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I wait sometimes several days to take my meds. I start feeling horrible then take them. They`ve damaged my brain and changed my personality. I`m a musician and the meds have seriously affected my memory. Sometimes all I think about is leaving the planet. I suffer so much. I`m gonna try my best to stay here and help others.
Please keep being here! We need YOU! It's the illness that has changed your brain. The meds blunt emotions but hallucinations and other symptoms are worse. Reach out and understand that it is a medical problem. Xoxo
If you’re taking antidepressants, they won’t work unless you take them consistently, every day, and you won’t feel good for many weeks in most cases. Don’t give up.
Hello Lauren and Rob, I'm 68 and the last time I was hospitalised was in late 2007 and I know for certain if I stop taking Dolmatil(sulpiride) I will have a fourth psychotic episode. All the best and many thanks, Peter Nolan. Ph.D.(physics). Dublin. Ireland.
@@dazcaz8205 Hello, So nice to hear from you. I got my doctorate in November 1986 and was hospitalised in St. Loman's hospital where I was injected with a massive overdose of Largactil(chlorpromazine) in early May 1987. My life ended as soon as the psychiatrist withdrew the hypodermic needs from my right buttock that first night in Loman's. However healing came into my life in February 2011 and 11 years later I have never felt as well as I do today. I send you best wishes and I hope and pray that everything will work out for you. If you are a young person, and I'm guessing you are, you may be getting better treatment today. It's just possible that Largactil(chlorpromazine) is not being prescribed as much nowadays. I certainly hope so. All the best and many thanks, Peter.
@@lucide9577 Hello Lucide, Lauren's channel Living Well With Schizophrenia is a great RUclips channel. I have learned a lot from Lauren and I give her my full support. You can trust her and her husband Rob 100%. They have a had a baby together. Lauren is so blessed to have this baby Theo. You are completely safe here. All the best and many thanks, Peter.
@@peternolan814 hi Peter,I always read comments,...How are you?...we regular come here,I was thinking from few days,I didn't read any Peter comment,first I was thinking,maybe you're old,may be you can be ill.....we're happy,you came in the comments,happy to see you....
I used to stop taking my meds because I felt better. I definitely had to learn the hard way that the reason I felt better was literally because I was taking them. Side effects, etc CAN be annoying; but I'm so grateful that I live in a time that even has meds that can help.
This is what happens to me. I start feeling better, the voices & delusions subside to barely noticeable and I'll stop taking them. Then BOOM they hit hard and I start taking them again.
Its hard for me to imagine that 50 Years ago there was no medication for Schizophrenia. Yes it has side effects but its better than being a destitute or thrown into a cell or chained in an Asylum !
@@telena5042 In epidemiology, what you did was a double crossover experiment. This is a good way to prove that you need the medication to keep the disease under control.
Second year psychiatry resident here! Thank you for all the good work you do on reducing the stigma and informing shizophrenia/psychosis patients and everyday people alike. Also I will admit that a couple of your videos have been quite educational and useful regarding my own training as well and have been using them in my everyday practise. Thank you!!
I know your frustration, but I'm telling you that even with MDD getting off meds is a no no for me. As soon as I have tried it becomes MUCH HARDER to re-stabilize. People think depression and anxiety are not as serious as psychotic disorders, and it's easier to go med free. Sometimes its not. Good luck. I wish you well 💖
I've tried to taper off my medicine for MDD twice. I've found my lowest dose that works for me and on 1, rather than the 2 or 3 I was initially prescribed.
I have GAD and if I stop my meds I get thoughts of hurting myself because the anxiety is unbearable. Agree with you 100 percent that some people think depression and anxiety are not as severe as psychotic disorders and that you’re ok if you go off meds. It’s because of an antidepressant I can function every day
I had a conversation once with my therapist. I said I was struggling with how many psych meds i was on. She said (paraphrasing) that if people have a heart condition or cancer, it doesn't matter if they need meds, it's just accepted. Her point was that society accepts physical illness and the medications needed for those far, far more than it accepts medications to help our minds function in daily life. In short, I'm on several medications. I tried going down on one of my meds last year or the year before, and it didn't work. I've tried several times over the years to see if I could come down on one or the other of them, with mostly negative results. I've accepted that, for now, I need them to function and live well. If someday I decide to try again, I can always do that. But right now, life is stressful enough without playing with medication dosages. I hear you about the longterm effects, and not knowing what they might be. But the question we have to ask ourselves--you, me, anyone else watching this, strugglign with this same dilemma--is this: With life stress, work, financial issues, relationships, and everything else, is it the best time? And if not, that's okay. You aren't a failure because you need the meds to function. I have the brain fog from antidepressants. I struggle to remember things, and often need bits of either TV shows or conversation connected and explained by others. I struggle with song lyrics to newer songs. I used to memorize them with great ease. My fiance said he thinks it's just part of the aging process. I'm not sure. It's maddening. I used to pride myself on having a good, sharp memory. It's a little terrifying to not have that, or to not feel like I have that. Hang in there. Keep your head up, and do what's best for you. Remember: You are not a failure.
I was on 200 mg Zoloft about two weeks ago I lowered my medication to 150mg At first it was tough and now I’m doing OK I wanted to leave room in case I become depressed in the room to move up
TWO of my love ones are dealing with this issue. I appreciate All of your work you do for yourself, your family and education to the world. I pray for you and all who have this. Xoxo
Hi Lauren, Please don’t be so hard on yourself! Look at all of the major things you have accomplished thus far in your life! You don’t seem “different” to me in any way whatsoever when you are on your medication. The only difference I have noticed is the past couple of months (and maybe that was when you were tapering off)? Look at how much you have accomplished! Finishing school, finding a great partner, being a co-parent to 2 children and having a brand new baby with your partner, running this amazing channel, having a beautiful place to live, looking so pleasant, being able to run the way you do - you have so many beautiful gifts and have achieved so much. Please do think any lower of yourself for taking your medication. I am not an expert, but I think it’s helping you to be able to contribute so much to the world and have a wonderful family! I’m praying for you Lauren and I believe you will be just great! And yes, you are so right. The past couple of years must have been incredibly stressful with Co-Vid, homeschooling and a new baby, so I wouldn’t personally change anything now (but that’s just my opinion)!! 🙏💖
I tapered off one my meds strictly for the purpose of lessening a disabling side effect and it was successful 🙌 I wish you the best in your future trials with meds.
Oh, Lauren, I completely get this. For my own medication struggles, I finally got to the point that I realize that just like someone needs insulin to correct a wonky pancreas, I need medication to correct a wonky brain. The struggle with that is on-so real, and I wish you the very best of luck as you continue on the journey. Hugs.
Thanks for educating people. Unfortunately many people need to stay on their meds. Glad you are doing this with talking to your doctor keep doing that.
What about only focusing on lowering the dosage for now? You don’t necessarily have to set the goal to cut out medications completely. You may need to find the minimum dose that’s still effective against symptoms, but allows you to experience less side effects. I had to do this with my antidepressant with which, like you, I have a complicated love/hate relationship. The goal of treatment should be to maximize quality of life, not keeping you “stable” at all costs. Who cares if you’re a “stable” zombie? That’s something some doctors still struggle understanding unfortunately. I’ve come to the conclusion that for me personally life is neither good with too little nor too much medication 😌. Keep trying to find the right balance at your own pace and at the right time :)
Hi Lauren, I don’t have schizophrenia but I have a complicated relationship with anti-seizure medication I take for epilepsy and mitochondrial disease. I wish more people understood that medications don’t cure us, they manage symptoms. It’s understandable to want them to do more, or to wish for the condition to go away without medication. It can be hard to manage expectations a lot of the time. And as an educated person you know enough to drive yourself to distraction with all of the possibilities. I am glad you are able to talk to family and your psychiatrist about this. Sending love.
Thanks Lauren for charing and don't lose hope❤️ do not forget that you are living and that it is not a failure to depend on medication💛 Kind regards and hugs Your pal from Sweden // Lauri
Thank you for making this video. A lot of times, when I see you taking your meds and seeming to do so well, I feel guilty because I can't do the same. It is nice to see the reality of your struggle- just to know it is normal.
I identify so much with everything you've said. Those medications are no joke, but at least you're managing your speech very well, I struggle with that. I'm hopeful to God for a relief in the near future. Wishing you well also.
Hello I'm from Brazil and you really help us to think about difficult questions in a very open way. Thanks a lot and don't give up if it's something you want to try. Why not when you feel better? A lots of love to youuuu 💕
I really like how you described needing to view this more flexibly. Yes meds aren’t the best for our physical healthy. But they might be the best for our mental health. I get obsessed about what I am doing to my body with my meds quite a bit. So much so that I fail to recognize that when I’m not mentally well, my physical health really suffers. I tend to lose sight of the fact that we need our mental health to be decent in order to be able to care for our physical health. I go back and forth about stopping meds as well. I needed this video today as I’ve been thinking about weaning off. Also at a time where I have A TON of stressors that I would really struggle to handle without meds. Sending you peace.
Thank you so much for your videos. Your tone and personality is beautiful. My son is 24 and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He has been hospitalized 4 times in the last year and half and it is due to him not wanting to take them meds when he starts to feel better. Thank god when he does go into the hospital it is for a short period of time. I just pray for him and his mental health and your videos have helped me so much! I thank you for putting out the videos that you do. This is so new to me and I can’t thank you enough for your videos. ❤️
I can really empathize with the medication issues. My daughter always stops her meds cold turkey. Refuses to talk to her psychiatrist, and refuses all of our efforts to get her to take her meds. I hate watching her progress through psychosis. She's 46, but under the circumstances, she's so vulnerable.
Keep talking about your truth. Giving a voice to it is vital to one’s soul. I value your openness and honesty. I am so glad you have people you trust in your life. Much love and respect flow from my corner of the world to you. 💕
Be safe. Please don't get to the point where you try to harm yourself or others. I take a daily antidepressant and a week off of it and I make plans to end it all. Sending you love and light.
Lauren, I so appreciate your videos!!! I have a family member who went off his meds completely several months ago and has been on the psych ward since Feb 3. He's got schizoaffective disorder, and also anosognosia - no insight into his illness and how much it disrupts his life. When he gets out of the hospital I want to try to share your videos with him, especially this one.
Wonderful insight and analysis and sharing Lauren! I understand everything you are saying about side effects and potential long term effects...its scary. I was also listening when you said about being a parent of a new babe and the pandemic. This is probably the the busiest and most stress filled time of life that you will ever experience. You have been through so much... and learned so much about recovery... you know the rewards of staying close to a team that cares about you and telling the truth about what you are feeling. I work at a community mental health agency in Ontario and I have been supporting and educating caregivers for almost 15 years. I do see people who are able to gradually reduce med dosages and stay well... but TRUTH? They are a little older than you. What I mean is people in their 20s and 30s who have found some stability with a treatment plan... do best if they stick to it untill closer to 40. You are still in the early adult years and you have recently (in the last 5 years) created such a wonderful stable base from which you can thrive and live and engage with so many joys of life. YOU have the support of an amazing partner, a rewarding career and a beautiful family!!! More love and happiness than some people EVER find, nevermind with the tricky complication of Schizoeffective Disorder onboard! My hope is that you can stay committed to the current treatment plan for at least a few more yeras before tempting FATE and risking it all. There will be time to try other options... there will be new treatments and discoveries coming at us all the time. Just hold abit longer... hold onto those kids and Rob and your work and stay the course for now. Too much to lose right now... and I promise you there will be time. My experience is that decisions to move away from meds have better outcomes for adults who are a little older and a little further along in the progression of their recovery story. Xoxo
My son has schizophrenia. Took the holistic approach. He is doing awesome with the vitamins. Without terrible side effects. Ashwagandha 600 mg twice a day. Has changed his life and mine to. When his dr prescribed him abilify he read about it. Said nope. So I did my homework about different herbs that may help. Best wishes to u in your journey.
