“Despite numerous obstacles and severe withdrawal effects, long-term users of psychiatric medications can stop taking them if they choose. Individuals who discontinue report that self-care and social support help, but mental health professionals could be more helpful.” …
I have found I can’t *choose* to “let go.” With developing awareness through mindfulness, I have however, seen how attachment is a problem and things have radically shifted with that awareness. It’s never been about choice for me — as attractive and seductive as that idea might be, I’ve found that I have no choice at all. With awareness, and in surrender, however, I am able to act and feel with more and more equanimity.
Healing is not always curing. People need to understand that. In the end these bodies die. So don’t misunderstand when I say they know how to heal everything. Healing is not the same as curing. What is nice about profound healing, however, is that transformation of body/mind and spirit is possible in ways that most western modern human beings aren’t even aware is possible. …
A collection of posts exploring what consent and choice in mental health care looks like today and what it might look like in the future when more meaningful alternatives are actually made available. This post will be part of the navigation menus at the top of Beyond Meds.
Below this article is a list of other articles that explore what choice looks like at this point and what it might look like in the future as well. I’m doing a repost from a couple of years ago. I thought of this old post of mine the other day when I read We need drugs by Elliot… Continue Reading →
When we are emotionally dysregulated or in an otherwise emotionally reactive state we act impulsively and without consciousness or interest about consequences because we want relief from that momentarily intolerable emotional state. We cannot imagine an alternative in that moment. Until consciousness comes to such behavior we effectively have no choice. …
Yesterday was the beginning of iatrogenic illness month because people are being gravely harmed by medications that are being overused and misused. Knowing this can help us make informed decisions. Informed choice means one must know about the potential of harm versus the potential for help in order to make a reasoned choice. My educating folks about the… Continue Reading →
This is a fascinating interview. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor has a very secular way of understanding what others might call an awakening experience. I love visiting as many frames as possible to understand consciousness and reality. I find her experience and how she understands it instructive as well as inspiring. Many of you may remember her TED talk since I believe it’s one of the most viewed TED talks ever. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
So these are a couple of conversations that went down on twitter. These two exchanges didn’t actually bother me much. I can’t take this sort of stuff personally, really. It’s so clearly not about me at all. Still in combination with everything else that happened throughout social media yesterday, I do need to slow things down again. I will be less available again for a while. Among other things I quit a couple of email groups. …. [click on title for the rest of the post]
I am seeing an unfortunate trend in the psychiatric survivor community: People are saying cold turkey can be a perfectly fine way to go off psychiatric drugs.
We know many people get away with cold turkey, but others injure their nervous systems severely, for months or years. You don’t know in advance what will happen. Even a taper over a month reduces the risk of injury.
What’s more, if you do get withdrawal syndrome, you’re on your own. You cannot imagine how bad it can be. There’s no real medical treatment. You can’t count on a nice doctor with a pill to save you.
We need to get together to protect each other, the way the gay community united to encourage safe sex to protect people from HIV infection.
Please help spread the word: Friends do not let friends cold turkey. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
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