Official Mental Health Thread

[Raime]

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

What’s your favorite RP album cover?

I really like the posters for Black Flag shows, but the "My War" album cover is probably one that I think of when asked that.

[OccultHawk]

Originally Posted by Raime

I really like the posters for Black Flag shows, but the "My War" album cover is probably one that I think of when asked that.

Could you please address the question I asked in the latest post of this thread?

https://www.musicbanter.com/punk/126...thread-32.html

[Raime]

Has anyone here tried to ween themselves off of depression medication? I want to see what I'm like after the withdraw symptoms from Cymbalta have gone away, but I'm on day 5 of not taking it and I'm getting hit pretty hard today. I figured I'd block out as much negative **** as I can, so I deleted my social media accounts to help.

[WWWP]

You're doing it without the guidance of a psychiatrist? When you say ween it sounds like you mean you just quit cold turkey. That's dangerous. And so you're withdrawing and isolating to shut out negativity? And you say you are quick to anger? Yikes dude.

[Raime]

Originally Posted by WWWP

You're doing it without the guidance of a psychiatrist? When you say ween it sounds like you mean you just quit cold turkey. That's dangerous. And so you're withdrawing and isolating to shut out negativity? And you say you are quick to anger? Yikes dude.

I've been extending the periods in between when I take my medication, so it's not exactly cold turkey. I haven't been too angry the past few years, or at least to a worrying degree. I just feel like I'm not getting anywhere being numbed up by meds complacent with a dead end life. I'll be good, it's just tough with all the weird physical symptoms, and the obvious mental ones. My insurance is kind of buggered because I went on vacation too, so even paying for meds isn't really an option anymore.

[OccultHawk]

You’re in a tough situation.

When I had trouble accessing the medicine I needed I asked my pharmacist and was guided to a clinic that puts payment on a sliding scale.

I have some other thoughts but I’m afraid it might not be helpful. I know it’s really tiny to acknowledge that your situation is tough.

Facebook and that stuff... I don’t get the appeal at all.

[WWWP]

Here at least you can get emergency refills at any hospital pharmacy. They give you enough to last about a week, but NO ONE wants people going off their meds without medical advisement so they will work with you to keep you on your regimen.

Seriously that's how you set yourself up for dementia or you flip the switch that activates schizophrenia and/or psychosis, it's a really really bad idea. That's how brains get turned to mush and people end up getting their faces eaten off on a greyhound. You should really rethink it.

Cymbalta is an SNRI. It only works by keeping a steady amount in your system. You cant just go a week in between and take one, all you'll get is a headache. The whole point is that the medication is regulating what your brain cant do on it's own. You're ****ing with your brain chemicals dude. And all the ups and downs and serotonin withdrawals only make you more depressed.

[Lucem Ferre]

Originally Posted by WWWP

Here at least you can get emergency refills at any hospital pharmacy. They give you enough to last about a week, but NO ONE wants people going off their meds without medical advisement so they will work with you to keep you on your regimen.

Seriously that's how you set yourself up for dementia or you flip the switch that activates schizophrenia and/or psychosis, it's a really really bad idea. That's how brains get turned to mush and people end up getting their faces eaten off on a greyhound. You should really rethink it.

Cymbalta is an SNRI. It only works by keeping a steady amount in your system. You cant just go a week in between and take one, all you'll get is a headache. The whole point is that the medication is regulating what your brain cant do on it's own. You're ****ing with your brain chemicals dude. And all the ups and downs and serotonin withdrawals only make you more depressed.

Uh oh...

My place doesn't give a ****. The told me I need to talk to a psychiatrist to get a refill.

[Lucem Ferre]

I've literally been robbed at gun point before and this is worse.

I talked my way out of being robbed or shot, these people are more ruthless than gang members.

[goldendoodle]

Lucem is right, most of these places are terrible and you can practically see the apathy and contempt just dripping off the workers. Last time I was at my clinic, this very bipolar lady gave me the card for the psych nurse at her clinic; she said it was much, much better (and they even offer one on one therapy. Actual therapy) than the places in Baton Rouge so I may do that if/when they're open. It's 45 minutes away, however.

I wonder how my very erratic (I prefer the term whimsical) usage of Latuda might be affecting me. I'm prescribed 60mg, but because it causes bad restless legs I take only half a pill (which doesn't necessarily prevent it but it seems to lessen the chances of waking up with the need to thrash around), and I only take that half a pill every other day. I just hate the fact that a.) it must be taken with food-- at least 350 calories (I am trying to lose 15 lbs and I have guilt spirals when I feel I ate too much), and b.) I HAVE to take it right as I'm falling asleep or else the restlessness will keep me up. So this means I have to eat a meal while falling asleep and I haaaaate eating right before bed, because it makes me wake up groggy. So now it's been 5 days since I've taken any Latuda at all. (I feel fine though.) Can't really do anything about it until my clinic reopens. My doctor there-- although I like her personality-wise-- hardly listens to me anyway. (She doesn't want to put me on more than two medications even though I clearly need anti-anxiety meds and possibly some Lamictal or something, and yes, this was the case even back when I was taking the Latuda correctly as prescribed) I can, however call to get a Lexapro refill.

Spoiler for melodramatic whining about minor medication induced weight gain:

But the Lexapro contributed to the weight gain, so I don't know what to do.

And yes, I realize that many, many psych meds (especially antipsychotics) tend to cause weight gain, so even if I switch from Latuda to something else, there's no avoiding it. It's just so frustrating because I will apparently have to resort to something extreme (and miserable) like the keto diet in order to be in the weight range I prefer. (Intermittent fasting didn't work, exercise didn't work, and running just resulted in me immediately injuring myself, but I will try that again once our A/C is repaired) On the various crazy people forums I frequent, people like to point out that weight gain is worth it if it means you're sane and happy and functional, but it still drives me crazy, because my weight used to be the one thing I could control about my life/body and now I can't. I realize I am being over dramatic, but when I am over a certain weight, I develop puffy potato face syndrome which is very bad for my self-esteem since I already have the bone structure of a Bob's Burgers character.

Mainly I'm super terrified of developing permanent akathisia.

Originally Posted by Raime

Has anyone here tried to ween themselves off of depression medication? I want to see what I'm like after the withdraw symptoms from Cymbalta have gone away, but I'm on day 5 of not taking it and I'm getting hit pretty hard today. I figured I'd block out as much negative **** as I can, so I deleted my social media accounts to help.

All the time. I very recently stopped my Lexapro cold turkey, and it wasn't unbearable; my main withdrawal symptom was this constant head-swooshy (I'm sorry, that's the best I can describe it) feeling plus the occasional low-grade fever. But the time before that, I just started taking half a dose for a couple weeks, and then stopped completely and that seemed to work out okay. What all withdrawal symptoms are you getting?