Hello again. Hope you are all well. Today I thought I would start a new series of posts where I’ll just talk about things – for example things that I am passionate about, maybe something that has bothered me etc. I’m not entirely sure yet – it’s still a pretty new idea so we will see how things go. As always feedback is very much appreciated and perhaps we can have some discussions here. On to today’s topic.
If you have seen some of my other posts than you will know that I have struggled with mental health for quite a few years now. Today I thought I would have a chat about medication. First off I am just going to give a bit of background – I have anxiety and although I have never been explicitly told I have depression I suffer from seemingly cyclic low periods that can be extremely bad. Last year myself and my doctor made the decision to put me on medication. I tried the first medication for quite a while but in March this year decided that it wasn’t quite working for me. At the very beginning of April I started a new medication – a few weeks later (today is 22/04/16) I am coming off them. The 15mg dose made me extremely tired all of the time, and even when I halved the dose (as directed by my doctor) I was still tired and extremely low. So now I will be trying something new.
I recently saw a video by Anna Akana (click here to see the video) about her decision to try anti-depressants and thought it is an important topic to touch on. I do not believe that medication is always the way forward and it is not an easy fix. As I am experiencing now it is a matter of trial and error to find what medication works for me, and the side effects are very real. I am quite paranoid at the possibility of gaining weight because it is a very common side effect but I will just have to deal with that if it ever comes around. But I believe that it is worth a try, especially if you have tried other things such as counselling, CBT etc that haven’t quite got you where you want to be. Sometimes, as in Anna’s case, it is hereditary and there isn’t really a whole lot you can do. Taking medication does not mean you are weak. It does not give anyone the right to pass judgement. It is not a quick fix and will not make you suddenly happy. It will be trial and error in terms of finding the right medication for you. It is important for you to keep an open discussion with your doctor about the medication – if you think something isn’t working for you say something. I also recommend taking notes on how you feel so you can rely it easily to your doctor e.g. if you are feeling tired, more emotional, eating more, putting on weight etc. I know I kind of felt bad about changing medication, because I felt like I was causing trouble for my doctor and just being a pain, which I know is completely ridiculous. There is no point being on medication that isn’t working for me and/or making me feel awful. I think medication is something that you just have to take one day at a time – maybe you will be on it for the rest of your life, maybe it will just be for a year or so. I don’t know and that’s OK. I am trying everything I can to make myself better and for me at the moment that includes medication. That is perfectly fine. I am just taking it day by day. Anyway these are just some of my thoughts on medication for mental health – I hope it isn’t too rambling/all over the place. Hope you are all having a wonderful day and if you aren’t remember that you are a beautiful human being.
See you next time.
Pippa
thelittlebookowl 