Excellent thanks for sharing I’m with you and I definitely know what it’s like to come off medicine it’s more than what you can take going without rest etc.
I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time with this. Thank you for being open about the nuances of medications. I personally react negatively to the idea of tapering off my antidepressants because multiple members of my family have told me I "should" be trying to stop being on psychiatric medication. So my policy is a bit of the oversimplified "am I stable on meds? check" that you mentioned. I did have to lower one medication because of a side effect and it fortunately worked out okay, though I was dealing with extra fatigue and it seems to be that I still just need more sleep than I did on the higher dose. So that's the compromise I have to live with now. Overall, I'm very grateful to have the medications and to be stable.
I came off of meds after severe mental illness postpartum. (Psychosis and OCD). I am doing well now. It took some time for me to completely get back to normal. But here I am. Most of all I thank Jesus for this. I really do believe he healed me. God bless you and don’t give up.
Your story sounds similar to mine I also had postpartum psychosis had to be hospitalized and forced to take antipsychotics for a short time and quickly went off them. Just cold turkey dropped them. Found progesterone treatments a healthy diet and lots of supplements and I've been holding together and overcome agoraphobia as well. I'm healthy and happy and my kids appreciate it.
Hi Hope you are doing well. Would you care to share how long you took medicine for n what dosage n hope you are doing really well now. Will be grateful for your response.
Proud of you for hanging in there and trying my daughter suffers with psychosis and I’m thankful for your transparency! She looks up to you! I’m bank you for being brave enough to make this channel!
I ve been taking several kinds of psychiatric meds since 1996 : teeth problems in a long term approach unfortunatly strike me as a very important issue. Best wishes from Brittany, France
Thank you for talking so openly about this. I struggle with anxiety and I have been debating going back on medication for a while now. My anxiety has been so bad for the past few months - debilitating most days and causing frequent insomnia. I've been in therapy for years and I was doing well for a while. I am also studying to become a therapist myself so I cannot help feeling like a complete failure for not being able to manage my symptoms on my own and "practice what I preach". I know I should not be so hard on myself, especially given the past few years and the heaviness of the world right now. I truly feel like I don't need to suffer as much as I am and that medication would help me get out of the constant "frozen" or angry states I am in 90% of the time, and allow me to be in a more stable place where I can actually benefit from therapy, practice my healthy coping mechanisms, and practice self-care. It's not an easy decision to make either way and I truly feel for you and hope you find a solution that works for you. I appreciate your honesty and admire your strength and self-awareness.
I take 3 different anti-depressants. I made it to 28 years old refusing to take any. I'm almost 40 now, so been taking for about a decade. Sometimes I think I want to stop, but for the most part, I've accepted this may be for the rest of my life. I know that I don't hurt the people I love when I stick to my current routine.
You can do this!!!!💪 God bless you. I admire you!!! And I agree with everything you said about the medication. My dear follow your gut. I know your reality is what it is and we can't change that. You are powerful beyond means. I believe in you!! God bless you.
Thank you for talking about this. Meds are so important but taking them doesn't just 'fix' a person. Hearing you express some of the things you specifically struggle with has helped me think about it in a new way. Wishing you all the best. (And everybody else here in the comments too...)
Thank you for your incredible insight. I understand there are different levels of mental disability and I hope you’ll make it. It’s my wishful thinking that you get to define “stability”, and you get to enjoy it and have a healthy sort of fun life.
I can definitely relate. I have bipolar II disorder and I've been taking medications for it for over 8 years now. The first medication I was on, a mood stabilizer, worked and brought me down from hypomania within a matter of weeks. But then I became depressed. And then I had an allergic reaction to that medication with painfully, itchy hives all over my body. So I had to ditch that medication. And over the last 8+ years, I've been on 26 different psychiatric medications in various combinations including atypical antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, stimulants, and benzodiazepines among others. The side effects from these medications have ranged from mild to intolerable. And there was one medication, an atypical antipsychotic, that seemed to be the most effective at treating my depression that I was on but kept trying to get off, because while its side effects (mainly somnolence and weight gain) were tolerable, they were very frustrating. I know how tough it can be weighing the pro's and con's of various medications and dealing with bad side effects. Over the last 2 years I did transcranial magnetic stimulation, ketamine, and ECT. I'm with the best psychiatrist I've ever had and I'm now on the only mood stabilizer that seemed plausible for me to try at this point, a high dose of an MAOI, and Xanax. This MAOI has been more effective than any other treatment for my depression. And thankfully the side effects all seem fairly mild. After 8 years of serious, incapacitating depression with ups and downs, I feel more optimistic about my future than at any point in the last 8 years, though I'm still coming out of this depression/period of severe anxiety. I wish you luck in finding the best treatment regimen for you.
If you don't mind answering a personal question, did you find transcranial magnetic stimulation to be helpful? I've seen contradictory information on its helpfulness for auditory hallucinations.
Thank you for sharing your struggles and prayers for you and yours. It's not DELUSIONAL you're getting stronger with your Hope's and aspirations. Stay strong and rest when you can, especially with little Teddy.
Each time my mother forced my sister to - not to take her medication she gets worse . She told my sister this is kind of magic or evil eyes... This is from her culture in middle east country. I think on of the best achievements in scientific studies they discovered medication 💊 for schizophrenia to let people live in peace.
I tapered off anti psychotic medication I had been on for 30 years between February 2020 and April 2021. I had the support of my GP and a councillor as well as using supplements from The Road Back Program. I managed to do it but by August 2021 I became unwell and was very relieved to be back on them. I wish you luck 👍
I love you and your beautiful self Loren- I feel the same way about taking medication man. It hurts to have to accept “losing” part of yourself to supposedly improve another. ESP hard when your judgement is flawed like it may be with mental health disorders.
i take zoloft so i can't imagine the sides of antipsychotics, but i know for sure meds are life saving, they saved me from a future suicide i had planned.
As a schizoaffective bipolar person I once tried 4 dried grams of magic mushrooms and went off my meds successfully for 3 months after that dose. The paranoia and manic episodes returned and I had to get back on my meds. It sucks my friend, I feel ya, but hang in there! You're awesome and I love your content. Keep taking care of yourself! :)
I micro-dosed till they were gone, and I never again looked for my reading glasses a constant hassle. It's been almost four years. Go figure! Wouldn't you think it'd be news? Lose your glasses for good?
There's a great podcast called "Drug Science", I think. A bunch of doctors and advocates that are raising awareness of psychedelics in research and medicine. Worth lending your support to overcome the drug stigma.
Hi Lauren, can you do a video that differentiate between having one or two psychotic episodes (episodic type) and living with schizoaffective disorder (chronic type)? Thank you! I wish you and your family all of the best.
I was diagnosed with agoraphobia in high school and got on medication. Once I reached a stable point in my adult life, I slowly tried tapering off. It was good for… a few months? And then it was bad. Very bad. Tacked on a few more diagnosis’s onto my original one at that point. It’s always a challenge to accept you may spend your entire life reliant on medication but the fear I have over re-experiencing a full mental break is far greater now than my fear of being reliant on medication now. Sending love to everyone in these very tricky journeys.
@@BeingBetter mmm I don’t think it’s really something you full recover from per se… but with therapy, medication and practice I’ve been able to have a nearly normal life. Something that pre-medication I had thought was impossible
@@theNihilisticEngineer do you go out now? I had agoraphobia and couldn't leave the house at all for nearly four years. I think it's important to use self affirming language, and to believe that full recovery is possible. If you mean, will someone who has agoraphobia once always have situations that they want to avoid, and will they always feel panicky when far fry home, then yes, but I have found that it's better for my recovery to own my recovery. Taking daily walks was the foundation of my treatment. Exposure therapy, self led, because I personally don't have any good experiences with therepists. I'm glad you're doing better.
Im have major depression and take antidepressant. I felt guilty about this.. bcz ppl around me talk badly about ppl that takes this meds ... its hard but when im off med im suicidal, not able to sleep, in a deep depression.. so I deserve to live too .. I dont want to feel that again.. being stable again its more Harder everytime that I tapper off.
This is my favorite topic you cover. I too have soooo much experience with that. Blessings. I have never believed but it is a sign of health to keep taking them and slowly, extremely slowly tapering...
Hi Hope this reaches you in the best of health and happiness. How are you feeling now n wd you care to share how you manage the side affects of the meds n which ones you take. I am really scared to take some which my psychiatrist had suggested for fear of side affects as have read so many horror stories esp about anti psychotics which he wishes to add in small dose to Prozac. Your views will be insightful and I wd b able to reflect and share those with my doctor. Regards
Thank you for making this video. I take psychiatric meds, too, and I worry about things like brain damage from the meds. I’ve tried to taper off of them, with the help of my psychiatrist, but I ended up back in the hospital again. It didn’t work for me, but I hope you’re able to achieve whatever you want from this process.
I think you hit the nail on the head with "nuance" regarding taking medications and also with not taking drastic steps especially in stressful times. The medications have bad side effects and may even lead to chronic illnesses like diabetes and more which is highly concerning (and should be!), but taking incremental/baby steps just pays way more in the end. Keep being strategic.I also am considering tapering off my 10mg of Abilify I am currently on (down from 20mg). I will mull over this decision for quite some time though and really consider what will create the best outcome. I will be strategic in terms of making sure my daily activities are managed well as well as diet/sleep patterns/support network etc. Your concerns are valid. Just take your time, the time needed, to really consider if/how to do it. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I'm rooting for you!
With this said, I may never go off of my current dosage of Abilify. I am very happy that I reduced it to 10mg as it works better than 20mg for me, but this may be what I settle on. What I've gained in my life means a lot and I don't want to throw it away. Time will tell.
Medications and conversations are so difficult to navigate! I’ve definitely struggled with it, I’ve had significantly bad reactions to new meds, but there have been times when I’ve felt incredibly stable while on meds, and the added component of self-sabotaging or delusional thoughts might conflict, as well as pressures from outside sources for or against. Ultimately though, it is a decision unique to everyone’s circumstances. Some of my friends need their meds to survive, but I found that I could manage without them, and still feel healthy. I struggle at times, but it works for me. it took years to reach this point, and it was really difficult the first year without my meds. Everyone is different, I’m glad you’ve made a decision you feel is best.
