Hi Ally, and welcome. I have so much to say about "bi polar" diagnoses...especially "bi polar 2" I want to be gentle...but it makes me mad that doctors throw these diagnoses around so easily.
Personally, I don't believe in "mental illness." I have never met a person who had emotional pain who didn't have a good reason to have emotional pain.
For instance, I was raised in a super violent home. I mean, attempted murder violent. I suffered with anxiety and depression. DUH!!!!
I learned how to be hypervigilant in order to survive and wish I never took meds to treat my very understandable learned behavior. My anxiety has been SO MUCH WORSE after starting meds than it ever was before I took them. But, I believed the doctors who called me mentally ill instead of injured. I consider that mal-practice.
Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes and levels of physical violence. A lot of trauma is simply emotional but it is just as damaging. I can tell you stories. You don't have to have a history as violent as mine to have the INJURY THAT IS PTSD.
All just my opinion, shared to give you HOPE.
We around here don't believe in the chemical imbalance theory. There's just no evidence to support it. That's good news. We learned our emotional habits, so we can learn new, healthy happy ones!!! Science is proving it. It's called "neuroplasticity."
https://taper.community/thread/chemical-imbalance-or-psychological-injury---which-one-is-it-93735637-7a90-4bf7-ad32-dd9de10e4360atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.
Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper
started my psych med saga in 2001 and wish I never had. I had some difficulties with sleep and anxiety, but NOTHING like what was in store for me after trying every med out there. My last treatment center promised to "get me totally off" in 2022 but it was a lie. They just switched drugs and added more and more in a desperate attempt to help me "stabilize," so they could call me a "success story" once insurance stopped paying. I agree with those who state that this industry needs to change. AND I'm working on not being resentful about my suffering because it doesn't help anyone.
been on an off cocktails since 2001. Most recent mixture, prescribed in 2024: 20 mg Paxil, 150 Trileptal, 50 Seroquel, 2 mg prasozin, (for PTSD/nightmares.)
immediately went to 1 mg prasozin, and after 3 months cut to 10 mg paxil. No felt effects. Then went to 5 about 3 months later, (though I didnt' keep track so I'm rusty.) No felt effects. So, I've roughly been on 5 mg for a year and a half.
Side effects always force to to start tapering RIGHT AWAY.
I didn't start keeping track of my Paxil taper until this year. I went from 3mg to 1 in 10 months, using a liquid Maudsley-ish slow taper. Again, no felt effects until now.
October 2026...sleeping less and feeling more sedated during the day. Having trouble managing my social life without getting over-stimulated. Must set boundaries according to my body and not my heart.
Holding 1 mg paxil until blood work done and evaluated, and to see if build a social life that doesn't make me lose sleep. Sounds silly as I type it, but actually, nothing is "silly" on this ride! Everything is WILD!!!! LOL
Keeping all other meds the same. Sorry so long.
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