of much of the West makes healthy bipolar sound like a delusional oxymoron, that's me.
Again, I don't suggest doing what I am doing, I am totally aware that I may be on meds again. I will believe there is such thing as a healthy bipolar, until I prove myself otherwise. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, behold beauty! with or without meds.
I first knew about my bipolar at 20, I related to what I read and my wife and friends could see it too. It started to scare me, so I totally avoided the subject for the next 20 years. I will say that lead to a pretty exciting life and I developed coping skills over the years. I didn't think of them as bipolar coping skills, just life coping skills for a unique homosapien. I guess I always liked the intensity and was never told it wasn't okay. I suppose I worked real hard to be a healthy bipolar, never thinking of psych meds as an option or even an idea. I never blamed nor explained anything blaming bipolar, I pretended it wasn't even there. That life was filled with really good and real hard times, though I never thought of them as bad times, just intense or educational.
When my first child was born was when I came to the thought I would probably end up taking meds or being a hobo. I was 31 and started taking opiates a short time later to keep up with my pain and responsibilities. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was medicating my bipolar too, or maybe mostly. Methadone did help with my moods, though nothing seems to stop them. The side effects of methadone became worse than bipolar, I was surely going to die. It was the detox of methadone and all the life situations I chose in mania that built up stress that landed me in a psychotic break. I have always avoided hospitalization by living in rural areas and going to another country when severely manic. Kids stopped that ability to just wander.
I didn't jump a train or get on a plane, though every cell in my being wanted too, I believe that resistance to my bipolar instincts caused my break. I got bad news that I couldn't get help with my bipolar/addiction and snapped. Went to jail, lost my memory, hell, I forgot I had a family and house for awhile there. That lead me to take medications. I think the lithium helped my memory return, though it made me sick and I went psychotic while taking it. Lamictal made me feel flat and I hallucinated ravens dive bombing my head on Abilify. My wife and I noticed that drugs either have way less affect on me or they really change me. I do think the meds helped me land back in the 3D world for sure.
I adjusted my life, which was way hard, and I got my affairs more in order. Then I decided, with my wives' approval, to stop all meds. That is key, I have someone watching me all the time, so I can remember and know if what I think and how i am acting is at least close to the same. If not, then I have to go and retreat and get a grip. I like being manic, but psychosis and mixed states are not something I ever want to feel again. I felt like I was in a mixed state for most of a year after I quit methadone, with some true mania popping up every so often. The meds may have played a role in getting me back on track, I think they did.
So, I guess my approach is, if I and others think i am a threat to me or others, then my wife will stick a pill down my throat. Luckily, I live very alternatively, so I don't have to fit in and I am by far not the craziest person in our little New Age Hippie Alien town. If I spew poetry on the street and talk to a lamp post as if it were Jesus, the cops will just roll their eyes, unless I am a threat. I couldn't live in a big city long term, I would surely have to be on meds. I am changing my world to fit my mind, rather than changing my mind to fit the world. My goal is to discover the difference in HEALTHY Bipolar and UNHEALTHY bipolar. The hype and bias of much of the West makes healthy bipolar sound like a delusional oxymoron, that's me.
Again, I don't suggest doing what I am doing, I am totally aware that I may be on meds again. I will believe there is such thing as a healthy bipolar, until I prove myself otherwise. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, behold beauty! with or without meds.
Mostly my key goal is stability that is hopefully to be in neither category.
My medications do have some side effects such as some minor cognitive blunting and the like. Over time when known medications didn't work I researched treatments that were in clinical study or used off label for bipolar. It took time to find the right psychiatrist and also one that
had familiarity with these treatments.
I am experiencing insomnia as a side effect of some of my medications and because of treatment for a separate neurological concern. I am working with my psychiatrist and neurologist to have this addressed. I can experience at times some standard concerns such as grandiosity and I work with my psychiatrist to have this addressed. Talk therapy is a key part of recovery as well. I am seeking to have more social functioning in my life which became impaired for a variety of reason, some known some more complex. The past years when medication didn't work or when it doesn't work as it should and my judgment can be impaired is frankly unnerving looking back.
My medications do have some side effects such as some minor cognitive blunting and the like. Over time when known medications didn't work I researched treatments that were in clinical study or used off label for bipolar. It took time to find the right psychiatrist and also one that
had familiarity with these treatments.
I am experiencing insomnia as a side effect of some of my medications and because of treatment for a separate neurological concern. I am working with my psychiatrist and neurologist to have this addressed. I can experience at times some standard concerns such as grandiosity and I work with my psychiatrist to have this addressed. Talk therapy is a key part of recovery as well. I am seeking to have more social functioning in my life which became impaired for a variety of reason, some known some more complex. The past years when medication didn't work or when it doesn't work as it should and my judgment can be impaired is frankly unnerving looking back.
If I had to choose either way I would be un-medicated but that is just an illusion for me right now. My mind doesn't shut off when the night time comes. Sometimes I am able to get natural sleep and sometimes (when the obsession of the day has not ended) I take my night time meds.
If you are just starting medication do not make a decision as to whether you are for or against medication. Try a few times to see if one works for you because we all are different. If you have tried several medications and you do not like the feeling you get then by all means try to live a life without medicine.
Living medicated and living without medication both have their own rewards and risks.
If you are just starting medication do not make a decision as to whether you are for or against medication. Try a few times to see if one works for you because we all are different. If you have tried several medications and you do not like the feeling you get then by all means try to live a life without medicine.
Living medicated and living without medication both have their own rewards and risks.
I cannot consider myself to be un-medicated because there is an anti-psychotic that I take and am thankful for. I take it not every day but the days when I really need sleep and stuffing myself doesn't work I do take it. I have stated before that I think there is a time for medication and a time to not be medicated. For me it means if I am depressed it means it is time to come off the medicine and change the things in my life that may be causing the depression.
My brother, before he found out about bipolar, was diagnosed with it as an adolescent. He stopped taking his medicine shortly after being prescribed it. He said that it "didn't let him get angry." For my brother anger was a necessary thing to have since he was picked on daily about his weight in school.
Sometimes I also need the anger. Sometimes I need to just feel and the medicines I have been on didn't let me do it. Also sometimes I don't want to feel. I am in my head and I don't want to go through the torture all night so I take my meds. I choose now when I want to be medicated and when I don't. I don't consider it playing Russian roulette.
My brother, before he found out about bipolar, was diagnosed with it as an adolescent. He stopped taking his medicine shortly after being prescribed it. He said that it "didn't let him get angry." For my brother anger was a necessary thing to have since he was picked on daily about his weight in school.
Sometimes I also need the anger. Sometimes I need to just feel and the medicines I have been on didn't let me do it. Also sometimes I don't want to feel. I am in my head and I don't want to go through the torture all night so I take my meds. I choose now when I want to be medicated and when I don't. I don't consider it playing Russian roulette.
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