I have bone to pick with some doctors out there. I am hearing way too many stories of people that seemed to have been stuck in a situation I was once in. A life-threatening situation so its not something to overlook. Physicians start patients on medications and just seem to lose interest on maintaining that medication sequence for the patients. When you take anything, your body adjusts to the medication and dependent on what kind of medication that it is, your body will need it in order to function properly. Interruption of medication sequence is more dangerous then actually taking a medication in the first place.
As we know, all drugs come with side effects. Doctors prescribe meds when the need of it out weighs the side effects of it. I want to hit on more specifically though Psychiatric Drug Adverse Reactions (side effects). Psychiatric drugs, and all other drugs that affect the mind, spellbind the individual by masking their adverse mental effects from the individual taking the drugs. If a person experiences a mental side effect like being upset or feeling down and sad, they are more likely to attribute it to something other than the drug.....perhaps blaming it on a loved one or on their own "mental illness". People taking psychiatric drugs claim to feel better than ever when in all reality their mental life and behavior is impaired. "Spellbinding" the side affect of drugs can create a person that maybe an otherwise well-functioning and ethical person to commit criminal acts, violence of some sort or suicide.
Over-prescribing medications comes into play here. Patient goes to their doctor seeking help for depression. Doctor puts patient on anti-depressants (Psychiatric medications). Patient thinks they are doing better but really feels worse. Dose is raised to get the full effect of the medication treatment and then the doctor thinks all is fine when most of the time with all the drugs on the market out there right now...its not the case.
Maybe its just because I'm a "hater" when it comes to anti-depressants that I can't speak positively about them. I am sure they help people. There was a time I was on them about 10 years ago and they really did help. My personal experience for being on them a few months ago makes me hate them. You see I was put on medication per my request. I was having issues with anxiety and depression. My doctor kept changing medications on me because I was feeling worse. Having issues with my nerves and well I was becoming crazy. I couldn't even work. The last drug I was put on seemed to help at first. I even made it to the point on where the doctor raised my dose. This drug was Effexor (Venlafaxine Hydrochloride). The next thing I know I was two steps away from killing myself. I can't really describe the feeling I was having.It was so intense and unreal. With a few moments I did have of clarity I sat down and did some research and talked with one of the doctors I work with. I was dealing with Serotonin Syndrome. This is a potentially life threatening drug reaction that causes the body to have too much serotonin, a chemical that is produced in the nerve cells. I had to stop taking the medication obviously but coming off of anti-depressants can be more dangerous then taking them in the first place. I didn't have a choice though. I formulated a plan to get off the medication. It was actually pretty dangerous to go cold turkey but at the point of what I was feeling....I didn't think I could feel worse. It took about 3 weeks for me to feel normal again.
Doctors get so caught up into prescribing....thinking they are helping and not really realize what they are setting their patients up for. I had to sit down with my doctor after getting myself off the medication to educate her on what I went through. She has changed the way she treats her other patients now. Thoroughly monitors them and being more involved. When its time for the patients to get off the medication she created a new plan for them to use to trail off of them. So far, it seems to be working.
So here is my tip to you all out there that are seeking psychiatric medications or currently on them. Be sure your doctor has a plan for when you don't need the medication any longer. Make sure you see your doctor at least once a month when your taking your medications. Make a journal to write down how your feeling so you can trace back your progress if any. These medications are a therapy....not take it and all will be better type of scenario. You have to be involved and kinda have to make your doctor involved too or things may not go so positive for you like it happened for me. Doctors go to school for a really long time...but it doesn't mean that they know everything let alone remember everything. Its okay to educate your doctor ever now and then.
As we know, all drugs come with side effects. Doctors prescribe meds when the need of it out weighs the side effects of it. I want to hit on more specifically though Psychiatric Drug Adverse Reactions (side effects). Psychiatric drugs, and all other drugs that affect the mind, spellbind the individual by masking their adverse mental effects from the individual taking the drugs. If a person experiences a mental side effect like being upset or feeling down and sad, they are more likely to attribute it to something other than the drug.....perhaps blaming it on a loved one or on their own "mental illness". People taking psychiatric drugs claim to feel better than ever when in all reality their mental life and behavior is impaired. "Spellbinding" the side affect of drugs can create a person that maybe an otherwise well-functioning and ethical person to commit criminal acts, violence of some sort or suicide.
Over-prescribing medications comes into play here. Patient goes to their doctor seeking help for depression. Doctor puts patient on anti-depressants (Psychiatric medications). Patient thinks they are doing better but really feels worse. Dose is raised to get the full effect of the medication treatment and then the doctor thinks all is fine when most of the time with all the drugs on the market out there right now...its not the case.
Maybe its just because I'm a "hater" when it comes to anti-depressants that I can't speak positively about them. I am sure they help people. There was a time I was on them about 10 years ago and they really did help. My personal experience for being on them a few months ago makes me hate them. You see I was put on medication per my request. I was having issues with anxiety and depression. My doctor kept changing medications on me because I was feeling worse. Having issues with my nerves and well I was becoming crazy. I couldn't even work. The last drug I was put on seemed to help at first. I even made it to the point on where the doctor raised my dose. This drug was Effexor (Venlafaxine Hydrochloride). The next thing I know I was two steps away from killing myself. I can't really describe the feeling I was having.It was so intense and unreal. With a few moments I did have of clarity I sat down and did some research and talked with one of the doctors I work with. I was dealing with Serotonin Syndrome. This is a potentially life threatening drug reaction that causes the body to have too much serotonin, a chemical that is produced in the nerve cells. I had to stop taking the medication obviously but coming off of anti-depressants can be more dangerous then taking them in the first place. I didn't have a choice though. I formulated a plan to get off the medication. It was actually pretty dangerous to go cold turkey but at the point of what I was feeling....I didn't think I could feel worse. It took about 3 weeks for me to feel normal again.
Doctors get so caught up into prescribing....thinking they are helping and not really realize what they are setting their patients up for. I had to sit down with my doctor after getting myself off the medication to educate her on what I went through. She has changed the way she treats her other patients now. Thoroughly monitors them and being more involved. When its time for the patients to get off the medication she created a new plan for them to use to trail off of them. So far, it seems to be working.
So here is my tip to you all out there that are seeking psychiatric medications or currently on them. Be sure your doctor has a plan for when you don't need the medication any longer. Make sure you see your doctor at least once a month when your taking your medications. Make a journal to write down how your feeling so you can trace back your progress if any. These medications are a therapy....not take it and all will be better type of scenario. You have to be involved and kinda have to make your doctor involved too or things may not go so positive for you like it happened for me. Doctors go to school for a really long time...but it doesn't mean that they know everything let alone remember everything. Its okay to educate your doctor ever now and then.
