Why do so many mentally ill people refuse to take their medication?

Question

Is it their hurt pride? How do we help them swallow their pride along with their medicines?

Answer 1

Do you really believe a simple pill can CURE the problems of our so sophsiticated MIND? It has nothing to do with pride, it has to do with its not a cure but a tiny 'fix' to make the pain minimize temporarily, but they know tomorrow the problem was not cured and will wake up feeling the same way. People need love and internaction not more hospitals.

Answer 2

Alright, I have an answer for this one.

After being diagnosed with Bipolar Mood Disorder right before my 23rd birthday, I stopped taking the medication for the following reasons:
I did not feel as though I was Bipolar. I felt as though I had a nervous breakdown and it would not happen again.

The medications made me tired, weak, foggy and unable to compose proper sentences.

I had to go get blood test done every three months or so.

I, as many other people do, felt like mentally ill people were weird and did not want to be around them let alone be one of them.

I felt as though I could control my emotions with deep breathing and a "mind over matter" attitude.

I did not want to admit that I was going to feel/be this way forever.

It is genetic and I wanted to have kids. Admiting I was Bipolar meant that I should probably not be a mother.

The list goes on.

Why did I start taking them again?
It is not "mind over matter" I cannot control myself through breathing. I ended up in the hospital (again) in four point restraints (again). I was having an acute manic episode with psychotic features. I could not be in denial anymore. Now I take my medicine like a good little girl. I don't take it because it makes me feel better. I take it because it helps to assure the safety of the public. I feel it is responsible to take the medication.

This girl I work with, on the other hand, makes far less money than I do and cannot afford the insurance or the medications. She just goes about her life in a very chaotic way. Without the support of my friends and family and the paychecks I get, I would be right there with her struggling just to get out of my head.

Answer 3

Dude, you have asked the million-dollar question in mental health care!! I think they refuse because they "think" there is nothing wrong with them (or would like to think so). If you try to sneak it with other pills or food/drink and they find out, they get hostile. I think it's because of the illness that interferes with thought processes. I have found the only way to deal with this is to be frank and direct:

If you do not take your meds as your doctor prescribed, when you have a relapse, you will be taken to a hospital and put into in-patient care with or without your permission. You are sick and you need to take this to make you better. You may not "feel" the results, but your family and loved ones do feel it when you don't comply with your medication regimen.

So lay it on the line: take the pills or be an inpatient for the rest of your life.

Good luck.

Answer 4

It's not just mentally ill people who stop taking there medicine. A lot of people do it. It's because they feel better and say they don't need it anymore. They are much better now and therefore, stop taking it. They never make the connection that it is the medicine doing it and they will go right back to they way they were if they don't take it. It's a vicious cycle.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, there's nothing much you can do. We have experience with bipolar disorder, and you have to understand that the disorder itself works against the victim continuing on with medication. If you were in a manic phase and completely in love with the world and happy, and someone told you you needed to be on medication to "fix" your euphoria, wouldn't you think "Who's nuts here? Me or him?" You've hit on the great tragedy of mental illness. The victims are unreachable because of their illness. Logic or reason won't help. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to allow them to reach bottom, get tired of being committed or arrested and hope that they will be able to see for at least a little while, what has happened to them and what they need to do to try to reclaim their lives. This is a horror to watch, as a parent, in particular, but sometimes it's all there is. Try not to be an enabler and a rescuer, even though that's the hardest thing in the world not to do. Read about the disorder, attend NAMI classes, if you have access to them. Then just do the best you can. Mental illness is a tragedy. The way we treat it in the US and much of the world is an even bigger tragedy. And to be stuck right in the middle of it, either by yourself or with a loved one, is hell. May I suggest the book CRAZY, by Pete Earley. If nothing else, it will let you see that your eperience is not unique. You're experiencing what all of us are going through. Good luck.

Answer 6

mentally ill is a harsh word to use. I perfer using the word in a respectfully way. They are depress or have a illness. Some may stop taking their meds because they believe in a power of prayer and the meds are worse then the illness at times.Many side effects comes with alot of medication for this illness. I also believe that many are ill because of their past history.Many beleive is the healing power from Heaven(God).I know because I have depression and I believe in the power of prayer and healing from God.The medication does for some people making them in a daze and sleep. This is illness just as any other illness,such as,asthma,diebetic,etc.The people I believe needs alot of TLC, patiance, drugging people is not the answer.Natural vitiamins supplement works better then medication.I also beleive using varieties of different medication for this illness makes people feel they are the guinee pigs.Thay need love, prayer,caring,hope,more understanding from doctors,patiances,hug.

Answer 7

Some don't believe they need the meds. Some feel after they have been on the meds for a little while then they have been cured and they don't need to take their medication anymore. They don't want to accept that they have to take it for the rest of their lives. Also, some don't take their medication because they don't like some of the side effects associated with the meds. I've heard some people complain that they don't feel human or that they feel tired and worn out all day.

Answer 8

Several reasons. One, the medication makes them feel better, so they think they don't need it anymore (they may not). Two, sometimes the side effects are worse than the medication itself. I'm saying this as a "mentally ill" (or formerly mentally ill) person, who is proud to be off of medication, and I'm functioning quite well.

Answer 9

From my own experience; its because most medicine can do more damage than good. I have been on medecine in the past and either during or after i have tried to tapper down off of it more problems have come about. I work in the biotech/pharm field and basically all meds are bad. Stick with hollistic remidies.

Answer 10

If someone told you that you were mentally ill even though you didn't think that you were...would you take any medication that they had to give to you?