Antipsychotics: to Take or to Leave?

[Shadow Wolf]

I suggest you see a psychiatrist, rather than a therapist (which I assume is not a psychiatrist).

That does make me wonder, in regards to @Debater Slayer, how are such things determined in your country? Here a therpist has a master's degree in psychology or psychiatry, and a psychologist has a doctorates but can only write prescriptions for a few medications, if any at all, while a psychiatrist is a medical doctor with a psychiatric background.

 

[SpeaksForTheTrees]

I think what is causing it is most likely being in the society I'm in.

As you get older , acceptance of the way things are becomes easier .
When I was young man was much chaos ,was so much to do , was so overwhelming would lead to despair
Was into my 30s when I did learn to became more acceptable of things and to let life flow at a pace that suited myself.
Is a lot of pressure on a young man , most of it is what you put upon yourself .
When I was young hours felt like days , but now I am older the days pass like hours .

 

[AnnaCzereda]

I used to take antidepressants for some time when I was in high school and also during my studies because of neurosis. I didn't take any of the meds you listed as depression and neurosis are treated with other meds than psychosis, schizophrenia or a bipolar disorder. Once, I asked the doctor to change medication because I didn't feel well. She did that reluctantly however the crucial point is to take the meds your doctor prescribes you and see if they work. If they don't or you don't feel well, then you can ask for a change. If I were you, I would stop worrying about the possible side effects as every drug has a long list of possible side effects, often grievous ones, but they happen rarely and often to the people who have some serious health problems.

Diabetes isn't really caused by drugs. It's a civilization illness, caused by obesity, unhealthy food, chemicals in our food and so on. If it worries you, you can regularly control your blood sugar.

Additionally, medication should be combined with psychotherapy in order to be effective.

 

[RRex]

Diabetes isn't really caused by drugs.

Yes, it can be, which is why my psychiatrist prescribed Metformin.

Also, my father had leukemia. Some of the chemo they put him on made him diabetic.

medication should be combined with psychotherapy in order to be effective.

Not everyone needs to talk. I hate talking. All I need are the meds.

 

[Augustus]

Newer Antipsychotic Drugs Risky for Heart

I hate reporting like this, it is really dangerous to people. Click bait medical headlines are reprehensible.

This says 'twice as likely'. Stories like that are irresponsible if they do not quantify the actual risk. The lack of understanding of statistics is a big problem in healthcare journalism, and unfortunately also in healthcare practice (even amongst doctors with good intentions).

For most people, that base rate of risk is very, very low. So twice as likely might be something like a move from a risk of 0.01% to 0.02%.

This is not 'risky for heart'.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Diabetes isn't really caused by drugs. It's a civilization illness, caused by obesity, unhealthy food, chemicals in our food and so on. If it worries you, you can regularly control your blood sugar.

Genes and other things are also contributing factors, as well as medications.

 

[allfoak]

Sebastian Schneeweiss, MD, ScD, and Jerry Avorn, MD, in an accompanying editorial, say according to the study's data, about three out of every 1,000 patients taking antipsychotic medications for one full year would be expected to experience sudden death - a level of risk considered "low" to "moderate."

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20090114/newer-antipsychotics-risky-for-heart


This is apparently considered an acceptable amount of deaths.

 

[RRex]

I don't think fearmongering is healthy.

These medications help thousands of people live fairly normal lives.

 

[psychoslice]

Antipsychotics are great when your really need them, too many abuse them which is really the doctors fault, I'll only take them in extreme cases, but do try to avoid them as much as possible.

 

[Deathbydefault]

You aren't prescribed these medications to make your life easier, it's to prevent you from being some sort of danger.
That's how medical professionals tend to treat us, dangerous people who need to be subdued for society's sake.

I take a handful of pills twice a day myself, anti-psychs and anti-depressants alike, for similar reasons.
Due to these my daily life is affected largely, I eat once a day and can only focus on one thing at once.
They don't really care though, I was told that I "need to stay on medication" or I'll be "moved to a safer area".

 

[Jumi]

Since your problem is the reaction of a healthy mind to sick attitudes around you and your stress is because you're not allowed to be who you are, I don't think this is medicine for you. It's an escape, an option for sure. You're worried about consequences because you seem to think this is because of the society around you and not you. If you were truly sick, then the right medicine would be there to be found. But what can you do, when society is at fault and you can't change that?

My tip or what I would do in your situation is spend time in nature if you can, hang out with dogs or cats, learn your inner calm with meditative techniques. Fishing might be good for the last part if you're into that, that's basically meditation in itself. There are things about yourself that society can't take away even in a place like North Korea with all the BS propaganda or in Raqqa with all the madness. Find those things that can't be taken away.

 

[allfoak]

I don't think fearmongering is healthy.

These medications help thousands of people live fairly normal lives.

How many of those people are expendable?
There are safer alternatives.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

How many of those people are expendable?
There are safer alternatives.