This is such an incredibly common theme for all of us who struggle with mental health issues! I and everyone else I talk to about being on medication for mental health reasons wishes to not be on pills. But I know now from experience that it's just not an option for me. The only way I can rationalize and feel at ease about my meds is to think of it like this... if I had a disease or illness of any other part of my body, like my heart or my lungs for example, I would 100% take the medication prescribed to me and I would never even consider to stop taking them because I know I need them. So why should it be any different for a disease or illness of my brain?! Is my brain not part of my body? It's possibly the most important part of my body. So if my brain has an illness why would I not take the medication that is going to help it? Anyways that's just my way of dealing with the feeling of wanting to stop medication or living med free or whatnot. Take care, and know you are not alone ❤️
It may be a little more complicated than that. Mental illness is not referred to as a brain illness or vice versa. When the brain is injured or an illness causes physical harm to the brain, like a stroke or encephalitis, that is considered a brain illness, not a mental illness. A "mental" illness is a sickness of the mind. The best treatment we have for most mental illness is talk therapy, which can be augmented by medicines. Talk therapy can't treat encephalitis, for example, because it is a brain condition. Someone with a stroke will not recover by dealing with unresolved childhood trauma, but depression, etc. does respond to this therapy. Medicine for mental illnesses is relatively new and it hasn't been wildly successful in and of itself. Medicine helps, but it's not a cure. I view medicines like SSRI's as emotional pain relievers, a temporary treatment for the patient while they are being treated with talk therapy. If a person with depression just takes the medicine for it, but never deals with the emotional pain behind it, they will most likely need the medicine for life. Psychotherapy is hard, painful, can take a long time, and people will often have to deal with things they would rather not dredge up, which is why a lot of people would rather just take the medicine.
Exactly the same feelings here. Thank you for what you said. If I need meds for health conditions, I take them and don't think about whether I should or not. I need to do the same for my mind as well.
@@mygirldarby Estoy totalmente de acuerdo. Yo tengo ansiedad y tuve una época en la que pensaba que el universo me hablaba. Todo esto era síntoma de dolor emocional reprimido. Lo se después de 10 años y de mucho trabajo interior. Durante un tiempo me creí la gran mentira de que las enfermedades mentales son enfermedades del cerebro. Eso no me ayudó en nada, porque te hace pensar que no hay solución. Cuando empecé a cuestionar esta falta creencia, pude mejorar. Yo tomaba 100 mg de Clozapina y ahora tomo 25 y esto mil veces mejor, disfruto de la vida, y mis síntomas ya casi no aparecen. Eso es porque pude conectar con el dolor emocional del pasado. Lo logré gracias a un trabajo muy profundo, también me ayudo el yoga y la meditación. Y si, lleva mucho tiempo, muchos años de tu vida, pero vale la pena Sorry! English is not my first language Google translation here: I totally agree. I have anxiety and I had a time when I thought the universe was speaking to me. All of this was a symptom of repressed emotional pain. I know after 10 years and a lot of inner work. For a time I believed the big lie that mental illnesses are diseases of the brain. That did not help me at all, because it makes you think that there is no solution. When I began to question this belief, I was able to improve. I used to take 100 mg of Clozapine and now I take 25 and I am a thousand times better, I enjoy life, and my symptoms hardly appear anymore. That's because I was able to connect with the emotional pain of the past. I achieved it thanks to a very deep work, talk teraphy, yoga and meditation also helped me. And yes, it takes a long time, many years of your life, but it's worth it.
Love and support. Life and mental health is complicated. That sounds like platitudes but it isn't...roads become trails and side roads,...sometimes they become backstreets and side roads...sometimes they become whole new highways or they go back to familiar roads andntrails. No matter what its a journey and thank goodness you learn something new with every step. We grow in unexpected ways every day.
Thank you for sharing this! It's nice to know I'm not alone struggling from side effects from my medication! I think it's ok to try different things under a doctor's care. The goal is to be stable, have minimal side effects, and feel as alive and full of life as possible. I think a person's needs could change over time too. For myself, I believe I will always need some amount of medication. Everytime I wean off too much...months later, I have a problem. I think with trial and error though you can find the best medications at the proper amounts. So far this has been my experience. It is NOT easy though.
You speak so well, with such intelligence and empathy. I relate to every facet you covered. As a mother of three those early years you are still in with a toddler and other children are so intense, such a balancing act. Loving and caring for yourself is such an important foundation, good nutrition, good sleep are also beneficial.
Thanks for sharing; I have also tried going off of my depression med without discussing it with my doctor, and after about 3 weeks, I was so manic my 19 yr old daughter said she was worried. My brother is a LCSW so I called him (it was a Sunday) and he said it has to do with the half-life of the med. The rest of it was over my head, but I learned my lesson. Always talk to your doctor first. I'm glad you did; it's important. Hang in there sweetie. I believe in YOU! 😊🌹
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am a pharmacist with a practice interest in mental health. I will show this video to my students to help them understand that 'just taking the meds' isn't easy or fun and doesn't automatically mean the person's life should now be straightforward.
You are an amazing person. You’ve helped me so much with your videos and for sure a lot of other people. I’m so sad you are struggling but at the same time I look at your disease as a “gift” and because of it you were able to make a difference in so many pleople’s lives, mine included. I hope in the future you’ll be able to stop your medication and be free of symptoms all the rest of life and then tell your story from a different point of view: from a healed person and continue to give us hope. I can’t stop saying how an amazing human being you are…
I’m pulling for you and will include you in my daily prayers. Our son is struggling and has cycled on an off for 3 years. The journey back keeps getting longer. You help me.
My mum tapered down from one tablet to zero in 2 years... she used a nail file to reduce the amount slowly. I got off of Benzos and did it in a similar mannor. I got worse from benzos.... feel so much better without them. Some people do water tapering to do it very gradually over months. Some people can get off easier after starting Neurofeedback training. As this is training the brain to regulate itself. Neurofeedback helped me. All the best for you!!!!
I’m so sorry to hear you’re having these struggles Lauren. It sounds really tough and I hope self care and all the support around you can help get you to where you want to be with time. At the moment, due to different circumstances, I’m currently in the position of having gone cold turkey from mine for the last week. Lots of unknowns and worries but at least for the moment I feel very lucky that the changes are manageable. Sending lots of best wishes and thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences
You have such courage, Lauren. And your videos are a comfort to all of those who struggle - no matter how severe or complex the illness. I find it terribly difficult to discuss meds (really of any kind) with others because often one camp says almost in an accusatory manner, "why are you taking xyz....your life will be better with nothing, just try harder (yeah, right...)", and those who push even more meds. So often a complete lack of understanding is at the at the heart of their beliefs, and it can be infuriating. I wish you well in doing what's right for you!
Hi .Its an old thread but wd like to know if you r still taking meds and how are you managing the side affects n of you wd care to share which meds are you taking and for how long. Will be grateful. Regards
Hi Lauren, great to watch your videos, I appreciate your effort at making and sharing them. I don't suffer any major mental health issues, but read quite a lot about them. One of the most lasting messages I got out of reading The Center Cannot Hold, the best-selling memoir by Elyn Saks, over 10 years ago was that the fight against medication is basically a fruitless and self-defeating one. In the book, she describes her schizophrenia since onset in her teen years, and several treatments and hospitalizations she underwent in the US and the UK, always with ups and downs that were mostly caused by numerous attempts at ceasing her dependency on meds. She tried to quit meds several times, always with grave consequences. And yet I understand why you'd want to lower the dose and, if possible, eliminate meds altogether. Side effects suck, dependency sucks, costs and insurance issues suck, the list of evils goes on and on. It's a big struggle between knowing the medication is essential and wanting to get rid of them. I wish you are fortunate to be able to reduce your medication dosage and consequently the side effects it causes, and meanwhile I appreciate you sharing and promoting the debate on this issue.
I love that you are trying and sharing your experience with the world because often i wonder what its like for my brother. I would just ask but i think its hard for him to explain it to me. I hope your journey is a good one, i hope someday it's one worth telling to the world that will help so many more. ❤
Thank you so much for this, I now feel relieved. I am taking care of a loved one with Schizophrenia and sometimes he refuses to take his medication and this sometimes makes me get mad at them but watching this,I understand his struggles. Will trryy best to teach him the benefits of taking his medication
Trying to improve your life is kind of the goal here. No shame in taking meds. They work wonders for me. However I am still finding the right cocktail to use. Good luck and keep us posted!
Wd you mind sharing how you deal with the side affects they have? as I am petrified to take an anti psychotic because of its side affects.. n tying to manage with an SSRI only but my psychiatrist insists I add an anti psychotic. Will b grateful for your insight. Regards
Thank you so much for sharing, this has helped me too see a different point with medication. I thought it was simple as taking painkillers but I guess psychotic meds are strong drugs to take and I can't really understand what it's really like. My mum has always struggled taking her meds and it results often in hospital admission. It has happened so many times the authorities have tried to put her in a home just so it makes it easier/cheaper for them but assessments carried out independently have said she doesn't qualify to be in a home and I agree with it. I just feel like her social workers are really letting her down and trust has gone.
As someone who stopped taking their meds, cold turkey, I'll give this unsolicited advice: make sure to have a foundation when you decide to take that first step out. Note that the foundation you'll be stepping out on is neither visible nor tangible by ordinary standards. If you just take a step and all you have is, "I hope I don't sink," you will sink. What is your hope built on? That's a very important consideration, because you will need a reason for your hope when the winds starts blowing, the rain starts pouring, the lightning strikes begin and sea starts rage; what is going to keep your ship from getting tossed around and carried away in the sea? It's more than just trying this or trying that, but you've got to be certain. You will be tested and tried, and the pressure will make you want to flee for your life. Without a solid conviction enabling you to stand before these giants of psychosis that will come for you, and to overcome them, you might as well just stay on the meds. You need an anchor during the storms, and faith to not only stand before, but to overcome these enemies of the mind. So ask yourselves, what is your hope? And why are you certain this is the way? If you don't have these answers firmly planted within, you'll get pulled under and drown....metaphorically speaking of course. Many folks trying to stop their meds don't understand this, and so they get swept away at sea and land right back in the hospitals. That was me too until I came to the realization that I needed more than I was presently carrying. After that, I stopped my meds, things became hot, got hotter, and got even hotter that hotter before it got any better. But what kept me from sinking? There was an unshakable resolve that schizophrenia could not take from me, and believe me it did try. And if you're able penetrate this deep into the mist that is psychosis, just beyond that lies freedom. I've never looked back, and it has been about 15 years now. There are rules to this, and if you don't walk accordingly, then you'll get lost in there, spending the rest of your lives wandering around in a circle. Good luck
My heart goes out to anyone living with schizophrenia. I believe that each case is unique and what works for some might not work for others. Keep a diary of events. Try to work out what your triggers are. Write down your emotions. Write down what you ate and what you did leading up to the episode. Once you figure out the possible causes. Narrow it down to the root cause. Find out what diet works best for you. Think of activities that reduce stress (meditation, joga, tai chi etc.). Always remember, fear is unnecessary. Fear adds to stress, and can lead to the decay in mental health. Replace fear with positivity and you will notice a monumental change in your life. Share ideas with each other, communication is key. Best of luck to you all 💖
@@Burevestnik9M730 What's amazing is that we live in a world where so many people will say they want the good and right things, but don't know how act the good and right way. If you've a question, you could just ask instead of making snide remarks. There's actually a lot of info in those words. But as in the case with getting beyond schizophrenia, the way is so simple that most would trip over it believing it's higher up. My words pointed towards that simplicity, and you missed it. That's all this is.
