I don’t know what to do. My psychiatrist thinks I have Bipolar, and he keeps trying to get me to take anti-depressants which I know would make me unstable as they always have. He won’t listen. He acts like I haven’t given anti-depressants a chance, but he could talk to other psychiatrist who thought the same thing until I became super manic and they would tell me to stop taking them. I don’t know if he’s taking me seriously enough, even though I know he thinks I’m depressed. I think he specializes in schizophrenia and he doesn’t think I have it–and they get tired of it too- they don’t want to see sick people anymore, they want to feel like they’re helping people. I know he could tell I was bothered by the label, and I can see how he’s trying to make that better. The treatment isn’t much different, but being Bipolar would be an even bigger reason not to take anti-depressants, as a lot of people with Bipolar 1 can’t take SSRI’s and say the same thing–that it makes them unstable.
If I have Bipolar, the reason SSRI’s make me sick is because they mess with me. They make me euphoric at first, I’m very sensitive to them. Then I start having mood swings, I can’t handle withdrawal or depression that accompanies withdrawal. I have never been severely depressed BECAUSE I have never taken anti-depressants for longer than three months they do not help me at all, even Wellbutrin made my ears ring. They always have the worst effect on me too. I am more likely not to be clear or myself on them. I can’t function on Prozac or Paxil. My psychiatrist wants me to take Paxil for my anxiety and mild depression.
I have been off Abilify for over a month. Someone messaged me on facebook and told me about a better place in Baltimore and to get their opinion and that they have better technology so I will call them and see what they say. I am planning on getting a new psychiatrist, again, sigh. This time completely outside of west Virginia. Baltimore or DC. I am worried about a relapse, so far the only symptoms I have is ear ringing and piercing sounds. Maybe my thoughts racing a bit.
I have been overly worried, obsessively focused on things. I am not quite paranoid, but I have been misreading things on one hand. Like I feel like I am misreading things but also reading between the lines and I don’t know how to compare either. But I feel more clear headed and able to think and creative and happy again. I feel amazing, and I am still taking Vyvanse in the morning so I may be risking the up side of mania getting worse until I find a more professional doctor.
[quote=“StarryNight, post:1, topic:35201”]
I have been off Abilify for over a month.
[/quote]Same here, but the symptoms are still receding. I was on the injection for three months and part of me wants to believe that eugenicists invented this junk as a way to lobotomize or kill off “abnormal” persons. I can’t even believe that drugs this controversial are recommended to the public by professionals (“doctors”, pyschiatrists, etc.).
My psychotherapist is thankfully backing my med-free decision 100%. Hopefully I can be symptom-free and regain some of my natural energy back.
As for the rest of your post, I don’t really know what to say. You say that prescription drugs don’t work yet are seemingly trying to convince yourself to try different a different psychiatrist… who may not offer an anymore valid approach. I’d rcommend a therapist - which is what I did, I switched from drug-only approaches from psychiatrists to med-free approaches from a psychotherapist.
P.s. - Abilify takes more than a month to withdrawal from. My assigned psychiatrist said 3-6 months worth of withdrawal.
It is usual practice, at least here, that BD is treated with combination of antipsychotic + lithium+ antidepressant. Have your doctor mentioned lithium?
Yes…do Vipassana as I did…it is the only meditation that purifies our subconscious mind…to remove a tree we must cut its roots unlike with medication which only removes symptoms and not the disease itself…people who practice this come out of their illness after few months
Again, you had an extreme reaction to Abilify. That doesn’t happen for everyone. For most of us, the meds do a great deal to help, along with therapy and meditation. Don’t push your anti-med agenda on people who don’t need it.
I had a very bad experience in the '90s with Paxil paroxetine for mis-dx’d “major depression” that was actually bipolar.
Low-dose Seroquel quetiapine plus extensive CBT-type psychotherapy became the real fix in '03 after benign tx failures with Depacote valproix, Neurontin gabapentin and Trileptal oxcarbazepine.
Abilify is both neuro-depressing and neuro-stimulating. See…
[quote=“cj9556, post:6, topic:35201”]
That doesn’t happen for everyone. For most of us, the meds do a great deal to help,
[/quote]Actually, it happens to too many, and you gravely underestimate the deep hell of physical strain & tear it places upon the human body when things DO NOT fit with drug therapy.
And no, not for “most of us”, only about 1/3rd of the schizophrenic population are med-adherrant & find it is better for them.
[quote=“cj9556, post:6, topic:35201”]
Don’t push your anti-med agenda on people who don’t need it.
[/quote]I’m not pushing an agenda. I’m merely sharing an experience, an experience that needs to be heard in an era where people are loud & proud about being drug compliant. What worked for you did/doesn’t work for everyone either, please think about that for a change instead of painting me as an anti-pharma devil.
You clearly have an agenda. Any time someone posts anything in favor of meds, you come up and tell them they’re wrong, and tell them they’re meds are probably making them worse. It has happened multiple times. I’m just asking you to respect someone else’s opinion because all of our brains are different. And yes, most of us do benefit from medication.
Someone messaged me on Facebook and we started talking. She said I should get a second opinion which I am going to try to soon. I am not against medication/ I tried taking Abilify last night but it made me worse and I didn’t sleep, and so therefore tbh the almost month without Abilify I have been much more happy and normal.
I couldn’t sleep, got a huge migraine and my ears were ringing non stop.
I will continue with Vyvanse because that was the only thing that helped this morning. And getting a second opinion outside of West Virginia.