I continually receive comments, posts on social media and direct emails trying to ‘open my eyes’ to the dangers of psychiatric medications. If you look below to the post under this one, you will see a post on Lamictal (lamotrigine) from a few years ago.
I re-posted the entry so that you could see the comments I receive from those who for some reason feel that a balanced blog that stresses management skills with medications when needed would be open to the idea that NO ONE with bipolar disorder should take medications.
I guess they think I just love putting these toxic things in my body! I don’t like what medications do to us physically, who would. But as someone with very severe rapid cycling where I can go in and out of strong mood swings five or more times a day, sometimes a great management plan isn’t enough. When I can’t sleep AT ALL because the mania is acting up, using my management skills often isn’t enough. The latest comment I received gave what I consider dangerous advice to a reader- the advice- Get off psych meds as they are toxic and don’t really work.
Let’s be really clear here.
Medications are TOXIC! But to say they don’t work is ignorance in its most basic form.
Please know that I love a good debate- I love opinions and I often post opinions I don’t agree with. But when the opinion is dangerous to the health of those with bipolar disorder, I will post it, but I will not let the misinformation move forward without adding my opinion. For those out there who are against medication use in mental illness, please know I respect your opinion! If you have a serious mental health disorder and it works for you not to take medications, I am happy for you. If you want to get your message to the world, you are in the right country to do so. But please know that this blog is not the right platform for your views.
The comment that got me going this morning basically said that anyone who takes Lamictal is a fool and should stop it immediately as it doesn’t work and any success a person has on Lamictal is a placebo effect. Here is my reply:
Hello Ellen, I’m posting your comment as I believe that a conversation about medications is important. I also like your balanced approach in writing. I will say that I do disagree with you about the Lamictal for a reason you might not expect. Robert Whitaker got it right in so many ways- but the biggest issue I have with the argument you present is that there are some of us who will die if we don’t have medications such as Lamictal. This doesn’t make the medications any less toxic. Do you think I like the stiff neck, breathing problems and itchiness I get with Lamictal? Heck no! But… when I don’t take it I often go down to 50% functioning because my rapid cycling is so all encompassing, I don’t have the energy to do what I have to do to move forward in life. Just this week my hypomania was so intense I had to take EXTRA medications to get back to baseline. I don’t want to do this! I have to do this.
I have a question- Do you take any medications? Tylenol? Aspirin? A sleep aid? Maybe something for a persistent physical illness? Have you read their side effect profiles? I especially love the bleeding stomach ulcers that come with aspirin. I rarely find people who are against psych meds who are just as against meds for physical ailments. I ask this question with respect- do you go onto blogs that address those who have heart conditions and tell them to get off their medications?
Do you tell cancer patients to tough it out and NEVER use chemo? Would you put people’s lives in danger on sites that are not about mental illness?
If the answer is no, then how on earth can you in good faith go onto a blog such as this one and tell people to stop the medications that might be saving their lives? Think about it.
My coauthor Dr. John Preston and I revised my book Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder to address the medication question more fully. We added a new chapter in 2012 that addresses the dilemma all of us with bipolar disorder face when we need medication.
When people tell others not to take psych meds, they are risking the lives of the other person. If you are ok dispensing information such as telling someone the medication that helped was simply a placebo affect, are you just as willing to talk to the loved ones if that person takes your advice, goes off meds and ends up killing herself?
If you are willing to take this risk- then I say continue your work to make others feel bad about taking medications that are often needed, but be aware of the moral liability. I do respect your right to an opinion- which is why I posted your comment. I do respect that what you described worked for you, but.. and I mean this with the greatest respect- bipolar disorder is a very dangerous illness and anyone who has the nerve to get online and suggest to ill and often fragile people that medications don’t help is a danger to people with mental illnesses. People who are ill often can’t see that they need medications and feed off of information such as yours- ask any parent who has gone through this and they will tell you that it’s the misinformation on the web that causes the most problems when a manic and psychotic child desperately needs help but instead sends the parents links to comments such as yours. I used to be quiet about this, but after five years of coaching parents and partners who are in this exact situation, I’m using my voice to do something about it.
Many of us would not make it without medications. I can’t stand what they do to our bodies- the weight gain, the skin problems, the twitching, the apathy and the memory loss- but, if I have to go through that in order to get myself out of a serious episode I will. You may notice that I have ZERO drug sponsorship on my sites. I could make a lot of money going that route, but I don’t do it. I believe in a full spectrum management plan where drugs are a PART of the system. This is why I am often off drugs for long periods of time.
Please know this simply isn’t the place for scaring and confusing others who are starting the journey to management. Bipolar disorder is not anxiety -it’s not depression and it doesn’t fit into the more moderate type of psychiatric illness that can be treated without medications. Instead, it’s a complicated and dangerous illness that often presents all of the symptoms at once- as you see in dysphoric manic episodes.
In the future, I hope you can find a blog that fits your needs. Bipolarhappens.com is not that blog. This blog has always been and will continue to be a place where those who want and need medication can come for information.
The Bipolarhappens.com blog also offers free information on how to manage this illness outside of medications. This is not a site where we put down the use of medications: ever. This is a site where the balanced use of medications if needed is discussed. No one is blind to the problem, least of all me- ask me again about my three cracked teeth, weight gain, rashes and fibromyalgia- I do get it that having to take these medications sucks. I use a management plan for 75% of my symptoms- it’s called The Heath Cards- when the 25% shows up- such as my continual hypomania- I TAKE MEDICATIONS.
