As I've told you before, I'm not speaking to you as a medical professional. But I do have a history of working with people within the medical system, and so I have come to some understanding of medication and it's issues. Throughout my career...and my personal life...I've witnessed much of the back and forth surrounding the use of medicine to deal with mental illness. I get it. People don't trust medication because they don't trust the use of chemicals to deal with illness. And there are side-effects. But I also know one other thing. When Maxine was so sick, she didn't have medication. And she lived a lifetime with a mental illness that debilitated her. So, given that I see both sides of the story, I am somewhat conflicted. I welcome the use of other tools. Many people find relief in holistic methods and I totally support that. However, I also see the consequences when people fight medications. And I am saddened by that. If you have a tool that will make your life easier, why not utilize it?
Fighting medication takes many forms. Some people simply don't take the meds. I told you about a client that I had who hoarded her medication. Which means that she didn't take it. I was able to get into her apartment one time and saw hundreds of blister packs filled with medication. In the meantime, she was seriously ill with paranoid schizophrenia and the doctors were considering forced shots to avoid her frequent hospitalizations. Some people take themselves off the medication without the supervision of a doctor. That means they are risking whatever physical and mental health issues that come from inappropriately taking yourself off medication. And some people decrease their dosage without the supervision of a doctor. And that means that they probably aren't getting a therapeutic dose of the medication. And the result will probably be that it won't do any good.
I've even struggled with medication compliance in my own life. Sometimes the reason was financial. Sometimes the reason was pure stubbornness. Sometimes I simply didn't commit myself to self-care and thus ran out of medications without replacing them. And there were consequences. I believe totally that my life would have been smoother if I'd been more committed to taking care of my mental health. And part of that is being responsible about medication. I can tell you one thing that is true now: I am committed to taking the medication that is prescribed to me. I'm committed because I understand the biochemical nature of much of mental illness. And I believe totally that other tools won't work if I don't take care of the underlying issue. I've proven it to myself over and over. So, unless my doctor and I decide that medication is no longer necessary, I will be taking my medication.
Medication isn't a perfect tool. There are complications that are too complex for me to examine in this space. But they have improved. And research will continue to look at ways to make them better. I've often wondered...what would Maxine's life have been like with medication? She was a beautiful and loving person underneath her illness. And I would have given anything to have her 'normal'. (Whatever that means.) I feel that the fact that she wasn't able to get help cheated me out of a positive, loving relationship with her. If you are struggling on the medication compliance bandwagon, who are you cheating? The first person you are cheating is yourself. We have a limited amount of time on this earth. When you ignore the possibility of health that you have with medication, you might be choosing the illness. I support you in really sitting down with your doctor and looking at the possibilities. It may change your life. It certainly is changing mine. Let's talk!!
Fighting medication takes many forms. Some people simply don't take the meds. I told you about a client that I had who hoarded her medication. Which means that she didn't take it. I was able to get into her apartment one time and saw hundreds of blister packs filled with medication. In the meantime, she was seriously ill with paranoid schizophrenia and the doctors were considering forced shots to avoid her frequent hospitalizations. Some people take themselves off the medication without the supervision of a doctor. That means they are risking whatever physical and mental health issues that come from inappropriately taking yourself off medication. And some people decrease their dosage without the supervision of a doctor. And that means that they probably aren't getting a therapeutic dose of the medication. And the result will probably be that it won't do any good.
I've even struggled with medication compliance in my own life. Sometimes the reason was financial. Sometimes the reason was pure stubbornness. Sometimes I simply didn't commit myself to self-care and thus ran out of medications without replacing them. And there were consequences. I believe totally that my life would have been smoother if I'd been more committed to taking care of my mental health. And part of that is being responsible about medication. I can tell you one thing that is true now: I am committed to taking the medication that is prescribed to me. I'm committed because I understand the biochemical nature of much of mental illness. And I believe totally that other tools won't work if I don't take care of the underlying issue. I've proven it to myself over and over. So, unless my doctor and I decide that medication is no longer necessary, I will be taking my medication.
Medication isn't a perfect tool. There are complications that are too complex for me to examine in this space. But they have improved. And research will continue to look at ways to make them better. I've often wondered...what would Maxine's life have been like with medication? She was a beautiful and loving person underneath her illness. And I would have given anything to have her 'normal'. (Whatever that means.) I feel that the fact that she wasn't able to get help cheated me out of a positive, loving relationship with her. If you are struggling on the medication compliance bandwagon, who are you cheating? The first person you are cheating is yourself. We have a limited amount of time on this earth. When you ignore the possibility of health that you have with medication, you might be choosing the illness. I support you in really sitting down with your doctor and looking at the possibilities. It may change your life. It certainly is changing mine. Let's talk!!
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