How to differentiate between Mental Illness or medication side effects

Posted by irbanbharldiend @irbanbharldiend, May 29, 2024

I started experiencing severe anxiety about 6 months ago and have gone down the difficult path to recovery.

My symptoms began after a weekend bender, and I would typically binge drink every weekend but not drink during the week. I haven’t drank in 6 months.

I also took Tamiflu shortly after, which has been associated with Neuropsychiatric Side Effects.

After two months of severe anxiety, I saw my doctor and was prescribed Buspirone. I took it for two months and experienced some intense side effects (noise sensitivity, tinnitus, light sensitivity, dizziness, tremors, S.I., nausea, etc). I quit taking it.

My psychiatrist recommended I start Pristiq. I’ve now been on it for 10 weeks. Anxiety has improved a little bit but I have been experiencing heightened depression and S.I. I still have tremors. I’m far less social than I was before taking medications. It’s been harder to go to the gym. I feel like I have less connection with people and have even had bizarre outlooks on my perception of people’s physical features. Everyday I’m waking up with dread and pushing myself to do things so as not to isolate or avoid social interactions.

A psychiatrist mentioned it may be emotional blunting that I’ve been experiencing. I’m at a loss and trying everything I can to improve but it feels like I’m stuck. Does anyone have similar experiences or advice? I can’t tell if it’s the medication or mental illness causing these changes in me.

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Jroatenberry | @jeffroatenberry | 15 hours ago

In reply to @dfb "I used alcohol and drugs to avoid feelings I had experienced my whole life. Trauma, whatever..." + (show)

@dfb

I used alcohol and drugs to avoid feelings I had experienced my whole life.

Trauma, whatever the source alters how the brain works. I have lived in a state of “ fight or flight” my whole life.

Eventually this became my default setting. I wake up every morning anxious and wanting to die.

Alcohol and drugs numbed these feelings but never addressed the causes. Worse they further altered my brain. When I stopped using them the feelings came back worse.

I was the diagnosed with major depressive disorder and put on very high levels of psychiatric medications. The psyche meds blunted my feelings but never addressed the root cause. The suicidal depression never lifted but my life crumbled under the side effects.

I am now on my second titration and the feelings I’ve had my whole life are coming back again. This time I know where they are coming from and I am slowly dealing with them and finally healing, I think.

Trauma, all feelings for that matter change the way the brain functions. Adaptation to the trauma can be negative, reinforcing the feelings originating from the trauma.

Drugs, alcohol and medications can deaden these feelings but they do not heal the trauma. The brain has to heal itself by forming new neuropath ways.

So far the only way I have found to do this is psychotherapy along with changes to how I live my life. Medications can make this process more tolerable but I’ve yet to find any other way and I am sixty.

My doctors are sending me for TMS in the hope that it might speed the process along, they call it enhancing neural plasticity, in the hope that it will help my brain heal itself.

Something lead you to binge drink. You have been able to address it by numbing your feelings. Now you are experiencing those feelings along with alcohol withdrawal, which is terrible all by itself.

In my opinion you’d be well served by a therapist that can help you work through why you needed to numb your feelings and a psychiatrist who isn’t going to try to make your feelings go away with medication, rather will use the least amount of medication you need to get through withdrawal and your awakening.

If you numb your feelings with psychiatric medications you’ll never get to the root cause of your suffering. Worse, you be chasing side effect demons like they are the issue, mean while you will continue to suffer.

This is my experience. I’ve been dealing with the effects of suicidal depression for fifty four years. I’m am just now starting to heal.

None of this is easy. But I can tell you that I am beginning to feel the lead weight of depression and anxiety starting to lift. I have hope for the first time in a very long time.

I wish for you that you’re suffering not be as long and destructive as mine has been.

I wish for you that you live in peace and good health the rest of your life. It is the same thing I wish for myself and all who suffer.

Be well!

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I just read my lifestyle story in your comment..but only difference. Is im 58..side effects of meds are killing me now..feel lost and empty..like going to sleep and not waking up...ty for sharing your journey with us. Sending prayers 🙏 and good thoughts for all who suffer...

dfb | @dfb | 10 hours ago

Jeff, I assume that is your name, if you are coming off psychiatric medications any where near the dose and duration I was on you are in hell...I'm so very sorry.

Soon everyone will know, they couldn't keep it secret forever it is coming out...big Pharma makes the tobacco companies seem angelic...it's coming and I plan on helping it along.

You have to stick around for the reckoning.

If you read my post you will see few have been on as many psych meds for as long, at the doses I have been on. Never mind ECT, Ketamine and just about every illegal drug out there, save heron.

You can recover.

Here is what worked for me:

Nutrition:

I have a severe Cortisol Awaking Response...they call it CAR and they've known about it since the fifties and termed it CAR in 1990...it makes me immediately suicidal...I manage it by eating right away. Three eggs, one small pancake with real maple syrup, half a banana and I like expresso.

More importantly the first thing I do is drink a liter of electrolytes...I drink five to ten liters a day. The brain is 80% water it needs to heal...hydrate, hydrate, hydrate all you can stand.

Water is not good enough, milk, vegetable juice any thing with sodium and potassium as well as the trace minerals...my good pressure is 114/12 it was 160/110 on meds 18 months ago...so much for sodium causing high blood pressure.

My diet is 50 to 70 percent protein 10 percent glucose...usually maple syrup...high fructose corn syrup is poison avoid it whenever you can. Read Brain Energy by Chris Palmer MD at McLean...they're using my story with one of they're campaigns.

There is a catch you have to move. Exercise as much as you can as hard as you can, but be careful not to over due it. I was up to 6 hours a day...I'm still at three and expect I always will be...dopamine baby...but I've always been this way so this normal for me.

Purpose...find one and focus all you're energy on it for me it is love...call it pathetic but I want the family they took away from me back...it gives me reason not to kill myself...though even that didn't work three days in a row...if you pray...pray...if not might be a good time to start.

Loving connection, anywhere, everywhere all the time. People help people, not poisons that rob us of our very identity.

If you meds work for you change nothing...I've not found anyone that has not been harmed but I'm sure there are some.

Eighteen months ago I was 260 pounds and on 14 meds I'd been written off.

I am now 185...zero medications an all of my health problems are gone all of them. BPH, High Blood Pressure, ED, Sleep Apnea, chronic hiccups, terrible insomnia, kidney diesel, pre-diabetic, kidney stones, broken back, knees I couldn't walk one there's more but I won't bore you.

June 28th I will a 24 hour Spartan Race to raise money for a local homeless shelter...I'm still here they didn't get me and they won't get you either...none of us...the game is over.

Perhaps the Ivory Tower will come done to Earth this time.

You can do this if it is what you want. PM me an I will gladly share more and one reading this please feel free to do the same.

I know the way in an out of hell pretty well and I'm finding new passageways all them. I helps to share.

May your God bring you peace and good health...now...right now.

Thank you,

David

PS if anyone wants the hard science backing up my statements PM me. I will direct you to more than you'll ever be able to read print it out and take it to your doctors is they tell you your crazy.

There is no such thing as "mental" health. That is pejorative term that dismiss the reality that we are talking about "Brian Health" the most important in the body and the act like there is some ephemeral thing floating around up there that we choose...we can direct our brain to heal w can not "will" it...I wan to use the term "idiots" but...well I guess I just did.

Blood letting at its best!