I can completely understand your thoughts! All of them justified because of the unknown long term effects. Bless you for sharing you thoughts. You have works wide friends to chat with. How that helps you to know. You are not the only one with these thoughts, you are just the one going through it; CURRENTLY. 💓💐💞😘💖 You have a plan. When you again feel the need to go of, start talking about it BEFORE you start going off. Talk with your partner, you Dr & you Psychiatrist. 👍🏻 Let them hold your hand through it because they want to do what is best for you too & might quite agree & can plan to be ready and available if things get rocky. That way the unexpected surprises might be less traumatic. 🙏😘🥰💐
I've been on medication for depression and a handful of anxiety disorders for 11 years (actually exactly 11 years as of two days ago... hah how odd) and I've kind of come to accept I will probably be on some form forever. It hasn't been as hard for me to accept as it is for most because my dad has also been for nearly 30 years, so I've been able to see that sometimes people need that, and that the scary stories people tell about long term use making you a zombie aren't true. I don't like that fact, I wish I didn't need them. But then I have to think about why I wish that, when if I had high blood pressure or something I wouldn't question needing the medication. If you have a good doctor to work with, there's always room to try things - lower dose, drugs with fewer side effects. I think I've also gained perspective from the recent death of my grandmother. She definitely had anxiety issues all her life, but never sought treatment - her generation just didn't unless you needed to be hospitalized. And in her old age, her anxiety just consumed her as she developed dementia. I wonder if things would have got so bad if she had been treated, I feel so horrible for how scared she was the last few months. It's hard and there are no clear cut answers. But as usual I appreciate your candid conversations about these issues.
I've been on an antidepressant for about as long as you have. Many of my friends are also on psychotropic drugs for depression or anxiety, so I don't feel like I'm abnormal for needing it. Like you, I consider that my depression is a disease just like a physical disease, and that if I need medication, that's perfectly acceptable.
So sorry to hear my dear! God bless you for going through all these!! My mom is going through schizophrenia, don’t know what to do!Meds made her feel worse! But only took 2 days!! But Hearing u say- so much stress, I thought of Abraham hicks on RUclips ! Basically it says how to feel better no matter what!! She helps me a lot! Sk much heart ❤️ there!!
I hope he does as the side effects are wicked. Change his diet. No sugar, no gluten. Add magnesium, b6, b12 and choline supplements. Look into the GAPS diet.
@@MegaBadhorsie My son has severe symptoms of schizophrenia without his medications, and purchased multiple assault weapons to defend himself. He needs his medications, and with them is functional and free of fear.
@@kristina4272 okay? A lot of people buy weapons here in America to defend themselves as is their right. Ukraine is really wishing they had armed themselves right now. Armed people do not live in fear. So forgive me if I do not understand the point you are making. Are you saying he is normal? Or are you the one living in fear? Because many of the people that are out shooting up churches, etc are all on similar meds.
I absolutely agree with Jon. Those neuroleptics deplete the vitamin b storages, and vit b 12 deficiency also can lead to psychosis. I'd also add omega 3 to the diet to counter the damage they do to the brain. Of course your son doesn't credit the medication, they are neurotoxines and as harmful as chemotherapy. They should be used just in extreme cases when everything else has failed to kick so. out of acute psychosis. Soteria has a 85% success rate, they generally don't use drugs outside of those extreme cases, while psychiatry has below 20%. So, yes, there's something not quite right with the "medication". There is withdrawal psychosis and also break-through-psychosis. I've been misdiagnosed and put on those drugs, too. First, I was completely overdosed, then was on the lowest dose of another drug and those months were a nightmare. (I have Asperger Autism.) I absolutely understand the struggle with the "medication". In case your son wants to come off, try and support him, going down 5-10% all 5-6 weeks. That's from a general guideline. It's better to offer some way out than having the risk of going cold turkey and sending people into withdrawal psychosis.
@@MegaBadhorsie My son was very paranoid, hearing threatening voices and thought that someone was trying to drug him by gassing his apartment. He was afraid to go home, bought a broken down jeep that wasn't "bugged" and was living in it armed to the teeth. Yes he was afraid.He thought that I was part of the conspiracy. I was afraid that he might shoot us, it was so bad. I myself am on medication, and it has stopped my chronic suicidal thoughts. I also worked as an RN for 40 years. Meds are not for everyone, but are needed in some cases. Respectfully.
Wish you all the best. Just be mindful of what can happen as added side-effects and you wouldn’t want to spiral down from where you currently are. Wishing you all the best. Do let know how you are going.
I’ve tried to get off of antipsychotics for schizoaffective disorder a few times, but it never worked any time. It’s a bit sad that I have to accept that I absolutely need them, but I don’t see myself trying again because of how severe those episodes/drawbacks are. But I am wishing you well on your medication journey, Lauren. I’m curious to see how it goes for you.
How are you able to get back on the antipsychotics when is an episode?? I exposed people on my channel that advised my brother to stop taking his meds. He is now back in the psych ward….
@@alkalinebs5571 I don't. I am usually hospitalized as a result. If I had the correct medication, I probably would have started to take them again at the advisement of my family. But at the time, the medications I had did not work for me.
really feel this. i've had a lot of negative thoughts about medication in the past, and though i'm finally on an antidepressant that works, i find it difficult to make peace with entirely. much love, may your peace of mind be longlasting. 💙
Thank you for this video. I am sorry for the difficulties you face with your psych meds. My boyfriend takes an antipsych med and a mood stabilizer to help combat his Bipolar 1 mania/psychosis. The Abilify injection he gets monthly has really seemed to work great, aside from the fact that he is EXTREMELY tired, and sleeps sooo much. I have been learning a lot about how healthy diet, regular excercise/sleep, and a healthy lifestyle can help, and I am hopeful that someday he will consider changing his habits and potentially cut down his need for some meds. Not sure if it works this way, but hopeful. Best of luck to you ❤
Hi, Im happy to hear that your boyfriend has benefitted from the medication. May I ask, how long it took for the medication to help treat his psychosis episode? My mom is currently suffering from one and she just now began to take antypsych med. I don't know if its helping
@@rubycalvario190 they gave him an Abilify injection when he was in the hospital- it only took about a week for him to start thinking more clearly. However, it did take about a month to be at a really good spot. I will say, without a doubt, had he not had that antipsych med, he would have stayed in his mania for longer (it was a rough 3 months of mania). The only thing he was taking before was Lithium. But that is not enough to combat mania alone for him. I hope the antipsych med helps your mom recover quickly ❤
Even as someone with mild/moderate anxiety and mild depression I deeply relate to this, I've tried to go off SSRIs multiple times and still wonder if experiencing relapses of symptoms is because my body has gotten used to the medications. Thanks for the super honest video.
Honestly, withdrawal symptoms are pretty much always a thing with SSRIs (and every other psych med) - the withdrawal symptoms mimick a worsening of your original illness, but they also involve other physical symptoms like brain zaps, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, etc - however they 100% go away with time. What feels like your depression/anxiety coming back immediately after tapering down or stopping is 90% of the time just withdrawal syndrome. I became suicidal for a short period after coming off of an antidepressant (it didn't even help my depression for the 7 months I was on it) but I knew that was par for the course for many and that it would pass - I managed to push through it and now I've been off that antidepressant for almost a year. I'm so happy I quit, even though it was difficult at the time. My withdrawal symptoms passed in less than 2 months and since then I've been good. I haven't had a relapse of my depression since. It disturbs me how so many people aren't informed by their prescribers that coming off your meds *will* lead to a TEMPORARY worsening of symptoms, and that this is NOT a relapse unless your mood/anxiety issues continue to worsen beyond the point where your physical withdrawal symptoms have passed. It is actually impossible to say that someone needs antidepressants for life, and there have actually been multiple long term scientific studies that have observed some very harmful effects of staying on antidepressants long term - including far worse, far longer withdrawal periods, and oftentimes your original illness becoming chronic and treatment resistant which rarely happens to those who aren't on those meds long term. The condition is called tardive dysphoria. It's also been observed in some research studies that people on antidepressants vs not (with the same original severity of symptoms) have far more relapses and a longer course of illness than those who haven't taken meds long term. Even people who were originally prescribed them for anxiety without any history of depression often develop depression after spending years on meds. It's actually recommended in official prescribing guidelines that antidepressants should only be taken for a couple years at most after the resolution of your original symptoms. Their are only meant for short term treatment, because it's been demonstrated that they don't prevent relapses, they are only effective at relieving acute sypmtoms. Any medical professional that claims someone needs to be on antidepressants for life is frankly super irresponsible and far behind on current research.
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I'm so glad you seem to have a psychiatrist who listens to you and respects your wishes.
My thoughts exactly!
Vision quest last year. Most of psych life have had some excellent providers County and Private practice. Great video on onerous process.
I wait sometimes several days to take my meds. I start feeling horrible then take them. They`ve damaged my brain and changed my personality. I`m a musician and the meds have seriously affected my memory. Sometimes all I think about is leaving the planet. I suffer so much. I`m gonna try my best to stay here and help others.
I hope you stay
Please keep being here! We need YOU! It's the illness that has changed your brain. The meds blunt emotions but hallucinations and other symptoms are worse. Reach out and understand that it is a medical problem. Xoxo
If you’re taking antidepressants, they won’t work unless you take them consistently, every day, and you won’t feel good for many weeks in most cases. Don’t give up.
I'm sorry You are suffering so much. I feel the same way, and know how painful it can be. I too, hope You will stick around.
Same here
Hello Lauren and Rob,
I'm 68 and the last time I was hospitalised was in late 2007 and I know for certain if I stop taking Dolmatil(sulpiride) I will have a fourth psychotic episode.
All the best and many thanks,
Peter Nolan. Ph.D.(physics). Dublin. Ireland.
I am also a schitzophrenic dubliner! No PhD though :/
@@dazcaz8205
Hello,
So nice to hear from you. I got my doctorate in November 1986 and was hospitalised in St. Loman's hospital where I was injected with a massive overdose of Largactil(chlorpromazine) in early May 1987. My life ended as soon as the psychiatrist withdrew the hypodermic needs from my right buttock that first night in Loman's.
However healing came into my life in February 2011 and 11 years later I have never felt as well as I do today.
I send you best wishes and I hope and pray that everything will work out for you. If you are a young person, and I'm guessing you are, you may be getting better treatment today. It's just possible that Largactil(chlorpromazine) is not being prescribed as much nowadays. I certainly hope so.
All the best and many thanks,
Peter.
Hello Peter Nolan! I am new to this chanel on youtube and I find the content very interesting and educational.
@@lucide9577
Hello Lucide,
Lauren's channel Living Well With Schizophrenia is a great RUclips channel. I have learned a lot from Lauren and I give her my full support. You can trust her and her husband Rob 100%. They have a had a baby together. Lauren is so blessed to have this baby Theo.
