Thank you for posting. Hoping you can relate to my issue and suggest a helpful direction for me to begin the healing process. Going just type the points.
I was a successful sales executive. Yes, I lived life in the fast lane for years, but always produced at work and showed up.
Played baseball till age 24. College grad. At age 35, my back began severely degenerative processes. My issue-my back was killing by age 44, couldn't sit still. WELL, I'm at a primary care dr follow up for flu symptoms and I was fidgeting do to back nerve pain. Dr aid, "I think you'll be more comfortable if you take these "calming" medications". I'd have tried anything, this was before surgeries started. My "primary care dr" prescribed me Lamictal and citalopram. WTF, now that I'm 54. My life via mental health was a free-fall downhill from there. I was manic or bipolar,. I was simply miserably in pain and looked agitated because I Frick'n was-WITH PAIN! That dr new that because he regularly gave me steroids shots for pain. I finally had mri's, many pain blocks, surgeries gone wrong bla, bla, bla. I survived the opiate prescription years with benzo's. I never had a manic issue, or bipolar thoughts until prescribed mental meds. I felt like I was in a nonchalant fog after mental prescriptions. Then I started seeing a psychologist 3 years after starting Lamictal, I didn't feel like myself. Well they put me on benzo's. Then 2 years later they switched me from Lamictal and citalopram to effexor and mirtazapine, propranolol, vistoril-because I just couldn't explain how I felt...I wasn’t myself. I was awarded SSDI around 46 because of back, hip condition and many surgeries. Then I'm prescribed ass lia@ds of opiates for years and was almost off them/on my own doing and strenuous efforts. Only to have another dr prescribe Frick'n Suboxone. Whoa! That was ridiculous now that I'm older and had to wean myself off of Suboxone because Dr would say at appt, "how do you fell)? Me-"I guess OK and normal ". BS!!! U can't think and feel anything on Suboxone. People might argue that statement, but everyone will just let life roll of their shoulders and don't realize that. Then it's 10 years later and they wonder where did years of my life go.
Side note: I've been included in 5 insurance and prescription overcharge fees, 3 over prescribed class action, 3 opiate class action and 4 Suboxone class action law suites....all based of my insurance and prescription records. Thus far, I've received a total of $2100.....lawyers-$3 billion!!!! I had perfect chronological records for everything at THAT RIDICULOUS!
Before I make my point, I neverhad mental health issues until being prescribed those types of meds. I had to wean myself off Suboxone 1mg at a time for 3 years and when down to .05 mgs every 4 days...every time I quit and made it to day 8-10, I'd end up in the ER thinking I was having a massive heart attack...and I'm in great damn shape. The 3rd time, I did have a heart attack. My CNS had literally given up and was mis-firing..for lack of better words. My ICU dr friend said they've never been trained on how to care for Suboxone pt's, nor is there any written protocol to titrate off the med if no longer applicable to pt. Frick!
I stopped AGAIN, on my own-didn't sleep for 3 weeks...HORRIBLE! But I pushed through knowing that my brain chemistry would heal itself-my degree is in chemistry. You can't take medication for years and expect a return to normal in a few days or weeks. It's been 8 months since last taking Sand I still have triggers of not feeling whole. So that's the back story
Ok...yes, I have drank 2 x's a week and used cocaine 4x's a month AFTER start mental meds. Both made feel normal..thinking and resolute while on all that damn medication.
Chemically speaking g, if you don't need serotonin and dopamine reuptake inhibitors and Dr's prescribe them...then you use illegal dopamine and serotonin increasering drugs seeking a feeling of normalcy...your screwed, not by drugs, but by incorrect prescribed medications.
I haven't dated, rarely leave the house, I've missed paying bills just shrugging all responsibilities off because of Lamictal, Citalopram, Effexor, Mirtazapune, all benzos and opiates/Suboxone that'd been prescribed to me...incorrectly I feel. I don't do the illegal stuff anymore and I feel more helpless.
So much so, I felt so aloof on my prescribed mental meds, I went to ER 3 years ago and because I needed help so bad and I was sick of not being cared for with back pain flare ups because the hospitals automatically flag you as a drug addict because ur prescribed certain meds by no fault of ur own...I checked into ER and then went into bathroom and made 2 harmless suits in wrists so that I'd get the mental health I so desperately needed. This happened at year 4 of Lamictal and citalopram and again w/no drama like that at 3 years of Effexor and mirtazapune. Me, Frick'n checking myself in a mental emergency mental rehab hospital. My friends and family are still shocked, "you, how did this happen"? Well I explained above.

Question for public, has anyone been initially been prescribed mental meds later in life, only to realize they were misdiagnosed and now are medication free and doing MUCH better???

Help! Hoping someone can relate to my dissertation. Sorry so long winded
TCB