This site is moderated. Discussion and alternative views are welcome as long as one is open to checking out what this blog is about. If you have an unambiguous traditional, psychiatric, pro-pharma view, this blog is not for you.
If there are any personal attacks on me or any of my readers those comments will be deleted. I have a volunteer who moderates for me so I will never see venomous attacks if that is what you’re interested in doing.
Comments with too many links or comments that appear to be a list go into the spam folder.
The spam folder is not regularly checked so try to write your comments accordingly.
Update: 7/29/08
I just want to say I’m going to be more liberal about deleting comments and keeping people on moderation.
I’m not interested in arguing with people who aren’t’ interested in learning about alternative perspectives. I’M WELL AWARE OF THE TRADITIONAL one and so are most of my readers and we don’t need people reminding us of it. It nearly killed me—pharmaceutical crap and lies RUINED my life so all of you who want to convince me that psychiatry and pharma is so grand you don’t have a forum anymore. So unless you have an honest interest in exploring alternative views. I don’t want to hear from you.
All my readers who take meds are more than welcome here. I do not judge anyone who chooses to take meds. But what I offer is hope of alternatives and recovery stories of people without drugs and my own journey off meds.
This is a sanctuary for people who want something different. I am as of this moment naming it that.
This is not a blanket attempt to silence anyone…there are hundreds or forums for people who do not fit in this one…go there and be happy.
Hi, I am going to be 35 this May. I sit here astonished. I am looking for answers. I was diagnosed as depressed when I was in my early 20’s. I have been mostly on meds since then. They stop working after just a few months and I keep takling them just because detoxing feels so horrible. I am tired all of the time, eat like crazy, feel ill quite a bit. Lost jobs from missed work. I have had tonsils removed this year due to not sleeping well, I had an endometrial ablation last year because of extreme bleeding, and cramping. Should I stop meds? Should I change my diet? I need help. I can’t concentrate, or remember like I used to. I hurt from aches and pains and my menstrual cycle makes me very tired and feel useless. I feel suicidal sometimes. I ahve two children to think about and love them, why do I do this?
Dear Marsha,
these are big life questions. If you can afford a therapist to help you sort through your difficulties that might be a place to start.
Also—do research—read all you can—let yourself be drawn to what makes sense for you.
I wish you the best.
Wow I just came across your blog and love it! I’m bipolar too… it has been a hard process… I never thought I was until I was diagnosed June of last year… I went thru so much because of the stigmatism of metal illnesses. I ended up in the hospital for a week, lost so much, I lost some relations, friends and until then is that I finally accepted my illness. Now I can say I am happy… I put my life back together after my acceptance of the illness… my meds are now responding great… and I feel full of hope… everything in my life is working the way it should… Maybe someday I’ll be able to have enough tools and courage to finally get out of the meds but right now that is not a wise option… But keep on going! You are a STRONG person!!!
Hey Marcela,
I just checked out your site. I used to be an avid Mountain Biker until the meds kicked my ass. I’m glad you can still do it. I really miss it. Hopefully once I’m off the meds I’ll be able to do stuff like that again.
I don’t actually consider myself bipolar anymore. A lot of us are misdiagnosed and it’s been an evolution for me to completely shed the label. I write about shedding it on my “Undiagnosing Myself” page at the top of my site.
I’m glad you feel healthy and wish you the best on your journey forward.
Dear giannakali,
I did not know there is such people as holistic natural medicine psychiatrists. Thank you for mentioning it.
Love and peace
Mila
Dear Gianna,
I happened across the following statement on your blog regarding Withdrawal and Recovery at Yahoo Groups:
“Also I believe there is a vetting process. Not everyone is allowed to participate. (I have no idea what that process is or why it is in place)”
** To clarify this, we get so many requests daily for new membershiops that it would take 5 people working full time to accommodate everyone’s questions. If people sit tight and read for a few days, 50-75% of their questions will be answered in the responses to others. The questions new members have are predominantly the same for the first couple of weeks. This allows me to put my energies where they are really needed (more customized recommendations and responses to questions beyond those that all newcomers have) instead of answering the same basic repeatedly day after day. It would be nice if people would read the information they are sent upon joining (this answers a lot of people’s questions, too) but this seldom happens.
There are exceptions to everything, of course. If I believe someone is in crisis (most new people post an intro to the list or privately to me) I will address what is happening to get a person stabilized again.
Another benefit to sitting and reading for a couple of days - - the panic in people stops. It is impossible to work with a person who is in a panicked state, and it takes more time than I can spare to personally calm and reassure each and every person given the size of the group.
Yet another benefit is that people get to assimmilate the group culture. All groups function differently. One can get more out of a group by understanding how the group operates and adapting to it.
Withdrawal_and_Recovery is over 1100 people now. It is impossible to provide the level of service I used to provide when the group was only a few hundred people. I have thought long and hard over how to keep delivering quality services without burning myself out (been there, done that). One of my solutions has been to have people sit and watch for a while. It seems to be helping.