You are completely safe here.
All the best and many thanks,
Peter.
@@peternolan814 hi Peter,I always read comments,...How are you?...we regular come here,I was thinking from few days,I didn't read any Peter comment,first I was thinking,maybe you're old,may be you can be ill.....we're happy,you came in the comments,happy to see you....
Thanks!
I used to stop taking my meds because I felt better.
I definitely had to learn the hard way that the reason I felt better was literally because I was taking them.
Side effects, etc CAN be annoying; but I'm so grateful that I live in a time that even has meds that can help.
Agree but what helped me also was getting the correct medication. I tried alot and none worked except for rexulti.
This is what happens to me. I start feeling better, the voices & delusions subside to barely noticeable and I'll stop taking them. Then BOOM they hit hard and I start taking them again.
Its hard for me to imagine that 50 Years ago there was no medication for Schizophrenia. Yes it has side effects but its better than being a destitute or thrown into a cell or chained in an Asylum !
@@telena5042 In epidemiology, what you did was a double crossover experiment. This is a good way to prove that you need the medication to keep the disease under control.
@@telena5042 that is exactly that happen to my son who is schizophrenic
Second year psychiatry resident here! Thank you for all the good work you do on reducing the stigma and informing shizophrenia/psychosis patients and everyday people alike. Also I will admit that a couple of your videos have been quite educational and useful regarding my own training as well and have been using them in my everyday practise. Thank you!!
I know your frustration, but I'm telling you that even with MDD getting off meds is a no no for me. As soon as I have tried it becomes MUCH HARDER to re-stabilize. People think depression and anxiety are not as serious as psychotic disorders, and it's easier to go med free. Sometimes its not. Good luck. I wish you well 💖
💯 twice in the past iv ended up in hospital(3mnths) due to failed reductions or failed new drugs
I've tried to taper off my medicine for MDD twice. I've found my lowest dose that works for me and on 1, rather than the 2 or 3 I was initially prescribed.
MDD here as well. Going off my meds has helped ruin my life. I've not been able to get back to where I was before.
I have GAD and if I stop my meds I get thoughts of hurting myself because the anxiety is unbearable. Agree with you 100 percent that some people think depression and anxiety are not as severe as psychotic disorders and that you’re ok if you go off meds. It’s because of an antidepressant I can function every day
I needed this reminder 😌
I had a conversation once with my therapist. I said I was struggling with how many psych meds i was on. She said (paraphrasing) that if people have a heart condition or cancer, it doesn't matter if they need meds, it's just accepted. Her point was that society accepts physical illness and the medications needed for those far, far more than it accepts medications to help our minds function in daily life.
In short, I'm on several medications. I tried going down on one of my meds last year or the year before, and it didn't work. I've tried several times over the years to see if I could come down on one or the other of them, with mostly negative results.
I've accepted that, for now, I need them to function and live well. If someday I decide to try again, I can always do that. But right now, life is stressful enough without playing with medication dosages.
I hear you about the longterm effects, and not knowing what they might be. But the question we have to ask ourselves--you, me, anyone else watching this, strugglign with this same dilemma--is this: With life stress, work, financial issues, relationships, and everything else, is it the best time? And if not, that's okay. You aren't a failure because you need the meds to function.
I have the brain fog from antidepressants. I struggle to remember things, and often need bits of either TV shows or conversation connected and explained by others. I struggle with song lyrics to newer songs. I used to memorize them with great ease. My fiance said he thinks it's just part of the aging process. I'm not sure. It's maddening. I used to pride myself on having a good, sharp memory. It's a little terrifying to not have that, or to not feel like I have that.
Hang in there. Keep your head up, and do what's best for you. Remember: You are not a failure.
Each time you destabilize, it becomes more difficult to stabilize. That's why I stay on my meds.
Yes, thank you. Lesson I learned the hard way.
Not necessarily. I've learned from each of my episodes so my recovery gets easier every time.
Me too. I went off them for a week once and it was a disaster. I was very young though and was able to get stabilized.
@@HockeyVictory66 you also shouldn’t just stop without tapering so that may have added to why your symptoms were so bad
I was on 200 mg Zoloft about two weeks ago I lowered my medication to 150mg At first it was tough and now I’m doing OK I wanted to leave room in case I become depressed in the room to move up
TWO of my love ones are dealing with this issue. I appreciate All of your work you do for yourself, your family and education to the world. I pray for you and all who have this. Xoxo
Hi Lauren,
Please don’t be so hard on yourself! Look at all of the major things you have accomplished thus far in your life! You don’t seem “different” to me in any way whatsoever when you are on your medication. The only difference I have noticed is the past couple of months (and maybe that was when you were tapering off)?
Look at how much you have accomplished! Finishing school, finding a great partner, being a co-parent to 2 children and having a brand new baby with your partner, running this amazing channel, having a beautiful place to live, looking so pleasant, being able to run the way you do - you have so many beautiful gifts and have achieved so much. Please do think any lower of yourself for taking your medication. I am not an expert, but I think it’s helping you to be able to contribute so much to the world and have a wonderful family! I’m praying for you Lauren and I believe you will be just great! And yes, you are so right. The past couple of years must have been incredibly stressful with Co-Vid, homeschooling and a new baby, so I wouldn’t personally change anything now (but that’s just my opinion)!! 🙏💖
I tapered off one my meds strictly for the purpose of lessening a disabling side effect and it was successful 🙌 I wish you the best in your future trials with meds.
Oh, Lauren, I completely get this. For my own medication struggles, I finally got to the point that I realize that just like someone needs insulin to correct a wonky pancreas, I need medication to correct a wonky brain. The struggle with that is on-so real, and I wish you the very best of luck as you continue on the journey. Hugs.
Thanks for educating people. Unfortunately many people need to stay on their meds. Glad you are doing this with talking to your doctor keep doing that.
Look up ☝️☝️that handle on Instagram she’s got the best tips and stuffs for microdosing, psych meds, dmt trips, psilocybin, mescaline and ships too💯
I wish for You the Best ! You have Love and Support that your Life Partner Gives you and You Family and All of Us !!!
What about only focusing on lowering the dosage for now? You don’t necessarily have to set the goal to cut out medications completely. You may need to find the minimum dose that’s still effective against symptoms, but allows you to experience less side effects. I had to do this with my antidepressant with which, like you, I have a complicated love/hate relationship. The goal of treatment should be to maximize quality of life, not keeping you “stable” at all costs. Who cares if you’re a “stable” zombie? That’s something some doctors still struggle understanding unfortunately. I’ve come to the conclusion that for me personally life is neither good with too little nor too much medication 😌. Keep trying to find the right balance at your own pace and at the right time :)
That is good advice. The goal could be to take only one medication instead of many. No need to stop completely.
I agree
Hi Lauren,
I don’t have schizophrenia but I have a complicated relationship with anti-seizure medication I take for epilepsy and mitochondrial disease.
I wish more people understood that medications don’t cure us, they manage symptoms.
It’s understandable to want them to do more, or to wish for the condition to go away without medication.
It can be hard to manage expectations a lot of the time. And as an educated person you know enough to drive yourself to distraction with all of the possibilities.
I am glad you are able to talk to family and your psychiatrist about this.
Sending love.
💚
I agree!
Tack!
Thanks Lauren for charing and don't lose hope❤️ do not forget that you are living and that it is not a failure to depend on medication💛
Kind regards and hugs
Your pal from Sweden // Lauri
Thank you for making this video. A lot of times, when I see you taking your meds and seeming to do so well, I feel guilty because I can't do the same. It is nice to see the reality of your struggle- just to know it is normal.
I wish you and your family all the best in this world ❤️
I identify so much with everything you've said. Those medications are no joke, but at least you're managing your speech very well, I struggle with that. I'm hopeful to God for a relief in the near future. Wishing you well also.
Hello I'm from Brazil and you really help us to think about difficult questions in a very open way. Thanks a lot and don't give up if it's something you want to try. Why not when you feel better? A lots of love to youuuu 💕
I really like how you described needing to view this more flexibly. Yes meds aren’t the best for our physical healthy. But they might be the best for our mental health. I get obsessed about what I am doing to my body with my meds quite a bit. So much so that I fail to recognize that when I’m not mentally well, my physical health really suffers. I tend to lose sight of the fact that we need our mental health to be decent in order to be able to care for our physical health. I go back and forth about stopping meds as well. I needed this video today as I’ve been thinking about weaning off. Also at a time where I have A TON of stressors that I would really struggle to handle without meds. Sending you peace.
Would you consider sharing your side effects? Thanks for being so open and candid. You are inspiring!
Thank you so much for your videos. Your tone and personality is beautiful. My son is 24 and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He has been hospitalized 4 times in the last year and half and it is due to him not wanting to take them meds when he starts to feel better. Thank god when he does go into the hospital it is for a short period of time. I just pray for him and his mental health and your videos have helped me so much! I thank you for putting out the videos that you do. This is so new to me and I can’t thank you enough for your videos. ❤️
I can really empathize with the medication issues. My daughter always stops her meds cold turkey. Refuses to talk to her psychiatrist, and refuses all of our efforts to get her to take her meds. I hate watching her progress through psychosis. She's 46, but under the circumstances, she's so vulnerable.
Same think, daughter same age, choosing to quit, I guess it is very common.
@@JoyLoveLifeSong was the biofeedback therapy expensive?? Is it even covered by insurance?
Keep talking about your truth. Giving a voice to it is vital to one’s soul.
I value your openness and honesty. I am so glad you have people you trust in your life.
Much love and respect flow from my corner of the world to you. 💕
Be safe. Please don't get to the point where you try to harm yourself or others. I take a daily antidepressant and a week off of it and I make plans to end it all. Sending you love and light.
psychosis does not mean you will harm others, thats a very small minority that do!
Wow. Thank you for sharing, and what a great psychiatrist you have, relationship with, too, and big hug
Lauren, I so appreciate your videos!!! I have a family member who went off his meds completely several months ago and has been on the psych ward since Feb 3. He's got schizoaffective disorder, and also anosognosia - no insight into his illness and how much it disrupts his life. When he gets out of the hospital I want to try to share your videos with him, especially this one.
Wonderful insight and analysis and sharing Lauren! I understand everything you are saying about side effects and potential long term effects...its scary. I was also listening when you said about being a parent of a new babe and the pandemic. This is probably the the busiest and most stress filled time of life that you will ever experience. You have been through so much... and learned so much about recovery... you know the rewards of staying close to a team that cares about you and telling the truth about what you are feeling.
I work at a community mental health agency in Ontario and I have been supporting and educating caregivers for almost 15 years. I do see people who are able to gradually reduce med dosages and stay well... but TRUTH? They are a little older than you. What I mean is people in their 20s and 30s who have found some stability with a treatment plan... do best if they stick to it untill closer to 40.
You are still in the early adult years and you have recently (in the last 5 years) created such a wonderful stable base from which you can thrive and live and engage with so many joys of life. YOU have the support of an amazing partner, a rewarding career and a beautiful family!!! More love and happiness than some people EVER find, nevermind with the tricky complication of Schizoeffective Disorder onboard!
