Refusing treatment. How does it make you feel?

Hello @Eden1919

There is not a specific answer to this question as it would depend entirely on the circumstances under which treatment was being refused.

Is there a specific scenario that you had in mind?

Darcy

@Former-Member hmm ok well say for example someone had been to hospital and started medication and shortly after said they no longer wanted to take medication and refused despite all their doctors saying that was a bad idea.

or (number 2) someone who had been diagnosed with a psychotic illness refused all treatment therapy, medication the whole lot because they said their medication was making them feel bad and didnt think they needed it.

i may think of more later if I do i will let you know but basically i am meaning that someone refuses treamnemt against medical advice.

@Eden1919

Firstly, I would ask the doctors to explain to me why they feel the medication was necessary and what benefit would be expected vs side effects and when this would be reviewed.

If I felt that the person I love has valid concerns I would advocate for them, raise the concerns and ask about alternatives.

If he refused medication but was taking active steps to manage his mental health I would adopt a wait-and-see approach.

If I felt risk was high and medication necessary and he refused treatment especially in the absence of him taking measures to look after his mental health, I would be concerned for his wellbeing. In our situation it would be quite possible that he would become extremely unwell and subsequently he could end back in hospital and possibly on a treatment order.

Hope this helps.

Thanks @Former-Member that did help.

Happy to listen if you would like to tell me if there is something in particular you are concerned about @Eden1919

@Former-Member well i have been thinking a lot lately and i have just come off a treatment order (although my carer does not know this as i hid it from them for 6 months!) and i recently stopped taking my medication and i feel soooo much better off it and I dont really want to go back on it but i am not sure what my treatment team will say or my carer if i tell them i am deciding to go med free. i dont want to end up on another order!

Can I ask what your diagnosis is? If I was your carer I would want to know what concerns you about the medication you were on?

As a carer I would want to know what you are doing to look after your health @Eden1919 and if you have a wellness plan in place.

@Former-Member At the moment it is Bipolar 1 but there is a posibility it could be schizoaffective disorder. i also have OCD and BPD. I have a lot of concerns about the medication including side effects but I also dont like the way it makes me feel. I feel a lot better off it than on. I am currently doing DBT therapy and will continue with therapy after it is finished and i am trying to eat well and i am exercising.

There are quite a number of mood stabilisers @Eden1919 some do not have as many side effects. Are you on a combination of meds? Have you stopped all or just some?

You say you feel a lot better, what side effects are concerning you?

Do you keep a record of when you last relapsed? time between relapses?

@Former-Member I have stopped taking all my meds. I was on a mood stabiliser and an antipsychotic. the side effects that i had while on the meds included, tremmors, muscle spasms, dizzyness, tiredness, loss of motivation, weight gain, digestive issues, and more. i try to keep track of some things but i have never fully recovered so it gets complicated.