At the risk of sounding nasty, can anyone of you talk to us about the last time YOU had dry mouth, erectile dysfunction, wieght loss/wieght gain, leg tremors/restless leg syndrome, impotence,psychotic symptoms mimicked or amplified by medication, blurred vision, slurred speach, ticks, convulsions and a host of other symptoms associated with psychotropic medications? What would any of you say if someone just told you to "ride it out"? is that th epsych version of "stay the course"!?
Bumblei, I have seen people go through thsi sort of thing for YEARS with no significant improvement.you say that each case is individual, but that pretty much makes my case for me.Generally speaking, psychs do not treat their patients as individuals, they walk in as people with problems and walk out feeling like a label that someone behind a desk created to justify insurance billing.
Petrel, please tell me in how many languages you can bleat like a phuckin’ sheep?
Geofry B and Intelligent friendlist, I did not identify myself as a patient, though I think to one extent or another, we have all become Quasi-patients due to the psychologizing of western society ( but that’s another debate).I appreciate your comments and I do hope that you do/will practise Psychiatry with the same sensitivity, patience, and compassion that your answers
portray.
Bumblei, I agree that it is a joint decision, but there are many people out there who feel that they are not qualified to speak on behalf of their own minds and bodies-or should I say, intimidated into feeling this way.Nevertheless, if you have a good Doctor and you have found what works best for you, that’s cool.
Intelligent friend, I just wanted to add that sex IS a part of functioning;Especially if you have a spouse or commited partner.A man who is already suffering from a mental illness that must be treated with medications doesn’t need to have a second helping of misery added to his plate with the blow that sexual dysfunction often delivers to a patient’s self esteem-which is doubtless impoverished from being mentally ill in the first place.
It comes down to making a choice between the symptoms of your illness, which are not likely to go away on their own, or the side effects of the medication, which usually do subside. It’s not a fair deal by any means, and I know from experience what it’s like. Mental health medications are far from perfect, and we certainly do have a lot of room for improvement, but at the same time we’ve also come a long ways.
Because the side effects for meds can be so unpleasant, I think they should be reserved as a last resort, but that’s just me. I know there are plenty of docs out there that hand them out without barely talking to you; guess what? These are bad doctors, and its time to go see a new one.
Depending on the illness, there’s almost always some alternatives to medication to try out first. Also, there are usually different kinds of medications to try, some of which you may tolerate better. If your doctor isn’t willing to discuss with you about these alternatives, I highly suggest finding a new one that will.
Hang in there, and I hope you feel better soon.