My hope is that you can stay committed to the current treatment plan for at least a few more yeras before tempting FATE and risking it all. There will be time to try other options... there will be new treatments and discoveries coming at us all the time. Just hold abit longer... hold onto those kids and Rob and your work and stay the course for now. Too much to lose right now... and I promise you there will be time. My experience is that decisions to move away from meds have better outcomes for adults who are a little older and a little further along in the progression of their recovery story. Xoxo
My son has schizophrenia. Took the holistic approach. He is doing awesome with the vitamins. Without terrible side effects. Ashwagandha 600 mg twice a day. Has changed his life and mine to. When his dr prescribed him abilify he read about it. Said nope. So I did my homework about different herbs that may help. Best wishes to u in your journey.
I always cry during and after watching your videos. You are doing great dear inspite of antipsychotics..
Excellent thanks for sharing I’m with you and I definitely know what it’s like to come off medicine it’s more than what you can take going without rest etc.
I'm sorry to hear you're having a hard time with this. Thank you for being open about the nuances of medications. I personally react negatively to the idea of tapering off my antidepressants because multiple members of my family have told me I "should" be trying to stop being on psychiatric medication. So my policy is a bit of the oversimplified "am I stable on meds? check" that you mentioned. I did have to lower one medication because of a side effect and it fortunately worked out okay, though I was dealing with extra fatigue and it seems to be that I still just need more sleep than I did on the higher dose. So that's the compromise I have to live with now. Overall, I'm very grateful to have the medications and to be stable.
I came off of meds after severe mental illness postpartum. (Psychosis and OCD).
I am doing well now. It took some time for me to completely get back to normal. But here I am.
Most of all I thank Jesus for this. I really do believe he healed me.
God bless you and don’t give up.
Your story sounds similar to mine I also had postpartum psychosis had to be hospitalized and forced to take antipsychotics for a short time and quickly went off them. Just cold turkey dropped them. Found progesterone treatments a healthy diet and lots of supplements and I've been holding together and overcome agoraphobia as well. I'm healthy and happy and my kids appreciate it.
Amen
Hi Hope you are doing well. Would you care to share how long you took medicine for n what dosage n hope you are doing really well now. Will be grateful for your response.
@@BeingBetter Hi Hope you are well.
Proud of you for hanging in there and trying my daughter suffers with psychosis and I’m thankful for your transparency! She looks up to you! I’m bank you for being brave enough to make this channel!
mee too !!! ditto !!!!
I ve been taking several kinds of psychiatric meds since 1996 : teeth problems in a long term approach unfortunatly strike me as a very important issue. Best wishes from Brittany, France
You have a lot on your plate. Just remember to be kind to yourself. Give yourself some grace. Best wishes 😌
Thank you for talking so openly about this. I struggle with anxiety and I have been debating going back on medication for a while now. My anxiety has been so bad for the past few months - debilitating most days and causing frequent insomnia. I've been in therapy for years and I was doing well for a while. I am also studying to become a therapist myself so I cannot help feeling like a complete failure for not being able to manage my symptoms on my own and "practice what I preach". I know I should not be so hard on myself, especially given the past few years and the heaviness of the world right now. I truly feel like I don't need to suffer as much as I am and that medication would help me get out of the constant "frozen" or angry states I am in 90% of the time, and allow me to be in a more stable place where I can actually benefit from therapy, practice my healthy coping mechanisms, and practice self-care. It's not an easy decision to make either way and I truly feel for you and hope you find a solution that works for you. I appreciate your honesty and admire your strength and self-awareness.
You’ll be a great therapist, that experience will help you :)
Thanks so much for always sharing such information, it really helps. I am glad I'm not alone in my condition.
I take 3 different anti-depressants. I made it to 28 years old refusing to take any. I'm almost 40 now, so been taking for about a decade. Sometimes I think I want to stop, but for the most part, I've accepted this may be for the rest of my life. I know that I don't hurt the people I love when I stick to my current routine.
You can do this!!!!💪 God bless you. I admire you!!! And I agree with everything you said about the medication. My dear follow your gut. I know your reality is what it is and we can't change that. You are powerful beyond means. I believe in you!! God bless you.
We love you Lauren. God bless you.....
Thank you for talking about this. Meds are so important but taking them doesn't just 'fix' a person. Hearing you express some of the things you specifically struggle with has helped me think about it in a new way. Wishing you all the best. (And everybody else here in the comments too...)
Thank you for your incredible insight. I understand there are different levels of mental disability and I hope you’ll make it. It’s my wishful thinking that you get to define “stability”, and you get to enjoy it and have a healthy sort of fun life.
I can definitely relate. I have bipolar II disorder and I've been taking medications for it for over 8 years now. The first medication I was on, a mood stabilizer, worked and brought me down from hypomania within a matter of weeks. But then I became depressed. And then I had an allergic reaction to that medication with painfully, itchy hives all over my body. So I had to ditch that medication. And over the last 8+ years, I've been on 26 different psychiatric medications in various combinations including atypical antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, stimulants, and benzodiazepines among others. The side effects from these medications have ranged from mild to intolerable. And there was one medication, an atypical antipsychotic, that seemed to be the most effective at treating my depression that I was on but kept trying to get off, because while its side effects (mainly somnolence and weight gain) were tolerable, they were very frustrating. I know how tough it can be weighing the pro's and con's of various medications and dealing with bad side effects. Over the last 2 years I did transcranial magnetic stimulation, ketamine, and ECT. I'm with the best psychiatrist I've ever had and I'm now on the only mood stabilizer that seemed plausible for me to try at this point, a high dose of an MAOI, and Xanax. This MAOI has been more effective than any other treatment for my depression. And thankfully the side effects all seem fairly mild. After 8 years of serious, incapacitating depression with ups and downs, I feel more optimistic about my future than at any point in the last 8 years, though I'm still coming out of this depression/period of severe anxiety. I wish you luck in finding the best treatment regimen for you.
Well done you
If you don't mind answering a personal question, did you find transcranial magnetic stimulation to be helpful? I've seen contradictory information on its helpfulness for auditory hallucinations.
@@mariashaffer-gordon3561 TMS was ultimately not effective for me. I haven't heard about its use for auditory hallucinations.
Keep getting better! Just know that you matter, you’re not alone and we love you!
Thank you for sharing your struggles and prayers for you and yours. It's not DELUSIONAL you're getting stronger with your Hope's and aspirations. Stay strong and rest when you can, especially with little Teddy.
Each time my mother forced my sister to - not to take her medication she gets worse .
She told my sister this is kind of magic or evil eyes...
This is from her culture in middle east country.
I think on of the best achievements in scientific studies they discovered medication 💊 for schizophrenia to let people live in peace.
I tapered off anti psychotic medication I had been on for 30 years between February 2020 and April 2021. I had the support of my GP and a councillor as well as using supplements from The Road Back Program. I managed to do it but by August 2021 I became unwell and was very relieved to be back on them. I wish you luck 👍
Thank you for being brave enough to be honest!!!! There is a lot that has NOT been evaluated in the long term.
I love you and your beautiful self Loren- I feel the same way about taking medication man. It hurts to have to accept “losing” part of yourself to supposedly improve another. ESP hard when your judgement is flawed like it may be with mental health disorders.
i take zoloft so i can't imagine the sides of antipsychotics, but i know for sure meds are life saving, they saved me from a future suicide i had planned.
As a schizoaffective bipolar person I once tried 4 dried grams of magic mushrooms and went off my meds successfully for 3 months after that dose. The paranoia and manic episodes returned and I had to get back on my meds. It sucks my friend, I feel ya, but hang in there! You're awesome and I love your content. Keep taking care of yourself! :)
I micro-dosed till they were gone, and I never again looked for my reading glasses a constant hassle. It's been almost four years. Go figure!
Wouldn't you think it'd be news? Lose your glasses for good?
There's a great podcast called "Drug Science", I think. A bunch of doctors and advocates that are raising awareness of psychedelics in research and medicine. Worth lending your support to overcome the drug stigma.
Hi Lauren, can you do a video that differentiate between having one or two psychotic episodes (episodic type) and living with schizoaffective disorder (chronic type)? Thank you! I wish you and your family all of the best.
Great suggestion.
I was diagnosed with agoraphobia in high school and got on medication. Once I reached a stable point in my adult life, I slowly tried tapering off. It was good for… a few months? And then it was bad. Very bad. Tacked on a few more diagnosis’s onto my original one at that point. It’s always a challenge to accept you may spend your entire life reliant on medication but the fear I have over re-experiencing a full mental break is far greater now than my fear of being reliant on medication now. Sending love to everyone in these very tricky journeys.
Have you recovered from agoraphobia?
@@BeingBetter mmm I don’t think it’s really something you full recover from per se… but with therapy, medication and practice I’ve been able to have a nearly normal life. Something that pre-medication I had thought was impossible
@@theNihilisticEngineer do you go out now? I had agoraphobia and couldn't leave the house at all for nearly four years. I think it's important to use self affirming language, and to believe that full recovery is possible. If you mean, will someone who has agoraphobia once always have situations that they want to avoid, and will they always feel panicky when far fry home, then yes, but I have found that it's better for my recovery to own my recovery.
Taking daily walks was the foundation of my treatment. Exposure therapy, self led, because I personally don't have any good experiences with therepists. I'm glad you're doing better.
Im have major depression and take antidepressant. I felt guilty about this.. bcz ppl around me talk badly about ppl that takes this meds ... its hard but when im off med im suicidal, not able to sleep, in a deep depression.. so I deserve to live too .. I dont want to feel that again.. being stable again its more Harder everytime that I tapper off.
This is my favorite topic you cover. I too have soooo much experience with that. Blessings. I have never believed but it is a sign of health to keep taking them and slowly, extremely slowly tapering...
Hi Hope this reaches you in the best of health and happiness. How are you feeling now n wd you care to share how you manage the side affects of the meds n which ones you take. I am really scared to take some which my psychiatrist had suggested for fear of side affects as have read so many horror stories esp about anti psychotics which he wishes to add in small dose to Prozac. Your views will be insightful and I wd b able to reflect and share those with my doctor. Regards
Thank you for making this video. I take psychiatric meds, too, and I worry about things like brain damage from the meds. I’ve tried to taper off of them, with the help of my psychiatrist, but I ended up back in the hospital again. It didn’t work for me, but I hope you’re able to achieve whatever you want from this process.
I think you hit the nail on the head with "nuance" regarding taking medications and also with not taking drastic steps especially in stressful times. The medications have bad side effects and may even lead to chronic illnesses like diabetes and more which is highly concerning (and should be!), but taking incremental/baby steps just pays way more in the end. Keep being strategic.I also am considering tapering off my 10mg of Abilify I am currently on (down from 20mg). I will mull over this decision for quite some time though and really consider what will create the best outcome. I will be strategic in terms of making sure my daily activities are managed well as well as diet/sleep patterns/support network etc. Your concerns are valid. Just take your time, the time needed, to really consider if/how to do it. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I'm rooting for you!
