Not Feeling Well

[The Albatross]

Nope... I consider every time he suggests it to be an opportunity to self evaluate, and to assess. I also am put in a situation where I have to voice my own opinion. Rather than ask him to change his approach with me, I benefit from the opportunity to speak up for myself and live by my own convictions and validate my own personal experience... that antidepressants, while they did restore for that year a sense of "okayness" did not get me where I wanted to go, and that there were very legitimate reactions to that class of drugs that demonstrated that the Rx med route is not for me, unless or until I have another traumatic break that pushes me past my breaking point.

My husband concurs. My last shrink said, it is not up to me to expect the world (people and situations) to adjust themselves to my capabilities... it is up to me to learn ways to cope. It is not the easier way, but I believed it then and I try to keep myself reminded now... that my own discomfiture and stress is a combination of triggers and perceptual distortions. If I want to get to my highest functioning level... I hit things like this with my doctor, and other stressful and anxiety producing situations with the notion that they are "lessons" where I can learn to use my coping tools and skills. Everybody and every situation becomes "my teacher"... when I frame life situations and people that way, I get more benefit long term because I can look back and see that I am more able to do and experience discomfort and recover more quickly than my mind tells me I can. (jumbled up but that's how my brain works)

 

[The Albatross]

P.S. My medical records now say "Resistant to Rx medication" and I don't mind that one little bit. In fact, here lately, I've run into various doctors (most recently the orthopedic Nurse Practitioner I had to see for this knee injury) who are much less inclined to recommend invasive procedures, or to prescribe meds. I felt darned good about it because attitudes are changing and some people are breaking out of the Rx medicine paradigm.

Also my former shrink (the last one) was psychologist... not a psychiatrist. I took pains to make sure he did not believe in or prescribe mood altering meds.

 

[woundedsoul]

I truly appreciate your expression of your journey and the strengths you've gained from your experience are clearly evident and also inspirational.

You have also helped me to put into words what I am thinking and feeling about "mood altering meds" and it is great to have a kindred spirit who understands how I feel about them.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

This is a reall great conversation, I have learned so muc in the reading. i am on meds to stabalize me. I will taper off them when I am stable. They help to stabalize me. before I was on them I was a basket case. /so when I am ready I will slowly taper off. I do not need or want to go thru the withdrawel symptoms. I much prefer to taper off. I will have a therapist I will be seeing when this happens.

Iget 20 sessions a year. I usually go once a month, but I can go in early as long as they are not booked up. They do not have therapists that deal with ptsd but they are going to have to with me. I will insist.

I amcurrently doing the emdrr sessions, I have one in a little while. I will ask for a referral to the best therapist that might do CBT as a follow up. It would be really cool if they have therapists for that.

Once I have a established therapist that I can work with and see tangible results. i will begin to consider tapering off of my meds.I will choose to keep my anxiety meds and my sleeping meds. I will begin to taper off of them when I am more stable having workd off the antidepressents. Well this is my plan. Ptsd being the great mind scrambler that it is could have different plans for me, It depends on what surfaces and how I cope with it. It would be great to be med free and coping well. /well that is my plan.