How do your medications help you function?

[netsavy006]

I'm not doing a survey thread on this, I was just wanting to do a little thing like where we could share about how our medications that we are on help us function in our every day world.

I'll start so you get the idea of what I'm talking about:

My medications help me to be less anxious, they help me to have more even moods, they help me to get up in the morning and not have thought after thought and be worried first thing I get up. I'm able to concentrate better. My thoughts are clearer. I notice that since starting my latest medication (Zyprexa), I've not had anger outbursts like I did before. My medications help me to sleep at night. My medications help me with not having hallucinations or suicide thoughts. My medications help me from having crying spells and having feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. And finally, my medication regime helps me from thinking about switching from med to med as I did in the past.

(Meds I'm on: Clozaril, Zyprexa, Lithium, Ativan, Topamax, Colace, Centrum, Vitamin C, Fish Oil)

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So there's a sample. Share what you wish to share. There's no "right or wrong" way to do it.

[etkearne]

That sounds very similar to my story. I went on a brief run of undermedication over the summer out of frustration, but then I realized how bad off I really am. Once I got my Lithium blood levels up to par, I have felt an immense calm throughout the day. It doesn't make me tired, nor does it make me high, but it allows me to just do normal things without making them into ridiculous problems.

[Guest Vapourware]

My current combo has been a godsend for me, especially with the addition of ziprasidone. I'm probably in the most stable state that I've been for a long time and I'm no longer depressed. I feel a sense of motivation to get out of bed every morning and do things now, which I hadn't felt for a while. The ziprasidone also keeps the delusions and auditory hallucinations away which has been a relief, especially since they got a bit out of control towards the middle of the year. Knock on wood, this combination will continue to work.

[AnxietyGirl74]

They keep me less anxious, help me have less OCD, and help me have less panic attacks.

[The Emperor]

My current cocktail is only helping with anxiety symptoms right now and not so well at that. So I may re-visit this thread when I'm more of a happy person.

BUT my current cocktail(SO SO glad they added the Abilify) keeps me from obsessing about loved ones dying and other horrible things for the most part. That used to be all I'd ever think of. Now I might have a few days here and there of that, but mostly that symptom is under control. They have helped me go to school and get out of bed everyday (even though I don't want to) Unfortuantely, I'm still depressed, so we're trying to zap that away with some Prozac, which has been known to help for anxiety as well, so maybe I'll get good results out of this med. I just used to be VERY VERY obsessive, and now I'm still pretty obsessive, it's just not all-consuming.

Wow, great story, Emperor!

ETA: I also can go to the store (most of the time) without having a panic attack there or a LONG one when I get home. I am not as afraid of people.I can talk to them now without always feeling like an idiot. Though I still generally avoid them as much as possible.

[mj1127]

I don't get hypomanic/manic or have mixed episodes. I'm less anxious. I'm less depressed than I was, though this area could still use some work. I have much less anger and fewer angry outbursts. Also, I have less of intrusive bad thoughts, though these were never as much of a problem as the other areas.