3 out of 1,000 isn't bad, especially when you ask how many of them would be worse off without? How many of them would be consumed by their depression and left destitute? How many would have committed suicide? There are risks with pretty much everything we do. Even staying at home comes with risks. Driving a car comes with a ton of risks. With medication, it is a question of risk vs reward. Yes, pharmaceutical companies do play a part of the problem with over-prescribing drugs, with doing too much to encourage doctors to prescribe medications for things they aren't approved to treat, and for over exaggerating the benefits of some medications, but at the same time these medications have helped countless people live better and more productive lives. Sometimes they can help shed enough of the "sludge" to bring themselves up enough to not have a depression disorder. Every body has their own situation, and for some people psychotropic medications in general are a safe and effective when combined with therapy and life changes. For some people the benefits do not outweigh the risks.
Debate Slayer is not, at all, in a typical situation that we would know here in the West. Yes, he has mental health issues that we can understand through labels, but probably no more than a few of us on this forum can even begin to comprehend the issues he is dealing with, which includes being an atheist in culture of deep and even extreme religious conservativism, and the issues this does have on his social life, and how this issue of deep religious environment even effects his friends and potentials and possibilities for social connections. The way he keeps bringing up suicide, yeah, the benefits of medications probably do outweigh the risks. Even considering his concerns are over an elevated risk of diabetes, and also considering Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world, it may still be worth it. Diabetes, though a nasty disorder, can be managed. That is more than what can be done if you kill yourself.

 

[RRex]

How many of those people are expendable?
There are safer alternatives.

I would be institutionalized if not for these medicines.

I thank God for them every day.

 

[Nous]

I think it’s important, especially in the case of psychiatric drugs, to familiarize oneself with the published research regarding their effectiveness, efficacy and adverse effects. Such information is difficult to come by, since it isn’t collected in any single place. The website http://psychrights.org/index.htm provides a great deal of peer-reviewed studies on psychiatric drugs. Click “Scientific Research by Topic,” on left-hand bar.

 

[FTNZ]

If I were you, I would stop worrying about the possible side effects as every drug has a long list of possible side effects, often grievous ones, but they happen rarely and often to the people who have some serious health problems.

Diabetes isn't really caused by drugs. It's a civilization illness, caused by obesity, unhealthy food, chemicals in our food and so on. If it worries you, you can regularly control your blood sugar.

Additionally, medication should be combined with psychotherapy in order to be effective.

Everyone should ask their doctor about side effects and risks, as they don't necessarily happen "rarely" - some of them happen as much as 10% of the time, which is quite often. Decisions about meds should be made by the patient, after obtaining information from their doctor sufficient to enable informed consent. Doctors have a duty to provide relevant information about side effects and risks. The patient's health is not necessarily a factor in whether and what kind of side effects they get. Side effects can happen to a person in near perfect health.

There are several types of diabetes, including type 1 and type 2, and they are very different disorders. Type 1 has many possible causes, and is not at all related to lifestyle factors or obesity. Type 2 is often related to obesity, but not always. Not sure what "chemicals in our food" has to do with it. Several classes of drugs, including some anti-psychotics, can induce obesity and cause type 2 diabetes. Previously, in developed countries, psychiatrists didn't pay much attention to this risk, but they have had to in recent years, because so many patients were dying from drug side effects such as heart disease and diabetes related complications. Psychiatrists in less developed countries may be a bit behind the times in this regard.

There's usually no need for a person to be on an anti-psychotic that carries an unacceptably high diabetes risk, as there are about 15 or more different drugs to choose from, as well as drugs in other classes. Not all anti-psychotics have this risk, and those that do, have it to varying degrees. Doctors can monitor the patient's weight and blood sugar level, and if either are increasing, they can review the drug choice. Type 2 diabetes is not just a simple case of controlling blood sugar - it is a complex disease with effects across a number of body systems. Best avoided, if at all possible.

In unipolar depression, psychotherapy can be effective alone or along with medication. In other disorders, such as bipolar and schizophrenia, it is less clear. In these disorders, medication is usually essential for managing the disorder, and psychotherapy can assist the patient with living with their disorder. It does not replace medication, in the way that it can sometimes do with mild to moderate depression.

 

[FTNZ]

I think what is causing it is most likely being in the society I'm in.

If it's bipolar disorder, then it's unlikely to be solely caused by environmental factors such as stress, although stress can worsen it and make it hard to manage well.

Mood stabilisers are usually the first choice of meds for bipolar disorder, and anti-psychotics are only sometimes used.

 

[Debater Slayer]

IMO, and I'm not an M.D. but you only need to be on anti-psychotics if you are having psychotic symptoms like hearing voices or hallucinations/paranoia. If you are having those symptoms you might want to try Latuda (Lurasidone) which doesn't have serious side effects compared to the stuff you've been talking about. Other than that, I wish you luck, and *hugs*

Atypical antipsychotics have uses for bipolar disorder as well. I'm definitely not going to take psychiatric medications on my own. That requires a professional's prescription. I just hope the next professional I see doesn't turn out like the last one I saw and prescribe risky meds in spades and expect me to take them without considering the potential side effects.

 

[Debater Slayer]

That is interesting. A person can do nothing about that.

No, they can; they can try to leave for somewhere more suitable for them.

Have you ever tried talk therapy with a real counselor? Do they have them in your country? Perhaps not.

I have. Talk therapy only ameliorated the suicidal thoughts temporarily. Also, on more than one occasion, talking to well-trusted friends helped me more than talking to the psychologist.

 

[savagewind]

No, they can; they can try to leave for somewhere more suitable for them.

The grass is NOT always greener.......But good luck! I hope you will make your way out.