With this said, I may never go off of my current dosage of Abilify. I am very happy that I reduced it to 10mg as it works better than 20mg for me, but this may be what I settle on. What I've gained in my life means a lot and I don't want to throw it away. Time will tell.
You made me cry..
your eyes telling us how this frustrated you
Love you ❤️
Medications and conversations are so difficult to navigate! I’ve definitely struggled with it, I’ve had significantly bad reactions to new meds, but there have been times when I’ve felt incredibly stable while on meds, and the added component of self-sabotaging or delusional thoughts might conflict, as well as pressures from outside sources for or against. Ultimately though, it is a decision unique to everyone’s circumstances. Some of my friends need their meds to survive, but I found that I could manage without them, and still feel healthy. I struggle at times, but it works for me. it took years to reach this point, and it was really difficult the first year without my meds. Everyone is different, I’m glad you’ve made a decision you feel is best.
This is such an incredibly common theme for all of us who struggle with mental health issues! I and everyone else I talk to about being on medication for mental health reasons wishes to not be on pills. But I know now from experience that it's just not an option for me. The only way I can rationalize and feel at ease about my meds is to think of it like this... if I had a disease or illness of any other part of my body, like my heart or my lungs for example, I would 100% take the medication prescribed to me and I would never even consider to stop taking them because I know I need them. So why should it be any different for a disease or illness of my brain?! Is my brain not part of my body? It's possibly the most important part of my body. So if my brain has an illness why would I not take the medication that is going to help it?
Anyways that's just my way of dealing with the feeling of wanting to stop medication or living med free or whatnot.
Take care, and know you are not alone ❤️
It may be a little more complicated than that. Mental illness is not referred to as a brain illness or vice versa. When the brain is injured or an illness causes physical harm to the brain, like a stroke or encephalitis, that is considered a brain illness, not a mental illness. A "mental" illness is a sickness of the mind. The best treatment we have for most mental illness is talk therapy, which can be augmented by medicines. Talk therapy can't treat encephalitis, for example, because it is a brain condition. Someone with a stroke will not recover by dealing with unresolved childhood trauma, but depression, etc. does respond to this therapy.
Medicine for mental illnesses is relatively new and it hasn't been wildly successful in and of itself. Medicine helps, but it's not a cure. I view medicines like SSRI's as emotional pain relievers, a temporary treatment for the patient while they are being treated with talk therapy. If a person with depression just takes the medicine for it, but never deals with the emotional pain behind it, they will most likely need the medicine for life. Psychotherapy is hard, painful, can take a long time, and people will often have to deal with things they would rather not dredge up, which is why a lot of people would rather just take the medicine.
Exactly the same feelings here. Thank you for what you said.
If I need meds for health conditions, I take them and don't think about whether I should or not. I need to do the same for my mind as well.
@@mygirldarby Estoy totalmente de acuerdo. Yo tengo ansiedad y tuve una época en la que pensaba que el universo me hablaba. Todo esto era síntoma de dolor emocional reprimido. Lo se después de 10 años y de mucho trabajo interior. Durante un tiempo me creí la gran mentira de que las enfermedades mentales son enfermedades del cerebro. Eso no me ayudó en nada, porque te hace pensar que no hay solución. Cuando empecé a cuestionar esta falta creencia, pude mejorar. Yo tomaba 100 mg de Clozapina y ahora tomo 25 y esto mil veces mejor, disfruto de la vida, y mis síntomas ya casi no aparecen. Eso es porque pude conectar con el dolor emocional del pasado. Lo logré gracias a un trabajo muy profundo, también me ayudo el yoga y la meditación. Y si, lleva mucho tiempo, muchos años de tu vida, pero vale la pena
Sorry! English is not my first language
Google translation here:
I totally agree. I have anxiety and I had a time when I thought the universe was speaking to me. All of this was a symptom of repressed emotional pain. I know after 10 years and a lot of inner work. For a time I believed the big lie that mental illnesses are diseases of the brain. That did not help me at all, because it makes you think that there is no solution. When I began to question this belief, I was able to improve. I used to take 100 mg of Clozapine and now I take 25 and I am a thousand times better, I enjoy life, and my symptoms hardly appear anymore. That's because I was able to connect with the emotional pain of the past. I achieved it thanks to a very deep work, talk teraphy, yoga and meditation also helped me. And yes, it takes a long time, many years of your life, but it's worth it.
Love and support. Life and mental health is complicated. That sounds like platitudes but it isn't...roads become trails and side roads,...sometimes they become backstreets and side roads...sometimes they become whole new highways or they go back to familiar roads andntrails. No matter what its a journey and thank goodness you learn something new with every step. We grow in unexpected ways every day.
Thank you for sharing this! It's nice to know I'm not alone struggling from side effects from my medication! I think it's ok to try different things under a doctor's care. The goal is to be stable, have minimal side effects, and feel as alive and full of life as possible. I think a person's needs could change over time too. For myself, I believe I will always need some amount of medication. Everytime I wean off too much...months later, I have a problem. I think with trial and error though you can find the best medications at the proper amounts. So far this has been my experience. It is NOT easy though.
You speak so well, with such intelligence and empathy. I relate to every facet you covered. As a mother of three those early years you are still in with a toddler and other children are so intense, such a balancing act. Loving and caring for yourself is such an important foundation, good nutrition, good sleep are also beneficial.
You are such a sweetheart. Thank you so much for sharing..
Thank you for sharing. I always appreciate your input, as I continue to learn what my mother goes through.
Thanks for sharing; I have also tried going off of my depression med without discussing it with my doctor, and after about 3 weeks, I was so manic my 19 yr old daughter said she was worried. My brother is a LCSW so I called him (it was a Sunday) and he said it has to do with the half-life of the med. The rest of it was over my head, but I learned my lesson. Always talk to your doctor first. I'm glad you did; it's important. Hang in there sweetie. I believe in YOU! 😊🌹
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am a pharmacist with a practice interest in mental health. I will show this video to my students to help them understand that 'just taking the meds' isn't easy or fun and doesn't automatically mean the person's life should now be straightforward.
Thank you Thank you, your courageous video helps us to deal with my son's schizophrenia condition. God Bless you and keep these videos comiong.
Thanks for sharing. I'm currently supporting someone who is struggling with taking their meds at the moment ❤️
You are an amazing person. You’ve helped me so much with your videos and for sure a lot of other people. I’m so sad you are struggling but at the same time I look at your disease as a “gift” and because of it you were able to make a difference in so many pleople’s lives, mine included. I hope in the future you’ll be able to stop your medication and be free of symptoms all the rest of life and then tell your story from a different point of view: from a healed person and continue to give us hope. I can’t stop saying how an amazing human being you are…
I’m pulling for you and will include you in my daily prayers. Our son is struggling and has cycled on an off for 3 years. The journey back keeps getting longer. You help me.
My mum tapered down from one tablet to zero in 2 years... she used a nail file to reduce the amount slowly. I got off of Benzos and did it in a similar mannor. I got worse from benzos.... feel so much better without them. Some people do water tapering to do it very gradually over months.
Some people can get off easier after starting Neurofeedback training. As this is training the brain to regulate itself. Neurofeedback helped me.
All the best for you!!!!
Most people don't like the meds.
I’m so sorry to hear you’re having these struggles Lauren. It sounds really tough and I hope self care and all the support around you can help get you to where you want to be with time. At the moment, due to different circumstances, I’m currently in the position of having gone cold turkey from mine for the last week. Lots of unknowns and worries but at least for the moment I feel very lucky that the changes are manageable. Sending lots of best wishes and thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences
You have such courage, Lauren. And your videos are a comfort to all of those who struggle - no matter how severe or complex the illness. I find it terribly difficult to discuss meds (really of any kind) with others because often one camp says almost in an accusatory manner, "why are you taking xyz....your life will be better with nothing, just try harder (yeah, right...)", and those who push even more meds. So often a complete lack of understanding is at the at the heart of their beliefs, and it can be infuriating. I wish you well in doing what's right for you!
I have Schizoaffective disorder. Anytime i have gone off my medicine it didnt end well
Thank you
Hi
.Its an old thread but wd like to know if you r still taking meds and how are you managing the side affects n of you wd care to share which meds are you taking and for how long. Will be grateful. Regards
Hi Lauren, great to watch your videos, I appreciate your effort at making and sharing them.
I don't suffer any major mental health issues, but read quite a lot about them. One of the most lasting messages I got out of reading The Center Cannot Hold, the best-selling memoir by Elyn Saks, over 10 years ago was that the fight against medication is basically a fruitless and self-defeating one. In the book, she describes her schizophrenia since onset in her teen years, and several treatments and hospitalizations she underwent in the US and the UK, always with ups and downs that were mostly caused by numerous attempts at ceasing her dependency on meds. She tried to quit meds several times, always with grave consequences. And yet I understand why you'd want to lower the dose and, if possible, eliminate meds altogether. Side effects suck, dependency sucks, costs and insurance issues suck, the list of evils goes on and on. It's a big struggle between knowing the medication is essential and wanting to get rid of them. I wish you are fortunate to be able to reduce your medication dosage and consequently the side effects it causes, and meanwhile I appreciate you sharing and promoting the debate on this issue.
I love that you are trying and sharing your experience with the world because often i wonder what its like for my brother. I would just ask but i think its hard for him to explain it to me. I hope your journey is a good one, i hope someday it's one worth telling to the world that will help so many more. ❤
Thank you so much for this, I now feel relieved.
I am taking care of a loved one with Schizophrenia and sometimes he refuses to take his medication and this sometimes makes me get mad at them but watching this,I understand his struggles.
Will trryy best to teach him the benefits of taking his medication
Trying to improve your life is kind of the goal here. No shame in taking meds. They work wonders for me. However I am still finding the right cocktail to use. Good luck and keep us posted!
Wd you mind sharing how you deal with the side affects they have? as I am petrified to take an anti psychotic because of its side affects.. n tying to manage with an SSRI only but my psychiatrist insists I add an anti psychotic. Will b grateful for your insight.
Regards
Thank you so much for sharing, this has helped me too see a different point with medication. I thought it was simple as taking painkillers but I guess psychotic meds are strong drugs to take and I can't really understand what it's really like. My mum has always struggled taking her meds and it results often in hospital admission. It has happened so many times the authorities have tried to put her in a home just so it makes it easier/cheaper for them but assessments carried out independently have said she doesn't qualify to be in a home and I agree with it. I just feel like her social workers are really letting her down and trust has gone.
These videos are incredible. This is peer education at it's finest. You are a fantastic role model.
You talked me into taking 1 tonight. I hope I connected your mind completely. Opening that 3rd eye up
So very excellent and helpful. I am grateful for your open honesty and vulnerability.
