Damik Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 They want me to stop taking my psychotropic meds. I can't have a conversation with my dad or step-mom with out it coming up. They keep telling me that the meds are dangerous, that countless people die on the combination that I'm on and they don't want me to become another statistic. My dad said that if the drugs end up damaging my liver or kidneys and I needed a transplant he wouldn't donate his even he was a match because I didn't listen to him and stop. For the most part I don't listen to them about it and I refuse to engage them when they bring up the conversation, but lately the idea has been sneaking in and I can't push it out. I just read an article that anti-depressants are no better than placebos at treating depression. The article stated that to get a drug passed through the FDA a drug need only two positive results and they are able to run countless tests. I am putting my body through he!! being on these medications. The side effects are barely tolerable. I haven't been able to eat properly since the end of May because of taste disturbances. I have tremors. I've become a hypersomniac. My skin is so dry I feel like a lizard. I have phantom pain. My ability to concentrate and recall information has been diminished. I get winded easily. I can't go out into the sun without getting a rash. Oh, the list goes on. So I start to wonder if it is worth it. My step-mom says I'm just addicted to the pills and when I get off them and through the withdrawal effects I won't need them anymore. She says the only reason I thought I needed them in the first place is because I didn't learn proper coping methods to began with. I don't think there is a point to this except to say that I'm now conflicted and to rant a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 well, your parents can think what they want, but i'd advise avoiding that, really..... I mean, really. it's true that you do only need a few clinical trials to get through the Fda but they do really have to be well designed and etc. i think the depression broohahah really has to do with people with mild to moderate depression, iirc. and I actually agree that most people with mild to moderate depression can come out of it with other methods, including coping skills and therapy. only you and yr doc can assess the severity of your illness. personally, for me, I' d rather die a few years earlier (if necessary) but sane. if you don't think things are working well, it's time to talk to pdco, but it may not be time to "taper off everything". Take it from me, i've tried the come off everything when I wanted to get pregnant again, and uh, it did not fit so well. They can pry my depakote and quel out of my cold dead hands, frankly. It's a lot better for everyone involved, including myself. Fortunately, I have plenty of pleasant relatives who'd donate organs if need be, but most likely, it's a heart attack I will be dropping dead of.... so... no luck there. Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetkat Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 So I start to wonder if it is worth it. My step-mom says I'm just addicted to the pills and when I get off them and through the withdrawal effects I won't need them anymore. She says the only reason I thought I needed them in the first place is because I didn't learn proper coping methods to began with. Except you say that you have psychotic features. You can't cope that away. As much as you may wish to. In this case, I believe meds meant to deal with this (if only this) situation are not only recommended but responsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to have a conference with you, your pdoc, and your parents to discuss these issues? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvingirl Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 I am thinking the same as Will. This is not a fair situation for you. My parents used to be pretty bad about it too, and it's really unbearable. Please don't listen to them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvingirl Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 What actually worked for me was talking in quite a strict tone to my mother and also at the same time suggesting that she came along with me to the psych. Somehow that was enough? Maybe it scared her :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SashaSue Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Have you tried just telling your parents you appreciate their concern, you've heard their perspective, and you don't want to discuss it anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowen Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 The way I look at it is I could have been dead at 23 if I didn't start taking meds. If these things do fuck me up, I'll atleast have had a few good decades under my belt. FWIW, my grandmother has been taking psych meds since the sixties, and she's now in her mid-eighties. She has congestive heart failure, but that's probably due to her diet more so than the meds. She's been taking Depakote for about the last eleven years, and her liver is fine. She has BP I and gets psychotic features when manic. She's happy, well-adjusted, and has a great social life. Your parents are being invalidating as hell. Ignore them. They're full of shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vapourware Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I've read those articles about ADs being no better than placebos as well, and I have to agree with Anna. I think those studies were based around those with the milder variants of depression. With the milder cases of depression, personally I'd argue that good talk therapy alone would be sufficient for the majority of that group. If your depression is more severe, then yes, you need medication. You will need something to boost your baseline mood. I think having your pdoc talk to your parents would be a good idea. They can question the doctor and perhaps have their concerns addressed. Are they aware of the extent of your MI? From your posts here, it would seem unwise of you to come off medication. Psychosis, for instance, requires medication. No amount of coping skills will make psychosis remit once it takes hold. If you are displeased with your side effects, then it might be an idea to talk to your pdoc about changing your treatment. With any med, you have to weigh up its pros and cons. If something is impacting on you, you have to work out whether the side effects are liveable. You don't have to live an impaired life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Elvis Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Here's a really good article from the NYT in response to those articles: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/opinion/sunday/10antidepressants.html?_r=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Tell them you need to be medicated to tolerate being around them. M Mental illness=bad. Meds=good+bad Meds>Mental Illness.Untreated depression alone can shrink your brain over time. That's not a matter of coping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooker Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I agree with the conference idea. Unless your parents have a God complex (plenty do); having a trained psychiatrist who charges 300 bucks an hour or whatever your pdoc charges. with a wall full of diplomas, tell them that you need to be medicated IN FRONT OF YOU (so they can't change a confidential conversation to suit their needs), should get them off your back for a while. At least it gives you a good comeback "I'm not taking them because I want to, the doctor gave me the meds, did you go to med school for 20 years?". You get my drift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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