Posted by Christ_empowered on June 3, 2010, at 18:43:03
Yeah, its me, med_empowered, back...as a different kind of ex-mental patient.
Here's the story: I used to take pills. Lots of pills, for lots of diagnoses--anxiety disorders, mood disorder, psychotic disorders, etc. We're talking stimulants, benzos, antipsychotics, anti-convulsants, anti-depressants, sleeping pills, etc. My results were bad. Sometimes OK, but over the long-haul..absolutely terrible.
I stopped the meds and picked up some Dr. Thomas Szasz--"The Myth Of Mental Illness" (I *DO NOT* care what your p-doc says, you must read it). I barely survived--anxiety, phobias, mood swings, social isolation, etc.
I ended up in a mental hospital for a few days--Bipolar I w/ psychotic features. Antipsychotic+Depakote; later, Antipsychotic+Depakote+benzo+sleeping pill. I felt dead, but I..whatever.
I stopped the meds. I ended up in the criminal justice system...instead of prison, I ended up in a Christian ("Christ-centered") treatment program designed mostly for drugg addicts but...they took me, too. I had to take meds (antipsychotic+depakote) in order to stay there.
I got better. I mean...I only recently got out, but I'm happy, I'm not terribly anxious, I don't have mood swings, I deal with things...and I'm off meds (this time, I did it gradually).
So, I'm back. Because at 26, I've found that re-entering the world after you've been out-of-commission because of "mental illness" is a pretty difficult affair. I'm here to help others and to get advice for myself, too.
Thanks everyone.
poster:Christ_empowered
thread:949865
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100524/msgs/949865.html