Giving up on medication

Good evening @Former-Member

Kitkat16 here, one of the moderators.

How long have you been on the medication for? I am sorry to here you are experience such severe and distressing side effects from it. Often side effects have a life span though and may wear off over time. It may be worth speaking to your doctor/psychiatrist about this to work together to find a happy medium?

Often it can be tempting to stop medication because of the side effects however it is much safer to consult a doctor first.

Kitkat16

Hello @Former-Member,

It does seem like slowly going off them makes sense to see what is helping you at the moment if you are not feeling any better, I guess it would be best to just take things day by day with regards to the withdrawals you are having, and really implementing a lot of self-care right now. What things help you get through the day?

Lunar 🙂

Dear Loulathecat,

I hear what you say about medication, and about the fact that some medications can have serious side effects.Who is prescribing your medication, a GP or a psychiatrist? Let me suggest that you need TWO psychiatrists, in other words that you should ask for a second opinion and explain all the problems you have had with medication in the past and the fact that you can't swallow tablets

It might be a good idea to write down all this information so that you can show it to the psychiatrist you see. There are hundreds of medications on the market, and there may be some which suit you. In any case you are taking a risk going off medication with bi-polar disorder. That can have terrible consequences and it is a very real risk. I'm not suggesting you start scoffing medications without question, I am just suggesting that you find out what your options are. By the way, I have bi-polar and am on medication. Best wishes,

Ellu

@stayingeven

It really comes down to coping strategies, how severe the mental illness is and a individuals strengths to whether one can function off meds.

I had a total mental breakdown 4 yrs ago. Have been off medication for nearly 2 years now by putting into practice what keeps me from mentally declining again. And I cope with life without them. But like everybody else I can have bad days or sometimes even weeks - I just push through and keep as active and positive as possible. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy I find.

Hi, I am new here and wanted to discuss the combination of medications that I'm on. I see that guidelines mean that I can't. I don't think that I'd be the only one who felt they were prescribed too many medications yet do not see an improvement in the symptoms of their illness. I've been on too many for too long. I want to stop taking them! I want to see if I can cope without them. I'm afraid of what they're doing to my body. I feel the life in me is slipping away... I can't cope with living like this. And yes, I go to professionals but I hear the hopelessness in their voices.

Hi, I am new here and wanted to discuss the combination of medications that I'm on. I see that guidelines mean that I can't. I don't think that I'd be the only one who felt they were prescribed too many medications yet do not see an improvement in the symptoms of their illness. I've been on too many for too long. I want to stop taking them! I want to see if I can cope without them. I'm afraid of what they're doing to my body. I feel the life in me is slipping away... I can't cope with living like this. And yes, I go to professionals but I hear the hopelessness in their voices.