I just wrote a "book" in response to someone posting a link to a certain medication being "bad". By the time I was completed, the link was gone! If this is posted somewhere else, I apologize for the redundancy. I THINK I have something worth saying.
Most of the people on this forum are much younger than me. (I'm 51). I see so many posts about medication being "bad". Most of the time I view it is a quagmire that I don't even want to address. But I have a medication "success story", and I think it may be worth hearing for some.
I'm also different in that I didn't have my "meltdown" until I was in my early 30's.(panic/ anxiety/ depression) I was always shy and anxious, but after I had my 2 daughters I had an actual "nervous breakdown". I ended up in the hospital, had shock treatments. Yeah, it was horrifying, but I only cared about getting better for my daughters. The Doctors could have told me to stand in the middle of an Interstate and I would have done it. I tried numerous medications before we found the correct combination. I also had behavioral therapy. It took me about a year, but I did get back on my feet, and became a functional adult again.
EVERY medication has a list of side effects as long as your arm. If you read the side effects of an aspirin, you would never take one. It's too bad they don't print the good that medication can do. In my case it would say, "Lccska was able to attend every one of her Daughters school functions, rarely missed one of their softball games, worked full time in order to buy them the latest fashion must haves, dated, made friends, and tried to provide the best life possible". I still have an occasional panic/ anxiety attack to this day. I can almost always relate an increase in my anxiety to a situation that is going on in my life. When the situation is resolved, my anxiety decreases.
I don't want a pat on the back, a "good job", or any of that. I want you to understand that medicine does have a place in life. I'm 51 years old and have been on medication for 24 years. I have absolutely no health problems, most of which I attribute to genetics. I have NEVER had surgery! Still have every organ I was born with! I'm pretty sure I'm living on borrowed time as far as health problems are concerned. Although I do have anxiety/ panic/ depression. I absolutely know it is a health issue as it was killing me.
I just hope you make decisions about your mental health based on fact, not opinion. I love my life, and medication made it possible. I'm no longer in therapy or even see a Psychiatrist. I have had no relapses in all that time. I will probably be on medication the rest of my life. I'm okay with that. It helps me to function in a society that doesn't "get" anxiety, and is surely not going to make any special allowances for my condition. I would do every bit of it over again. No regrets!
Most of the people on this forum are much younger than me. (I'm 51). I see so many posts about medication being "bad". Most of the time I view it is a quagmire that I don't even want to address. But I have a medication "success story", and I think it may be worth hearing for some.
I'm also different in that I didn't have my "meltdown" until I was in my early 30's.(panic/ anxiety/ depression) I was always shy and anxious, but after I had my 2 daughters I had an actual "nervous breakdown". I ended up in the hospital, had shock treatments. Yeah, it was horrifying, but I only cared about getting better for my daughters. The Doctors could have told me to stand in the middle of an Interstate and I would have done it. I tried numerous medications before we found the correct combination. I also had behavioral therapy. It took me about a year, but I did get back on my feet, and became a functional adult again.
EVERY medication has a list of side effects as long as your arm. If you read the side effects of an aspirin, you would never take one. It's too bad they don't print the good that medication can do. In my case it would say, "Lccska was able to attend every one of her Daughters school functions, rarely missed one of their softball games, worked full time in order to buy them the latest fashion must haves, dated, made friends, and tried to provide the best life possible". I still have an occasional panic/ anxiety attack to this day. I can almost always relate an increase in my anxiety to a situation that is going on in my life. When the situation is resolved, my anxiety decreases.
I don't want a pat on the back, a "good job", or any of that. I want you to understand that medicine does have a place in life. I'm 51 years old and have been on medication for 24 years. I have absolutely no health problems, most of which I attribute to genetics. I have NEVER had surgery! Still have every organ I was born with! I'm pretty sure I'm living on borrowed time as far as health problems are concerned. Although I do have anxiety/ panic/ depression. I absolutely know it is a health issue as it was killing me.
I just hope you make decisions about your mental health based on fact, not opinion. I love my life, and medication made it possible. I'm no longer in therapy or even see a Psychiatrist. I have had no relapses in all that time. I will probably be on medication the rest of my life. I'm okay with that. It helps me to function in a society that doesn't "get" anxiety, and is surely not going to make any special allowances for my condition. I would do every bit of it over again. No regrets!