Philip’s (author of Furious Seasons) one year anniversary off meds. No he’s not a freak of nature, psychiatry is the freak doling out diagnosis and toxic poisons like they’re both candy. For more inspiration read the recovery stories I’ve collected on this website.
Lots of people have freed themselves of meds. See Jazz at her blog In Pieces and Susan at Wellness Writer too.
The sooner we realize we ARE NOT anomalies living off meds the better we’ll be. I see again and again people who sing the praises of meds all the while being sick as dogs. It’s a sad, sad situation.
Now I have got to get off and make many changes so that I never feel the need to go back on.
with that attitude you’ll do it!!
Doe, isn’t it nice to see the end of the tunnel…it’s been a long time coming for both of us I think.
I am sure motivated to get off – again! I worked my way off and found out how horrible the withdrawal was. Like an idiot I went back on when the bipolar and repressed memories reared their ugly heads. Now I have got to get off and make many changes so that I never feel the need to go back on.
Thanks everyone…it’s very inspiring to hear the stories of folks who are med free…particularly people who took them long term…10 years or more….those are the stories that inspire me, b/c that’s the situation I’m in. I hope to join the ranks of the med free one day. I’ve been taking various ssri’s (mostly prozac) off and on since I was 23, and consistently since I was 27…let’s see consistently for 13 years. I took lamictal, neurotin, topomax and navane for about 2 or 3 years, but got off them with (relatively) no problem.
But on the good side, I’ve gone from being on 20 mgs. per day of prozac to 5 mgs a day…so that’s pretty good…and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Again, thanks everyone!
Thank you Marian,
that’s certainly been my experience. It’s nice when my readers do a better job than I’ve done!
By the way, I love John Breeding, but youtube is down right now…not sure if I’ve seen that particular video or not…I’ve seen most of his…his channel is on my sidebar or anyone wanting to see other stuff by him.
Gianna: I think these drugs are not only toxic to the body, but also to the spirit. They keep people quite efficiently alienated from who they really are. And from changing, transforming and growing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTIKbPVTXaY
Naturalgal: I see that all the time, the disabling effects of these drugs. It says everywhere that people with “severe mental illness” have difficulty taking care of themselves, and that their cognitive abilities are impaired. Sure, who has the energy to take a shower or care for trivial stuff like sentence structure and correct spelling, when your existence is shaken to its very foundations and needs every single bit of your attention?? As far as I’m concerned, this used to last for a few weeks, during acute crisis. For many of the people I know, who are on “maintenance medication”, it lasts (at least) as long as they take the drugs. At least. These drugs suppress people’s vitality in general and brain functioning in particular. That’s what they’re supposed to do. Since they can’t target single, specific thoughts or emotions, they do fire a broadside, also at the area that controls the fine motor function (handwriting).
Thanks for the link into Furious Seasons. The amount of comments that have sprung out of Philip’s aniversary is just briallant. It is great to be part of such a community. The comments were all very inspiring. Taking control of ourselves, managing ourselves is so empowering. I need to go to bed now, tomorrow I will read your next post on nutrition. All the best.
I used to really, really believe in the meds.
Hi Annie,
yes it’s very confusing.
I personally actually think that meds are toxic for everyone…there are all sorts of things the drugs do to the body that are damaging, regardless of whether there is also a perceived benefit.
Drugs wrecked me over a period of many years and I also believed they were doing me good much of that time. I had what I call a conversion experience a couple of years ago after already cutting down much of my meds. Since then I’ve studied alternatives extensively and learned that lots if not all people can do well without meds.
There is a longitudinal study that shows schizophrenics and others with psychotic disorders do better without drugs over a 15 year time frame.
I think that what we’re lacking is an infrastructure that offers nutritional/psycho/emotional/spiritual care from the point of onset of any particular mental distress. I think we need a paradigm shift in other words. A system that would support people healing naturally simply does not exist, but it’s not impossible—I see it on a small scale every day.
So that is where I stand…I do not question people’s right to take meds and I have many friends who take meds, but my own personal perspective in brief is the above.
Personally, I don’t like counting the days because to me it creates a burden-pride (too much pride…?). Having many days behind you, you can fool yourself into believing you are cured, so you don’t recognize possible signs you need to reduce your stress (might go manic) or conversely you do not keep up your daily schedual/keep your disclpline of physical activity-exercise to keep depression and insomnia away.
Gianna, thanks for the post. It is inspiring to hear that some of you are having such good response off meds and taking care of yourself toward healing and wellness. I wish I understood more about why some folks benefit from meds and why others experience it as toxic? Do you have any thoughts? Peace, Annie
I think I have been medication-free for two years. I have been thinking about getting my file from my alternative doctor to see what he has for the date.
I am such a pack rat. I know I should throw things out, but I have kept papers from him and other docs. I think I will use it to write a book some day. You should see my photo from my “disabled” bus pass about 15 years ago….I really DO look disabled. I also have samples of my handwriting from years ago…it is worse than my normal handwriting.
Excellent points Susan,
I feel like posting it!! You put the problem in a nice little nutshell!
Gianna,
Thanks for the mention! Yes, I don’t understand it either. It’s one thing if medication is making people feel better or controlling symptoms that are frightening, and then I understand why people are taking it.
But it’s another thing to keep on reading posts where people feel so terrible, and yet they are such proponents of medication.
One of the biggest problems I notice is those folks who believe their illness is biochemical and yet write about unhealthy behavioral patterns, a lack of self-esteem, and other problems that are surely contributing to being ill.
I often wonder if they don’t see the patterns that are so obvious to others. And I’m sorry that their focus on medication to the exclusion of other wellness activities, and an inability to work on the aspects of their lives that need changing is truly preventing any possibility of healing!
Susan
Hopefully that will be me one day. I don’t want to be stuck on Lamictal for the rest of my life. Especially when I get pregnant.
Thanks for the link!