For those of us who have been on meds for years....?

Question

do you realize that the chemical make-up and the chemical pathways of your brain have been changed permanently?? I am so tired of meds and changing and tapering and all that garbage. People say "it's the same as having diabetes, cancer etc" Baloney! Those diseases have medications that work on your body. Our meds are for our brain and the meds change our brains! That scares me! What do you think?

Answer 1

I was tired of changing and adjusting as well, but I had to keep doing it for years until my doctor and I found a "cocktail", in a sense, that worked!! I was miserable, could not get out of bed, attempted suicide many, many times. I also went into manic phases.....Bipolar. I was misdiagnosed for over a decade as just having treatment resistant depression and panic disorder. I finally got the Bipolar diagnosis about a year ago. I started taking meds for it and let me tell ya.......I feel better than I have felt in 20 years. I feel normal for a change. I would not go off of my medication for anything.

And....it IS a disease just like diabetes or cancer. I'm a diabetic, so I should know. Insulin changes the body. It's a proven scientific fact that mental illness is just like any other disease. Sadly, some people deny that fact, and the stigma of mental illness starts.

As for your statement, "Our meds are for our brain and the meds change our brains!" Well, your brain is a part of your body, just as your pancreas is.

If it were a choice for me to be off of my meds and be miserable and have out of control behavior or taking my meds and leading a normal life, gimme the pills!

Answer 2

It's all in the mind set of how you view the world around you, too and not just the meds messing up your mind. If you think in a negative feelings then everything will be negative, the same goes for thinking in a positive tone.

Answer 3

Honey, I took pain meds for two years, back in 1997, for a back injury from work.....And I took strong ones, like percocetts too!! And then in 1999 I just decided I was feeling much better, and opted to ween myself off of them.....and did so.....And as soon as I did, I felt good as new!!! I just felt like my old self again, that is until I got hit by a car in 2001!! And almost died! I was thrown three big lanes over, after I hit his bumper, his wind shield, then the back of his truck and landed in the medium,..(thank-God I landed there or some other driver, may have come along, and finished me off!!!) And I am part Frankenstein, with all of the nutz and plates I have in my body, and so much arthritis in my spine, that when I went to a Neurosergeon, because of a lump on my lumbar spine, he refused to remove it, because he explained to me, that my spine was like a "Fragile" peice of glasss, it has so much arthritis in it, that to remove the lump, would be "Disasterous!!" His words! And he told me not to go getting a second opinion, that if I had this done, I would greatly regret it in more ways than one!!! So, I'm back on pain meds for the accident and all of the arthritis that has set in because of my injuries!! Unfortunately!!! There's so many days I wake-up in agony, and wish to God I could get stronger meds, for my pain, but I dont want to get too addicted like so many people I know are!! You know. So, I deal with the pain, and I honestly feel that the meds really dont take away the pain, it just helps our brain to adjust to the pain, because I still feel the pain tremendously!!! But as far as it ruining our brain, I dont think it will at all!! But if your worried about it, you can opt to quit taking them, by slowly weening yourself off of them, like I did back in 1999. Good Luck, to you in doing so, if you choose that route....Smile!!!

Answer 4

Hi
I think looking back i was better before taking my medication than i am now 9yrs down the line you take care

Answer 5

Its not changing your brain permanently. You're going a little overboard.

Meds rule.

Answer 6

I say that if it keeps you sane, don't mess with success.