Meds .... Yes Or No?

[ladee]

Letting you family know they need to back up, you are a grown woman, know what you need, what you can handle... that does not mean they are going to leave forever. Or at least I hope it doesn't...not knowing your family situation.
Not every one needs extravagant cocktails of drugs to stabilize... you sound as tho you are very on top of things.. you knew to go back to therapy, your T sounds like one I would like to have, that is giving you some credit to see if you can stabilize on your own.. but is watching with you to see...
I am sorry your family is stressing you... in their own way , that is care and concern.... not hearing you, is being disrespectful and treating you as a stupid child who needs all this unsolicited feedback....
It doesn't have to be ALL OR NOTHING.... you get to tell them.... please give me space to work this out... I appreciate all you are doing... it is not helping.... I will get back with y'all in a few weeks... I know it's easier said than done.. but you already know what to do... you just need back up and validation that you are doing the right thing... you get that from us... now , tell the family to back off, in what ever words you would use... and use that energy to get happy and well..... they don't understand, we do... we are here for you...
You can write out how you want to tell them and when.... or email them, or text them.... but it is up to you to heal you.... the family can not do that and you already know that...so that also means they have no say so in your treatment regiment.... be brave, stand up for you... You can do this.. gentle hugs if you accept.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

You can write out how you want to tell them

Thats a super good idea! Maybe, if you are unsure of how to tell them, as each one might need to be told differently, maybe write out in a thread what you think is the best words and what that person is like and the dynamics as much as possible (and can even include them all in one thread but written individually in the same thread in that makes sense) and gain replies of how to better say it or how to approach it or just that what you are about to say is perfect.

It was just a thought. I agree that you need to set a strict boundry here and work with your therapist without peanut gallery input. It doesnt mean you dont speak to them, just not about this is all.

I agree that you already know what you need to do!

 

[screen-name]

Thanks everyone. I will just have to figure out what boundaries I need right now and tell them.

 

[ladee]

Good deal. I personally love it when someone posts and takes what they need and tries to incorporate it into the healing journey they are on... and we are not met with ... Ya, BUT..... thank you for your courage to move forward... I appreciate your healing journey and I will learn from you... gentle hugs for what is ahead, if you accept.

 

[chereb666]

This is my second post on here. I just joined. I am trying to figure some stuff out here at home an...

I had an interesting reaction to medication prescribed to me six months into my PTSD diagnosis. I was finally referred to a Psychiatrist and was eager to get some meds so I could feel "normal" once again. The medication was Sertraline or Zoloft an SSRI class of medication. Two weeks later I was starting to feel excellent! Actually thinking about going back to work, it was wonderful. Here comes the "BUT"...I ended up getting drug induced Parkinsonism or Sertraline induced Parkinsonism. My legs would go all stiff yet kind of rubbery, difficulty walking like I was shuffling through mud. I fell three times breaking my collar bone. Naturally I was immediately taken off the meds and now can no longer go on SSRI's due to my sensitivity. I was put on Wellbutrin/Bupropion a dopamine reuptake inhibitor which does very little if anything. By the way it's been two and a half years of Agoraphobia, chronic anxiety, feeling angry and weight gain after all is said and done I'm left with heart issues from the stress and am taking meds for this now as well. I know it's not right but I just want to stop all the exposure therapy, CBT, Occupational therapy and just be left to heal quietly on my own. Good luck on your journey!

 

[Gadgie]

Aye! sometimes the side effects of medications can be worse than the original reason for being put on them?

I presently take heart pills as they are trying to get it working better, in order to have an operation that I really need!

One side effect is, dizzy spells, they come when I use my neck muscles to turn my head, like if I look to my left or right, quickly, or even look up?

I just have to put up with them, as I need this operation, it's a catch 22 situation?

 

[EveHarrington]

This isn't a medication issue.

This is a failure to set and enforce boundaries issue.

 

[PureBliss]

This is my second post on here. I just joined. I am trying to figure some stuff out here at home an...

