Lifelong medication use?!


Question: Lifelong medication use!?
I'm 24 and I have major depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder!. (However, I try not to focus on labels, I genuinely acknowledge my disorders and behavior and try to take the initiative to work on them)

I have been on medication for several years, off and on (mostly because I develop a superwoman complex and feel like I can do it on my own!.!.!.perhaps I'm stubborn!?)

I fear I may always be on medication and doctors seemingly tell me my conditions may be chronic or life-long!. I value their opinion of course but I can't help but wonder if I will always be medicated!. I don't know if it's an embarrassment or pride problem (I'm studying grad work to become a school counselor) or the fact that I have wishful thinking!.

Thoughts!?Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
I have what you basically have in a nutshell!. I have been on meds since my early 20's!. I am now 36, and have no health problems!. I am very health conscious but I always have that fear in the back of my mind of what happens in the long run with these things!. Problem is, I know I would be just miserable if I stopped!. So, I'd rather keep on going and continue to make sure that my once go around in this world is at the highest quality!. Trying to live and battle chemical inbalances is just too hard to handle and would lower the quality of my life!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Hi Brooklyn!. I've been on antidepressants for thirty years!. I suffer from recurrent major depression!. I would'nt consider having another episode!. It is so painful and hard to get over that I consider my drugs like an diabetic would over insuln!. I can't live without them!. People who are opposed to drugs in general have a point but they probably have never been through a major depression For me depression is life threatening!. Maybe you have had to be there yourself!. Great job aspiration by the way!. You don't have to tell anybody you're taking medication!. It's not a pride thing!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Suppose you'd have a heart condition or an organ transplant, both of which would require life-long medication, what would you do!?

''Take the medication''

Exactly, so that's what you do in this case!.

You can't help it that there still rests a taboo on mental illness, but you will have to bite the bullet and take your medication irrespective if what other people think!.
Half of the cure is ignoring the taboo!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

I have been on mood elevators for the past 20 something years!. The way I look at it!? If I can function better on the medications that are diagnosed for the conditions I have, then I will take them so that I am not going on the roller coaster ride that I experience when I am not taking them!. I have accepted that I have a chemical imbalance in my brain which is correctable with medication which is like any other organ that is not functioning correctly!. My condition is connected to a very traumatic experience I had!.Www@Answer-Health@Com

Try going off meds gradually with the Dr's!. helpWww@Answer-Health@Com

Personally, I am very anti-pharmaceutical!. I know that will get me some thumbs down, but I don't really care!.

Drug companies care about one thing and one thing only; treating symptoms and keeping patients for life so they can make a lot of money!. They are not actually out to cure anything, which is why there will never be a cure for AIDS - they make too much money treating the symptoms!.

I do believe there are a very small number of people with genuine conditions that do require medication and have real chemical imbalances that they were born with!. However, I also think that 99% of the time, the people being prescribed drugs don't fall into that category!.

Ultimately you need to get to the root of your issues so you can solve them!. True, you also need to function while you search for that, but if you just medicate yourself to where you don't think about your issues, it's like burying one's head in the sand!.

There are most likely some very good reasons why you have the issues you describe; most likely some type of abuse, sexual abuse or neglect when you were younger!. The only real way to treat those is with a Psychotherapist, ideally one with a PHD who specializes in your issues!. A Psychotherapist and a Pyschiatrist have the same training, but the Pyschiatrist can prescribe drugs and a Psychotherapist cannot!. That means the therapist has to actually work with you to get through your issues rather than just prescribe lithium or prozac!. Even if those aren't the root of your issues (as far as you remember), I still recommend seeing a Psychotherapist as I think it can help greatly, and yes, I do think you can life a healthy life without constant medication!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





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