I had the same notion and came to the same conclusion. I have fantasies everyday of being med free but now is not the time!❤
As someone who stopped taking their meds, cold turkey, I'll give this unsolicited advice: make sure to have a foundation when you decide to take that first step out. Note that the foundation you'll be stepping out on is neither visible nor tangible by ordinary standards. If you just take a step and all you have is, "I hope I don't sink," you will sink. What is your hope built on? That's a very important consideration, because you will need a reason for your hope when the winds starts blowing, the rain starts pouring, the lightning strikes begin and sea starts rage; what is going to keep your ship from getting tossed around and carried away in the sea? It's more than just trying this or trying that, but you've got to be certain. You will be tested and tried, and the pressure will make you want to flee for your life. Without a solid conviction enabling you to stand before these giants of psychosis that will come for you, and to overcome them, you might as well just stay on the meds. You need an anchor during the storms, and faith to not only stand before, but to overcome these enemies of the mind. So ask yourselves, what is your hope? And why are you certain this is the way? If you don't have these answers firmly planted within, you'll get pulled under and drown....metaphorically speaking of course.
Many folks trying to stop their meds don't understand this, and so they get swept away at sea and land right back in the hospitals. That was me too until I came to the realization that I needed more than I was presently carrying. After that, I stopped my meds, things became hot, got hotter, and got even hotter that hotter before it got any better. But what kept me from sinking? There was an unshakable resolve that schizophrenia could not take from me, and believe me it did try. And if you're able penetrate this deep into the mist that is psychosis, just beyond that lies freedom. I've never looked back, and it has been about 15 years now. There are rules to this, and if you don't walk accordingly, then you'll get lost in there, spending the rest of your lives wandering around in a circle.
Good luck
Best wishes to you.
My heart goes out to anyone living with schizophrenia. I believe that each case is unique and what works for some might not work for others. Keep a diary of events. Try to work out what your triggers are. Write down your emotions. Write down what you ate and what you did leading up to the episode. Once you figure out the possible causes. Narrow it down to the root cause. Find out what diet works best for you. Think of activities that reduce stress (meditation, joga, tai chi etc.). Always remember, fear is unnecessary. Fear adds to stress, and can lead to the decay in mental health. Replace fear with positivity and you will notice a monumental change in your life.
Share ideas with each other, communication is key. Best of luck to you all 💖
so many words and so little info. amazing.
@@Burevestnik9M730 What's amazing is that we live in a world where so many people will say they want the good and right things, but don't know how act the good and right way. If you've a question, you could just ask instead of making snide remarks. There's actually a lot of info in those words. But as in the case with getting beyond schizophrenia, the way is so simple that most would trip over it believing it's higher up. My words pointed towards that simplicity, and you missed it. That's all this is.
What helped you wean off the meds even when it was so bad?
I recommend that you read Kelly Brogan and her books A Mind of Your Own & Own Your Self
I can completely understand your thoughts! All of them justified because of the unknown long term effects. Bless you for sharing you thoughts. You have works wide friends to chat with. How that helps you to know. You are not the only one with these thoughts, you are just the one going through it; CURRENTLY. 💓💐💞😘💖
You have a plan. When you again feel the need to go of, start talking about it BEFORE you start going off. Talk with your partner, you Dr & you Psychiatrist. 👍🏻 Let them hold your hand through it because they want to do what is best for you too & might quite agree & can plan to be ready and available if things get rocky. That way the unexpected surprises might be less traumatic. 🙏😘🥰💐
I've been on medication for depression and a handful of anxiety disorders for 11 years (actually exactly 11 years as of two days ago... hah how odd) and I've kind of come to accept I will probably be on some form forever. It hasn't been as hard for me to accept as it is for most because my dad has also been for nearly 30 years, so I've been able to see that sometimes people need that, and that the scary stories people tell about long term use making you a zombie aren't true. I don't like that fact, I wish I didn't need them. But then I have to think about why I wish that, when if I had high blood pressure or something I wouldn't question needing the medication. If you have a good doctor to work with, there's always room to try things - lower dose, drugs with fewer side effects. I think I've also gained perspective from the recent death of my grandmother. She definitely had anxiety issues all her life, but never sought treatment - her generation just didn't unless you needed to be hospitalized. And in her old age, her anxiety just consumed her as she developed dementia. I wonder if things would have got so bad if she had been treated, I feel so horrible for how scared she was the last few months. It's hard and there are no clear cut answers. But as usual I appreciate your candid conversations about these issues.
I've been on an antidepressant for about as long as you have. Many of my friends are also on psychotropic drugs for depression or anxiety, so I don't feel like I'm abnormal for needing it. Like you, I consider that my depression is a disease just like a physical disease, and that if I need medication, that's perfectly acceptable.
So sorry to hear my dear! God bless you for going through all these!! My mom is going through schizophrenia, don’t know what to do!Meds made her feel worse! But only took 2 days!!
But Hearing u say- so much stress, I thought of Abraham hicks on RUclips ! Basically it says how to feel better no matter what!!
She helps me a lot! Sk much heart ❤️ there!!
My son has drastically improved on medication. But he doesn't credit the medication for his improvement. I am terrified that he will go off it.
I hope he does as the side effects are wicked. Change his diet. No sugar, no gluten. Add magnesium, b6, b12 and choline supplements. Look into the GAPS diet.
@@MegaBadhorsie My son has severe symptoms of schizophrenia without his medications, and purchased multiple assault weapons to defend himself. He needs his medications, and with them is functional and free of fear.
@@kristina4272 okay? A lot of people buy weapons here in America to defend themselves as is their right. Ukraine is really wishing they had armed themselves right now. Armed people do not live in fear. So forgive me if I do not understand the point you are making. Are you saying he is normal? Or are you the one living in fear? Because many of the people that are out shooting up churches, etc are all on similar meds.
I absolutely agree with Jon. Those neuroleptics deplete the vitamin b storages, and vit b 12 deficiency also can lead to psychosis. I'd also add omega 3 to the diet to counter the damage they do to the brain.
Of course your son doesn't credit the medication, they are neurotoxines and as harmful as chemotherapy. They should be used just in extreme cases when everything else has failed to kick so. out of acute psychosis. Soteria has a 85% success rate, they generally don't use drugs outside of those extreme cases, while psychiatry has below 20%. So, yes, there's something not quite right with the "medication". There is withdrawal psychosis and also break-through-psychosis.
I've been misdiagnosed and put on those drugs, too. First, I was completely overdosed, then was on the lowest dose of another drug and those months were a nightmare. (I have Asperger Autism.) I absolutely understand the struggle with the "medication".
In case your son wants to come off, try and support him, going down 5-10% all 5-6 weeks. That's from a general guideline. It's better to offer some way out than having the risk of going cold turkey and sending people into withdrawal psychosis.
@@MegaBadhorsie My son was very paranoid, hearing threatening voices and thought that someone was trying to drug him by gassing his apartment. He was afraid to go home, bought a broken down jeep that wasn't "bugged" and was living in it armed to the teeth. Yes he was afraid.He thought that I was part of the conspiracy. I was afraid that he might shoot us, it was so bad. I myself am on medication, and it has stopped my chronic suicidal thoughts. I also worked as an RN for 40 years. Meds are not for everyone, but are needed in some cases. Respectfully.
Wish you all the best. Just be mindful of what can happen as added side-effects and you wouldn’t want to spiral down from where you currently are. Wishing you all the best. Do let know how you are going.
I’ve tried to get off of antipsychotics for schizoaffective disorder a few times, but it never worked any time. It’s a bit sad that I have to accept that I absolutely need them, but I don’t see myself trying again because of how severe those episodes/drawbacks are. But I am wishing you well on your medication journey, Lauren. I’m curious to see how it goes for you.
How are you able to get back on the antipsychotics when is an episode?? I exposed people on my channel that advised my brother to stop taking his meds. He is now back in the psych ward….
@@alkalinebs5571 I don't. I am usually hospitalized as a result. If I had the correct medication, I probably would have started to take them again at the advisement of my family. But at the time, the medications I had did not work for me.
really feel this. i've had a lot of negative thoughts about medication in the past, and though i'm finally on an antidepressant that works, i find it difficult to make peace with entirely. much love, may your peace of mind be longlasting. 💙
Thank you for this video. I am sorry for the difficulties you face with your psych meds. My boyfriend takes an antipsych med and a mood stabilizer to help combat his Bipolar 1 mania/psychosis. The Abilify injection he gets monthly has really seemed to work great, aside from the fact that he is EXTREMELY tired, and sleeps sooo much. I have been learning a lot about how healthy diet, regular excercise/sleep, and a healthy lifestyle can help, and I am hopeful that someday he will consider changing his habits and potentially cut down his need for some meds. Not sure if it works this way, but hopeful. Best of luck to you ❤
Hi, Im happy to hear that your boyfriend has benefitted from the medication. May I ask, how long it took for the medication to help treat his psychosis episode? My mom is currently suffering from one and she just now began to take antypsych med. I don't know if its helping
@@rubycalvario190 they gave him an Abilify injection when he was in the hospital- it only took about a week for him to start thinking more clearly. However, it did take about a month to be at a really good spot. I will say, without a doubt, had he not had that antipsych med, he would have stayed in his mania for longer (it was a rough 3 months of mania). The only thing he was taking before was Lithium. But that is not enough to combat mania alone for him. I hope the antipsych med helps your mom recover quickly ❤
Even as someone with mild/moderate anxiety and mild depression I deeply relate to this, I've tried to go off SSRIs multiple times and still wonder if experiencing relapses of symptoms is because my body has gotten used to the medications. Thanks for the super honest video.
Honestly, withdrawal symptoms are pretty much always a thing with SSRIs (and every other psych med) - the withdrawal symptoms mimick a worsening of your original illness, but they also involve other physical symptoms like brain zaps, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, etc - however they 100% go away with time. What feels like your depression/anxiety coming back immediately after tapering down or stopping is 90% of the time just withdrawal syndrome. I became suicidal for a short period after coming off of an antidepressant (it didn't even help my depression for the 7 months I was on it) but I knew that was par for the course for many and that it would pass - I managed to push through it and now I've been off that antidepressant for almost a year. I'm so happy I quit, even though it was difficult at the time. My withdrawal symptoms passed in less than 2 months and since then I've been good. I haven't had a relapse of my depression since. It disturbs me how so many people aren't informed by their prescribers that coming off your meds *will* lead to a TEMPORARY worsening of symptoms, and that this is NOT a relapse unless your mood/anxiety issues continue to worsen beyond the point where your physical withdrawal symptoms have passed. It is actually impossible to say that someone needs antidepressants for life, and there have actually been multiple long term scientific studies that have observed some very harmful effects of staying on antidepressants long term - including far worse, far longer withdrawal periods, and oftentimes your original illness becoming chronic and treatment resistant which rarely happens to those who aren't on those meds long term. The condition is called tardive dysphoria. It's also been observed in some research studies that people on antidepressants vs not (with the same original severity of symptoms) have far more relapses and a longer course of illness than those who haven't taken meds long term. Even people who were originally prescribed them for anxiety without any history of depression often develop depression after spending years on meds. It's actually recommended in official prescribing guidelines that antidepressants should only be taken for a couple years at most after the resolution of your original symptoms. Their are only meant for short term treatment, because it's been demonstrated that they don't prevent relapses, they are only effective at relieving acute sypmtoms. Any medical professional that claims someone needs to be on antidepressants for life is frankly super irresponsible and far behind on current research.
Thank you so much for the work that you do. Please know that you are helping people with your amazing channel.