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A friend of mine, Mark, called me recently because his friend a stranger to me was in a mental illness crisis. She complained that her meds were no longer working. Mark suggested that I call her and strongly advise her to go into a hospital. He felt she would listen to me since I had walked in her shoes. I agreed to do so, but I felt under a great deal of pressure as to how to go about advising a stranger to check herself into a mental hospital. It was a heavy burden.
Mark told her that I suffered from long term depression and anxiety.
This lady wanted instant results and was very frustrated that the probiotic she was taking didn't produce immediate relief. I reassured her that it took six months before I felt any difference from the medication and that it takes a year to elapse before I was able to stop some of the meds completely. She complained that she'd been in the hospital three times and nothing seemed to help her. I encouraged her to try again because something as simple as changing the dosage, time of day the med is taken, or whether it's taken on an empty or full stomach might have an affect on her. I tried explaining to her that some of the side effects she felt was more related to the dosage of the medication not the medication itself.
I suggested that she go to the hospital and advocate for herself in asking for a lower dosage of the medicine. I also begged her to give the doctors a chance to experiment until they found the right drug, in the right dose, and given at the right time of day to be effective. She said she couldn't stand her life. I told her that her only choice was to go to the hospital and get her medications changed. She asked if she could call me back and hung up. She hasn’t called. I don't know the outcome of our exchanges..
I do know with myself that there arise times when I need or want to seek my doctor’s help in effecting a change in medication. I'm fortunate, my doctor listens to me and respects my decisions concerning my medications. My doctor knows that I'm willing to do this. My doctor and I are a team when it comes to my mental health. I have a friend who is doing wonderfully and talks about stopping one of his medications. He is willing to risk going off it, but is acting in collaboration with his doctor. It seems this is frequently our first impulse: to ditch the meds. We hate the side effects. If they are really bad, it makes sense to speak to one’s doctor about lowering the dose or trying something else. I am my own best advocate. Be one for yourself. Learn about your meds and be willing to talk with your doctor and spell out exactly what it is you want in return for taking your medications. Be a team.