Is There Anyone Else Not Taking Meds?

[Kefira]

I'm not on meds. I take anti-anxieties when I know I need them to get through something essential like dental work. Other than that, I haven't been on meds for about 8 years. I tried some at first, and immediately after the trauma while I was still stuck in the same town, probably they were slightly helpful. I didn't like the feeling of being numbed out though and a couple of them made my symptoms worse. On one of them I was so zombied out I couldn't feel anything until I was in crisis and it pushed me over the edge. A little like people who don't feel pain- it's there for a reason and that leads to all sorts of issues.

Basically I've decided that even though it sucks, I need to be able to feel instead of covering up my symptoms if I want to be able to understand and work on them. Not everybody's philosophy, but I'd rather learn how to mitigate as much as is possible first. Maybe if that ends up not being enough I'll consider meds again. For now, though, it's helpful to my healing overall to be able to see and understand what I'm working with.

 

[scout86]

I'm not taking any medication. It could be I'm actually a little worried that it would take the edge off the hyper-vigilance. LOL As it happens, my T isn't a huge fan of medication either. He thinks we can ultimately learn to do anything the drugs can do. I'd like to think he's right. I do think, for some people it's necessary, at least sometimes.

I'm not so sure a phobia is a good reason NOT to take medication. Are you in therapy? Have you talked this over with a therapist? Phobias are treatable and it might be good to address that problem while you're addressing the PTSD. .

 

[Saint Nik]

I'm not so sure a phobia is a good reason NOT to take medication. Are you in therapy? Have you talked this over with a therapist? Phobias are treatable and it might be good to address that problem while you're addressing the PTSD

The best way I can explain this is - I had a routine operation and it was a success. I was took into recovery and the medical team gave me some pain relief through my IV in the back of my left hand. What I didn't know (and neither did they at the time) was the IV wasn't flushed out properly had a nerve blocker still inside of it (to paralyse me during the operation). This chemical got flushed back into my system. So, there I am wide awake, and alert to what is going on. All my left side becomes immediately paralysed, I stop breathing and flat line. I was awake the whole time as the medical staff freaked out, they had no clue what was happening. When they did figure it out, they managed to rectify it.
I was left with feeling unsafe (from a hospital) not trusting any type of drug in my body!
Skip to one year later, I eventually gave in to take anti-depressants, they made me like a zombie and exacerbated my physical symptoms and brought on more panic attacks. I decided I had it with medication, enough for me in this life time and the doctor said it sounds like you have a phobia of medication! I didn't care, I refuse to put my life in the hands of these people that tried to kill me due to their mistake! Especially the fact they were suppose to know what the f*ck they were doing!
Anyway, I only go by what the doctor says. They say I have a phobia. I don't think I have because I have took them after this incident, the truth is. . . medication doesn't help, changing my mind set doesn't help. All I really want is an understanding of these physical symptoms as that will take the fear out of them!

 

[Tinyflame]

I'm afraid of being numb- well that occurs on-&-off already, but I mean 'not-feeling' (anyone heard of the Blue Rodeo song 'Small Miracles'- "..The pills that you're taking they take you away", I feel like that song without them). Plus I have a high-drive to abuse them. Though temporary Diazepam helped me not have a nervous breakdown more than once I think. I also wonder if SSRI's would actually contribute to successfully pulling off SI, in my case. Same with Champix/ quitting smoking. But that being said I self-medicate a lot. I do (or would) consider Prazosin (sp-?), re: blood pressure/ nightmare reduction. It would be nice to feel normal, for once. Or not feel at all, & be good with it (sharp, focused/ capable).

Hard to believe what your T said @scout , though I'd like to try to believe it, & not feeling very confident in believing it doesn't mean one cannot try to. Much is just so painful, I think.

 

[Saint Nik]

Are you in therapy? Have you talked this over with a therapist?

I have completed therapy and they say there is nothing else they can do for me as I am making progress, though I am still plagued by physical symptoms that I have no understanding of and neither does anyone else by the looks of it!

 

[Tinyflame]

PS, @Saint Nik , can't search for it but saw your other thread, there's a thread on "Do you jolt awake?" symptom. Is it ptsd? Who knows. Though night sweats, panic attacks etc certainly seem to be. But you should rule out physical causes. Maybe that thread will give you some ideas.

:hug:

 

[Saint Nik]

@Junebug Thanks, I'll go take a nosey now!:)

Think I found it: https://www.myptsd.com/threads/feels-like-my-heart-stops-i-jolt-awake-extremely-terrifying.25026/

:tup:

 

[Aylion]

Medication numbed my emotions, it numbed the anxiety and the sadness, but also numbed the enthusiasm, the drive, the libido...

I'm free of prozac since 2 months ago, and I will deal with life without it.

 

[Anarchy]

@Saint Nik
The effectiveness of some of the meds, SSRI s in particular, is extremely marginal. The complaints they get used for generally show a big placebo effect, often well into the thirty to forty percent range. The SSRI s generally give a statistically insignificant difference to the placebo for beneficial effects, but a drastically higher level of adverse effects.
Elsewhere I've linked to a large meta analysis published in the JAMA, a few years back.

It's often argued that SSRI s have been helpful to many people. This is true as it stands, but needs to be qualified to be fully open and honest, clinical trials show that a similar proportion of people, perhaps not necessarily the same ones, would have been helped equally by taking a side effect free placebo.

 

[qwyoey]

I'm not currently taking anything. I'm seeing a very prominent trauma specialist, who actually has done massive research studies for decades on multiple medicines. I was certainly surprised when he said the best route for treating trauma upon our initial consultation did not include any prescription medicines- at least in my case. I was totally prepared for him to say I needed a plethora of drugs. When I was first diagnosed 10 years ago I was put on benzos, antidepressants, sleeping pills. All at once. The side effects weren't worth it to me.

I think it's something to discuss in much much detail with your psychiatrist.

 

[Tinyflame]

In a sense on further thought that does make sense @qwyoey , if you think of how ineffective (or worse) (legal) self-medicating is for ptsd.

 

[City Slicker]

I know medications have been a lifesaver for many. For me not at all. I have a past history of having been put on medications when much younger (when parental consent was needed) with awful results and even though the meds are different now, (I did try an ssri about 20 years ago and couldn't get past the first day on it) I preferred the symptoms of PTSD to medications.

I do a lot of things to cope not the least of which is to constantly tell myself every day that I am the one in the driver's seat and my path along recovery is my path. No doctor, friend, partner, whatever, can tell me what's best for me. They can offer suggestions and I value those but I am the one that decides.

I haven't found a therapist to work with but I am doing well on my own right now.

Good luck in your journey.