Nice job on this blog!
Regards,
Catherine
(Withdrawal_and_Recovery at Yahoo Groups)
Hi Catherine,
Yes I agree if people would just read the sheer volume of info in your files a lot of people would hardly have to ask any question at all!
The reason I said I thought there was a vetting process was because someone once told me he was not allowed to join.
I do not know what the circumstances were and I trust you had good reason.
Hi Gianna,
The only reasons I don’t approve a membership would be the following:
— if that statement a person gives for wanting to join does not give some idea that the person’s goals fit with the group’s purpose, I will write for clarification (”I take Zoloft” is not a good reason for me to approve a membership, lol). If I receive no response in 10 days, or if the group purpose doesn’t match the person’s needs, I deny the request for membership. I ALWAYS give explanations as to why a membership was denied.
– at one point when we were getting 10-15 new membership requests a day, I wrote a small explanation that we were not accepting new members at the time and automatically sent it to anyone who requested to join. I also included in the explanation that if the person was in serious crisis they could write to me privately and I would asssist them in addressing the crisis.
Naturally, there could potentially be the occasional other reason, but rest assured, other than when the group is closed to new members, I’ve personally communicated with every individual before denying membership. The only time that did not occur was between Feb.8 and Apr.16 of this year during which time I was hospitalized and too ill to do anything at all.
Regards,
Catherine
(Withdrawal_and_Recovery at Yahoo Groups)
ah! I just noticed you’re open to members again…that’s fantastic!! I have people I’d like to refer to you…
I would like to share with you my experience with the mental health system. Years ago, when I graduated from college I went back to New York to live with my parents. I was confused and did not what to do with myself. I was getting into trouble, doing drugs, etc. My parents sent me to psychiatrist who diagnosed me as “mentally ill.” The “shrink” then referred me to a neurologist for tests. The neurologist examined me in Columbia/Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan for several days. I was given a CAT scan, heart exam, eye tests and a whole gamut of exams. The neurologist then determined I was fine; I just needed to “grow up.”
Afterwards, I went out to Berkeley, CA – the headquarters of the counter-culture. I have a sister that lives there. I had a nervous breakdown or a “breakthrough.” I then saw a “hippie” psychologist for alternative treatments for my “mental illness.” We did all type of therapies, both “new age” and traditional – such as bodywork, role-playing, relaxation-exercises, as well as one to one counseling. For several years, I roamed around the San Francisco Bay Area. I walked the “streets of San Francisco” and rode public transportation to various towns in the Bay Area. I had many jobs, washing dishes, pumping gas, and having temporary jobs at banks, utilities, and other organizations.
In June of 1986 I went back to New York. I finally find a permanent position at a major hospital on Long Island. (The way that hospital was or is managed is a prime example of how the health care works or doesn’t work, but that is another issue altogether.) Three years later I left the hospital and I obtained job at the Federal Reserve Bank.
Nowadays, I live in Philadelphia, PA. I still work at the Federal Reserve in check processing. I sometimes see a therapist for “anxiety.” I guess I part of the normal “mainstream.” I have a job, my own apartment, a car, and good friends. However, I am still shy and awkward with women.
Hello. I came across your www by accident and found it very interesting. My husband was diagnosed with anxiety and depression three years ago and has been on benzo diazepines and other drugs ever since. He started with diarreah four weeks ago and the doctors have not been able to cure it, despite once again giving him many more drugs. We are now having a private consultation to see if we can solve the problem. Ha Ha. Our health insurance has already paid out the best part of £25,000 and here we go again. After reading some of the comments on your site, I conclude that a mix of drugs taken long term apart from being addictive, plus the fact that my husband’s favourite doctor told him that he could drink 2 pints of guinness a night (so he did plus 3 bottles of wine a week too), eventually leads the body to turn in on itself and thus the diarreah. My husband’s body was telling him it had had enough of all the toxic substances going through it. I am now trying to get him to eat a ‘rainbow’ everyday and to get out of bed, where he has been for the last 10 days. It is not easy, as I don’t know how much influence the trazodone, citalopram, diazepram, zopiclone, fluanzol are having. Once I’ve got him on a good diet again has any one any ideas how he can reduce all these poisons? I have lost faith in doctors as they seem to be happy to dish out pills when a good balanced diet should supply all the body needs plus exercise, fresh air and laughter. No one in all our medical consultations has ever mentioned diet to us. Also, no one has ever asked me how I’ve felt about all this. Carers should be renamed Cinderellas.
Christina,
this blog is all about how to get off drugs…
read the “about” page (the tab is at the top of this page) for all sorts of information from all sorts of resources. If your husband is serious about getting off meds this blog will lead you to plenty of resources.
http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/about/
He needs to be on board though. You can’t make him do anything he doesn’t want or he’s not ready for…
for gut problems also check out:
http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/probiotics-and-mental-health/