If you are reading one of my blogs for advice or to better understand your own mental condition or that of someone else, keep in mind that I am a lay person.I am not a professional counselor (yet).I am a person who has experienced mental disorder for approximately 36 years and has been professionally treated for about 12 years.I say that so that you can understand it is okay to disagree with me if your medical professional has given you different advice.What works for one person may not be the same for others.Having said that, if you struggle with your current plan, then maybe what I have been through will be helpful to you.
I always explain to anyone who suffers from a form of depression that medical care can be frustrating.It takes a lot of trial and error to determine what is your best course of action, especially if a prescription is part of your plan.In addition, you may find that a particular dose of something only works about three months at a time before the dosage must be adjusted.Depending on the severity of your condition, you may have been on the same anti-depressant, or "nerve medication" for a long time and see no need for change.If that fits you great, you are fortunate.
When I first started seeing Psychiatrists I was grateful for the help, but I was alarmed at just how fast and frequent they wrote prescriptions.I found it very frustrating to be in the office of a doctor and after only five minutes of talking, they were pulling out their pen and script pad.Everyone who knows me realizes that I can't say all I need to say in five minutes.It takes a while!Ha!I need more time and it honestly took a while for some of my doctors to realize that I was Bipolar because they would not listen to me after five minutes.I went through a great deal of rapid cycling, but they would only treat me for what they heard me say in the short time they allotted me to speak.I was very confused because I had a vision of a couch and an hour-long session that is not the case for most Psychiatrists.You sit in a chair across from their desk.They herd you in and out just like your MD does more patients to bill.
I understood the concept of trial and error, but I had serious reactions to medications.One "anti-psychotic" script actually had me so out of it I had to crawl to the bed within ten minutes of taking it and I had horrible hallucinations.Well maybe not so horrible, one time I was married to Dolly Parton in one of those conscious dreams.I won't even get into what transpired.You get my point about the wrong meds.
At one point I was on so much lithium that it caused one of my kidneys to stop functioning.Not good.
I am an advocate for anti-depressants.I don't want to sound like I am trying to talk people out of it.They save lives.In my humble opinion, you have to be the person in control of what you are taking.You have to journal; track all symptoms and have a medical professional willing to listen to all that you have to say.He or she should care about the side effects and the feelings you are having, i.e. sleep patterns, etc.Getting control of my meds was one of the best things I could have ever done.It put me on the road to recovery as well as my faith and my support group.Whatever your diagnosis, research it.Become an expert in your own mind.It's your healthcare and you should be the smartest person you know regarding that disease.It empowers you.
My family medical practitioner became one of the greatest resources for my depression and bipolar disorder.Dr. Russell Ingram in Jacksonville has a great deal of knowledge of depression.He treats many patients with varying mental illness.He fully believes depression to be a medical condition.With Dr. Ingram's help, I was able to walk away from a great deal of medication that others had prescribed.I won't criticize them and say they were all wrong, but they were not working for me.Later I added a homeopathic doctor to my medical plan, Dr. Reed Sainsbury in Rainbow City.He treated me as a whole patient.My first session with him lasted over two hours.He charged me $25.That is the sign of a medical professional who cares!
Today my treatment plan for depression and bipolar disorder is multi-faceted.I see a medical physician, a homeopathic doctor, and a specialized counselor, just for me.Did I mention she has a couch?Guess what, all of that added together is less than some of the meds I was paying for five or six years ago.My plan includes praying, meditation, journaling, herbs, homework, friends, etc.Most of all, it involves a lot of talking and writing what I do best.I am using the talents that God gave me to overcome this disease.Sometimes it's an uphill battle and I feel differently from season to season but today, I feel like I am winning.How do you feel about your plan?
Depression or other related mental illnesses are nothing to be ashamed of.More people have these diseases than you can imagine.For many years society prevented us from feeling confident about publicly discussing the disease or asking for help.If I accomplish anything, in my own part of the world, I hope to change that view.
Take charge of your own life and your own health.I am happy to be a resource or a support to anyone in need.God willing one day I just may have one of those counselor titles behind my name and I can work even more for our health!God bless and love to you all.
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