Thank you,
Julie
The concern I have is misdiagnosis and in turn the wrong meds are given. I was misdiagnosed for over 16 years. I am bipolar 1 I believe and a super duper rapid cycler like you. Only people like us can understand that one minute we can be fine and then a few minutes or hours later we are in the fetal position crying so hard it hurts. I am on lamictal and experience what you experience and have also lost so much hair but like you say its a necessary drug to keep us going. I also suffer from COMPLEX PTSD and anxiety disorders and was given meds that my body is addicted to now and has destroyed my central nervous system over the years. I will never be able to be taken off of that drug. My premise is that ther are many in the profession out there that really can hurt you. I wish I could find a doctor out there who also has bipolar. Then they would know the agony people like you and I and so many others go through. Like I say to people who tell me the same thing. Spend a few minutes in my head and you will come out with your clothes on fire screaming. Damned if we do and damned if we dont. I am at the high range of Lamictal at 300 mg for 5 years. I do not take any anti psychotics anymore nor lithium becuase of the physical damage.I also understand each persons chemistry is different and what may work for one person may not work for another.. Its hit and miss. No blood tests, no healing, just management. I wish I could be off drugs for a long time but that cant happen and I am surprised that you being a rapid cycler can stay off them for a long time. I am envious. If you are on Lamictal the titration is quite long.. How do you go off it and back on? I wish My body was able to do that.
Just wanted to say thank you for what you do! The first thing I read on your site was that some days you rapid cycle five to six times per day. I have been so frustrated with that exact thing, it has exhausted me daily. I was diagnosed in 2005 and over the last couple of years it seems my psychiatrist has just not found anything that works long term for me. I feel like I am alone in the suffering, though I know, in the rational side of my brain, that I am not. I plan on reading a lot more of your site. Thank you!
Christy… I call it my full time job at the blast furnace and part time job, 24 by seven 24 hours a day with no vacation. I am surprised my heart hasn’t exploded from all the stress.
Thanks for this post! What I’ve learned about being on medication is that it is a necessary pain in the butt. The physical and cognitive side effects of taking meds like Lamictal can be disturbing. It’s terrifying to find that I can’t remember the words for common items. However, that isn’t as disturbing as wanting to die or finding myself taking on far too many projects and becoming severely psychotic. I’ve reached a point at which I no longer rapid cycle, and I know that my medication played a huge role in that. Now that I’m stable, I treat myself by maintaining a strict sleep schedule, staying away from alcohol and caffeine, exercising daily, changing the way I think about the world, obsessively tracking my mood and energy levels, AND taking the lowest dose of medication I possibly can. I don’t enjoy taking the meds, but I cannot go without them. If I skip out on taking them, I’ll be throwing the rest of my hard work out the window.
Unfortunately, I figured that out when I decided to put my science background to use by conducting a n=1 blind study on myself. At the time, I was obviously delusional and in denial about my diagnosis. I decided to show that there was no significant difference between the medications I was on and placebo. I was absolutely wrong and ended up having to deal with severe, psychotic mania followed by psychomotor retardation that was far more toxic to my body and mind than the medication would have been. I couldn’t even feed myself or walk to the bathroom on my own for nearly two weeks. My housemate had to call my mother so they could take care of me together. I cannot remember anything that happened during that time period.
If you’re dealing with mental illness and don’t want to take your medication because you’re worried about how toxic it is, consider talking to your doctor about the possiblity of lowering your dose. Don’t do it without your pdoc’s help, and recognize that you will probably need to up your dose or add another medication at some point. Don’t quit taking it.
I reread your comment at least three or more times which is normal for me as I am on medications. My take is on how much you are on point to everything you said as well as the three other posts Adrian. I take Lamictal and Wellbutrin?,antidepressant. In this past year I have faced challenges to stay well and sober. My Mom and wife were dxed with cancer (that runs in my family too!) My son is bipolar and maybe has scitzoaffective?disorder ? He denies the meds help him and takes them under supervision. He drinks and I suspect uses MJ to 1 help him sleep and two “to feel better”. This is called dual dx. He has the twitching,weight gain,skin rashes etc and complains his meds do not help. Your comments, Adrian are on point about the result by not taking meds. My son was in the hospital a month in a catatonic state and had to have shock treatment ETC for months afterward. My son is on a new drug LUNESTA ? His mania in under control but depression lingers on….Myself,I joined a support group and have reduced my stress by exercise,meditation(prayer) and driving!
Its so nice to not be the only one that struggles with the idea of putting a chemical in my body in order for me to be able to act and react like quote unquote normal people. I just went to the doctor today again because I continually keep trying to tell myself that I really dont have this mental illness. I go to great lengths, I feel, that just aren’t good enough to keep me in a stable mood. I hate being up for 2 days crying on and off and laughing on and off and feeling like im on top of the world one second only to want to turn around the next second and want to dig my own grave cause i cause ppl in my family too many problems. They tell me I dont but I feel like the dirt stuck in the tread of everybodys shoes. the medicine they prescribe i cant afford and im just too tired to care anymore. damned if i do and damned if i dont. I have insurance and i live on a fixed income. I cant afford 295 for the initial script or the $95 a month that it will cost until i reach $2600. Then it covers at 100% for a little while till i get to another tier. Its all so confusing and it just makes me want to cry…seems like all i do is cry or im mad all the time…not fair to the ppl in my life that care about me…its all just a dangerous mental loop…Im just trying to get off this roller coaster…that is all…