who on here is Not medicated?

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Earthcircle

Well-known member
Having taken one med after the other, and having horrendous psychiatric effects as a result, I am skeptical that I actually have a chemical imbalance. No one seems to be able to correct it without *making* me mentally ill. When I stay away from meds, I feel normal. The only problem is, I'm really shy and it's hard to meet people.
 
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Earthcircle

Well-known member
I hear people talk about the stigma in using meds, but I never hear anyone perpetuating the stigma. People who criticize meds usually don't shame those who take them. If they do, I've not heard it. What one usually hears is that "side effects" are difficult. But "side effects" usually are psychiatric effects, e.g. panic, derealization, mania, hallucinations. So the real reason for discouraging the use of psych meds is that they cause mental illness. I don't see how words like "shame" and "stigma" enter into this discussion at all.

Let me try to clarify. When someone tells me they are on meds, I do not think "How shameful! I will try to shame them." Of course not! What happens is that I worry about them. I think "Oh my god, I hope the med doesn't make them crazy." Unfortunately, it often will. A person will initially have a positive reaction, then, when the stuff actually kicks in, they change their mind completely and talk about how "evil" the drug is. These drugs may sometimes help people, but changing chemical balances in the brain is also a good recipe for *causing* mental illness. It is like playing with fire. The concept of shame has no role here.
 
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kilojoule

kilojoule

1
Earthcircle said:
I don't see how words like "shame" and "stigma" enter into this discussion at all.
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I didn't say anything about shame. Also I did begin my reply to the post with:

joule said:
This is more of an aside point and not in response to anything anyone has said, it is something I've had on my mind that I feel is sort of relevant.
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I do think that what I said is relevant and certainly it is as relevant to the discussion as what anyone else has said. The thread is a little one-sided.


There is no one-size-fits-all treatment. Medication helps a lot of people and I just wanted to bring that point to the table to balance the thread. Here we hear a lot of the horror stories but a lot of people can go about their lives thanks to it.
 
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sphynx

Active member
I've never been medicated (though I have thought about it). I guess since my anxiety is mostly limited to romantic entanglements and doesn't interfere with the rest of my life, I can afford not to resort to severe measures (yet).
 
Kiwong

Kiwong

Well-known member
Well it is interesting that so many who have responded on this thread aren't taking medication. Does it mean a lot of people who take SSRIs are helped by them and don't feel the need to seek help from internet forums? Or is it that SSRIs are more helpful in treating depression and not anxiety? Or are drugs not as helpful as the drug companies would like us to think they are?
 
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MollyBeGood

MollyBeGood

Well-known member
Kiwong said:
Well it is interesting that so many who have responded on this thread aren't taking medication. Does it mean a lot of people who take SSRIs are helped by them and don't feel the need to seek help from internet forums? Or is it that SSRIs are more helpful in treating depression and not anxiety?
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This documentary sparked my question tbh


I am FishHead - YouTube
 
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Earthcircle

Well-known member
joule said:
I didn't say anything about shame. Also I did begin my reply to the post with:



I do think that what I said is relevant and certainly it is as relevant to the discussion as what anyone else has said. The thread is a little one-sided.


There is no one-size-fits-all treatment. Medication helps a lot of people and I just wanted to bring that point to the table to balance the thread. Here we hear a lot of the horror stories but a lot of people can go about their lives thanks to it.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that stigma without shame was possible. I have noticed a great deal of concern about the safety of psych meds. I have not noticed people stigmatizing those who use them. I don't think that concerns about safety and appropriateness should be confused with stigmatizing.
 
Kiwong

Kiwong

Well-known member
Our prime minister is a psychopath, he isn't all that charming, although he did influence an alarming number of the voting public. The drug companies behave in a sociopathic way in that they seem to be more interested in profits, than providing a cure, an example is the refusal to accept a anti bacterial cure for ulcers when it was discovered. Life time drugs such as blood pressure and anti depressants are much better profit spinners than drugs that are a one off cure.

I remember seeing an ad for Zoloft once with representations of people as fluffy little balls. That made me rebel, no one was going to turn me into a fluffy ball without a mind of its own.

In my opinion mining companies are the biggest psychopaths, they hold onto their vested interests even though they are wrecking the planet. This country is looking to wind back renewable energy emission targets, just as these industries are starting to be successful, and exceed targets. I think that is where average people need to start to speak out.
 
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kilojoule

kilojoule

1
@earthcircle

.....You know I'm not talking about anything said on spw,right?
I think were talking about different things. When I say 'stigma' Im talking about society, friends family colleagues- their response and understanding to antidepressants. A stigma that exists within society...not on spw.

And I think its important that the good they can do is mentioned somewhere on the thread. Because its kinda scary for someone on meds or thinking about filling a drs prescription for meds could read this thread and all the anti-med talk and be put off something their Dr has prescribed that might help them. Yknow I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in and balance the scale to say they do help a lot of people.
 
kilojoule

kilojoule

1
thanks for posting that Molly :) very interesting watch



I think that the way that it has been in the past before and around the time the documentary was made:

It was quite glamourised to take prescription drugs (so long as you didn't actually need them.) You saw/see it in tv shows like Will &Grace with characters like 'Karen' always drinking expensive cocktails and popping pills, glamourising the recreational use of prescription meds. Attitudes were very relaxed-so long as you didn't need to take them it was very socially acceptable to take them. If you did need to take them, that wasn't socially acceptable.

So for people who needed them there was that stigma.


The way it is now:
With so many high profile tragedies connected to prescription pills in the last few years, the public's had a wake up call. The pill popping culture has really toned down. The last three years since that documentary was made has seen a real change in attitudes. People have realised that there are risks associated with taking drugs. More people are trying alternative treatments. The general public are much less flippant about taking any kind of meds. And regulation has become a lot stricter, Drs aren't handing out prescriptions to everyone and even over the counter painkillers are being heavily regulated. Society has kinda gone the other way now and there is an attitude of 'drugs are bad, avoid drugs'

So for people who need them,...they still have to deal with the stigma they had before but now they are also being influenced by a society who feels quite anti-medication and promotes alternative treatment. And the documentary did briefly touch on the fact(around 33:53) that the focus shifted away from the people who do need prescription drugs onto the people who don't. And that makes sense because the majority will bring in more money.

But with all this going on it's easy to forget that medication is necessary for lots of people to live their life and it works for them.
 
skins

skins

1
I remember this enraged me so much when newman first drafted the idea for the dumping of dredge waste up there..him and abbott both snakes and thats an insult to snakes...thank god for world heritage org.
 
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anxiousadam

Member
Ive been on various kinds and its been hit and miss. In my case its been apl miss but in sure ill find one in time. Been on Prozac (zombie like state and slept 24/7) Lexapro (headaches, such bad headaches) Venlafaxine (withdrawals are HELL!) and currently Valdoxan (not helping anxiety but feel stable, main problem is lethargy). Not trying to scaremonger just haven't helped :p
 
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Earthcircle

Well-known member
I am not aware of any stigma surrounding the use of psych meds. I am aware that they often cause mental illness, and that those who prescribe them will mis-attribute the illness to the original condition.

A useful site: [www.breggin.com]
 
conscious_mindz

conscious_mindz

Well-known member
I have never taken medication for my social anxiety although i have been prescribed some different meds from my doctor, im just too afraid to take them, i also suffer with ocd & depression & i just don't like the idea of taking mind altering medication after i have looked up on the side effects, Im sure medication might work for some other people but im just trying to try things like multivitamin tablets, exercise, healthy diet, social anxiety support groups in my local area, for me medication would be my last resort
 
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