Giving myself permission to have a psychology and a personality

I asked my friend last night about the past three months since my meds changed if he thinks I changed. i really have been depressed and feeling so sluggish. He says not really but in reaciton to major life changes I’ve had maybe. My therapist says that too. Graduation, placing my daughter and all in the past several months. Maybe not everything is biochemical? Still going to run the sluggishness past my doctor, but maybe the depression is a normal adaptation for now, I think. Never mind that I shouldn’t have to give myself permission, but I do.

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I’m a psych major as you probably know, I always begin comments with that premise, LOL.

Meds are known to make us sluggish. Mine are pretty sedating and caffeine is how I get off my butt in the morning and workout at night. Also, the new thing in abnormal psychology is called the neuropsychosocial feedback loop, in which neurological (biological), psychological and social factors all effect each other and have an immense impact on one’s mental health.

Sounds like you have some neuro and psychological aspects to your current state. Life events are psychological, medications and illnesses are neurological. Also, the meds can cause a depressed mood, mine did at first and I had a hard time. I have to break my 120mg dose of Geodon into 60mg morning and night so that it doesnt hit me all at once and make me depressed and sleep for 12 hours.

You are very correct- not everything is biochemical. Your life (psychological and social factors) can have a significant impact on your mental health, but in your case, it sounds like you are having typical side effects of antipsychotic medications. I read up on the side effects of my meds, and all of what you are saying can be attributed to your meds, given that you take a second generation antipsychotic (most of us do)

Good luck, you might need to try some new dosages with your psychiatrist. Or I could be wrong and your sluggishness and depression could be due to your life experiences right now. It takes a doctor, not an undergrad student to really tell you what exactly is going on!