When Psych Meds Are Good
It's crazy out there I tell ya! but you don't need me to tell you that. Today Tom Ashbrook, host of "On Point" on NPR (http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/12/28/medication-and-female-moods) interviewed Dr. Julie Holland and Dr. Crystal Clark with various guests calling in about the pros and cons of medication. I understand both points of view. On the one hand we in the U.S., especially in big modern cities, are living at a much higher level of stress than older generations. Dr. Holland leaned towards our culture of over medicating in lieu of removing and healing the stress factors first such as eliminating flour and sugar from our diets (eating healthy), getting plenty of exercise and getting enough sleep. For many, just taking care of ourselves in this manner will put safety mechanisms in to place for us to learn how to handle our mood swings and emotions (also recommended was therapy for those who need extra help). Although Dr. Clark acknowledged the importance of taking care of ourselves she also stressed the importance of well thought out medication for those of us who have a pathology or disorder. In other words, we've done all we can to take care of ourselves and the chemicals our bodies create are not doing what we need to thrive in life.
I find it ironic that for many of us who find ourselves on medication are still facing a battle of prejudice about them.
For me, I've been sober (off drugs and alcohol) for 25 years, off flour and sugar and eating very "clean" food (plain veggies, salads, rice or potatoes and protein) for 12 years, I meditate regularly for at least 30 minutes a day, I check in regularly with a 12-step meeting 3 times a week, I have a mentor in a spiritual program that I check in with at least once a week and I exercise daily. And yet even with all of this good taking care of myself I still take Effexor to help with my anxiety and panic disorder. I've been taking Effexor for about 13 years now and along with the other things I do to care for myself, I am able to live a life second to none. I am not apathetic about life, I still feel deeply but what Effexor has done for me is to take the tremendous debilitating fear away so that I can make good choices on how I want to live and show up in the world. One of the most shame-filled traits that exhibit itself when I am NOT on Effexor is rage. I lived with a parent who spontaneously raged which filled me with constant fear about the world. It's nice to be given the gift of pausing when agitating before I act. Even on Effexor though, I sometimes do feel anger which is a natural part of being human. Today; however, I am more apt to respond appropriately rather than to fly off of the handle.
Of course those of us who are considering medication should carefully weigh the pros and cons of what would be the best path for us. We should also have a good psychiatrist AND a therapist to help us evaluate if we need medication and to help build our arsenal of tools for living in the world. I do not agree with friends that I know who merely go to their GP to have their prescription filled. A well-trained Psychiatrist will know the nuances of various brain chemistries, whether if what we are going through is a once in life time kind of thing or if we're missing some chemicals in our brains that makes our dopamine, etc. low or non-existent which then alter our view of the world.
For someone like me who needs medication to live a better life, I need all the support from the outside world. I don't need your judgement that I'm on it. I don't need insurance companies tracking me so that future employers may be prejudiced to hiring me because of it, I need your support that me and my doctors are doing all that we can do so that I can live a better life and be a contributing member of our society. For years and years I've shared my life experiences in rooms of people in recovery and am now putting together a series of exposes about them. I've earned my place in line to accept a well-thought out, consciously prescribed medication and thank God for it every day.