I regretted taking meds. They don't help me as much except just one symptom of mine - really loud self critical voices in my mind (they are not hallucinations by the way, just self talk gone wrong). I was on Seroquel and Lamictal for two years. Didn't help much. In fact, therapy during those two years were not very effective because I couldn't see the cause of my problems, which are the voices. The meds pushed them down, so I can't see what's the problem.

It was not until I got off of the meds then I realise the issue. Then, my therapy started to work out with a new T.

I am not saying don't take meds or try them. But first line treatment should be therapy - Cogniive processing therapy, CBT, Prolonged exposure, or EMDR.

 

[illusionist]

I've been offered meds over the years but due to fear of becoming dependant, and side effects I've managed to stay away from them. Knowing that I could get them, if I wanted, did seem to help....something else to keep in mind if you do decide that is the route for you.

Another thing that's helped is reminding myself that I've been down this route before and managed, I can do it again. Do keep up your self care, as it is so, so important.

Go with what you truly believe within yourself.

Good luck.

 

[screen-name]

I am going to not do meds for now. I did have an MRI this morning because my regular doctor wants to rule out any physical medical reason that may have caused my new stress and anxiety - meaning MS or a tumor. I'm not really worried about that though.

As long as that comes back as expected, I will keep doing the plan my therapist and I have.

 

[Friday]

Is medication something that everyone on here has found necessary or do some of you hold off on that?

I view medication as a tool.

If you have a burst water main flooding your house? Sometimes you can shut off the water manually. Sometimes you need a specialized tool to in order to do it. In either case, you're going to need to repair the plumbing (therapy) before you can turn the water back on! So sometimes necessary, sometimes not, and sometimes you just can't find the right tool (but can use a screwdriver as a hammer if you have to).

What I've found is that it's less how bad one's symptoms are, and for more how capable one is with dealing with them, that determines whether or not medication is necessary to help someone through.

My first time through PTSD symptoms? I spent a significant amount of time self-medicating. (Never did therapy or meds+therapy my first time though). My second time though PTSD symptoms roughly 10 years later? I'd already learned coping mechanisms to deal with the symptoms. So even though my symptoms were as bad as they ever were? I didn't need the chemical distance in order to cope. Wanted? Yup. But needing & wanting are 2 different things.

2 things to know about PTSD Meds:

1) There aren't any. There are many that are used with PTSD, and a couple that are approved for it, but there's no straight up medication "fix". Medication is directed at the worst of the symptoms for that person; anxiety, or depression, or nightmares, for example... But even then it's very hit or miss. (An use a screwdriver as a hammer, but not a hammer for a screwdriver, and neither as a saw.). Antidepressants, in particular, have been shown to be reeeally ineffective in dealing with PTSD. To the point of causing a lot of harm, for a lot of people. Increased risk of suicide, in particular.

2) They're meant to be used only in the short term. For a few reasons. Probably the most foundational is that PTSD is cyclic, not static. Meaning symptoms not only come and go, but can be reduced -without meds- down to nearly zero for the vast majority of people (as opposed to, say bipolar disorder, which is both cyclic and static). This is very unlike most disorders, whose symptoms are there to stay, for the rest of forever. With proper treatment -or a whole lot of luck- and a helluva lot of hard work, whether one starts off on meds or starts off straight, the entire goal of treatment is to reduce symptoms down to nill, or as close as possible. Another reason of note is the fact that most of the meds used for treating the worst symptoms? Are extremely addictive, and never meant for long term use.

There are absolutely exclusions to the short-term rule above. The most glaring is for people who have comorbid disorders. PTSD seems to be pretty inclusive, meaning it strikes / can strike just about everyone. People who have Depression, Bipolar Disorder, GAD, OCD, etc... No matter how well their PTSD symptoms are managed, will most likely need to be on meds for their comorbid disorder for life. Which are the exact same meds used as a stopgap measure for PTSD. Which is part of why you'll see people with PTSD on meds for 10/20/30+ years. They're not -hopefully!- being used to treat PTSD, but being used to treat their comorbid disorder primarily, and then dosages and types adjusted as needed when PTSD flares up.

 

[screen-name]

Thanks! That was helpful. I think I'm going to hold off on meds for now.