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Since medicine is such a popular trend in this country, it is as easy to stock a medicine cabinet full of dangerous pills, as it is to turn on the kitchen sink and get some tap water. This is the scariest and most dangerous in the mental health community. Drugs aimed to treat mental illnesses are a game of hit and miss, mixing chemicals and the human brain. It is like Russian roulette. Even though scientists developed these medications, the scientists themselves cannot predict the outcomes or consequences, nor can they control the side effects of experimenting with the human mind. Almost every drug prescribed for mental health patients has a very long list of very serious side effects. Many of these drugs also bring with them the potential of actually making the condition worse and ending a mild case of depression in suicide. Are these chances worth taking? Sometimes, but it is essential that the patient not be ignorant and place their minds haphazardly into the hands of a doctor with no questions asked. It is crucial to do the research on medications.
The first thing to look out for is in-patient and community based (sliding scale or free clinics) treatment centers. These centers have the primary concern of keeping the community of patients (they call them "consumers") quiet and complacent. Upon being admitted to an in-patient clinic, the first thing they do is medicate the patient. Anti-psychotics, strong medications labeled to treat such dangerous conditions as schizophrenia and dementia, are automatically given to every inpatient, regardless of their cause of admittance, and usually at dosages never meant to be given! Most meds are meant to be started at low levels such as 25 mg's, but treatment centers are commonly known to start patients at doses in the hundreds! These are insane, dangerous and inhumane practices! Moreover, the patient, usually being sick and not always in the state of mind to make good decisions, never knows better. Then there are consequences of severe side effects, addictions, withdrawals and the need for more medications!
All the commonly prescribed medications, such as anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, sedatives and sleeping pills, are highly addicting. All carry with them serious withdrawals. All of them carry with them side effects that many patients say are not worth going through. Many opt for living with depression, anxiety and debilitating mood swings rather than suffer from common side effects such as tremors, uncontrollable twitching, extreme restlessness, inability to focus, significant weight gain (known to lead to the onset or worsening of diabetes), insomnia and even increased agitation and a rise in harmful and suicidal thinking. So what is the lesser of two evils? Living sick naturally or living sick medicinally?
The answer lies somewhere in the middle. Taken the right way, in the right amounts, and for the right reasons, medications for mental illness can change a life. Never start at high doses. Always make sure you or someone you trust is always aware of what you are being given BEFORE you take it. Research the medication being suggested from several sources, not just the website put out by the company making the particular medication. Ask around or search the internet for other people's experiences with the drug. Do not let a doctor prescribe you too many medications at once. In addition, make sure the drug is labeled for use for your own personal illness or disorder. "Off label" use is a dangerous, but common practice to wary of.
It is unfortunate that people looking for help cannot just trustingly succumb to "doctor's orders". Overmedication is the last issue someone needing mental help should have to worry about, but it is a reality. Do not let it become something that takes over your life, be involved in your treatment plan and be educated about your condition and the medications surrounding it.
Testimonies: Overmedicated: The dreaded reality of mental disorder
by Kelly Mastanduno
While mental illness is a very serious issue, the medical community treats it like more of a game, a money making one. I cannot speak for every doctor and every employee of every pharmaceutical company, but as a whole, patients who depend on modern medicine to help them achieve healthier and more productive lives, or even just to be able to live, are being severely taking advantage of in their quest for help from medical professionals.Since medicine is such a popular trend in this country, it is as easy to stock a medicine cabinet full of dangerous pills, as it is to turn on the kitchen sink and get some tap water. This is the scariest and most dangerous in the mental health community. Drugs aimed to treat mental illnesses are a game of hit and miss, mixing chemicals and the human brain. It is like Russian roulette. Even though scientists developed these medications, the scientists themselves cannot predict the outcomes or consequences, nor can they control the side effects of experimenting with the human mind. Almost every drug prescribed for mental health patients has a very long list of very serious side effects. Many of these drugs also bring with them the potential of actually making the condition worse and ending a mild case of depression in suicide. Are these chances worth taking? Sometimes, but it is essential that the patient not be ignorant and place their minds haphazardly into the hands of a doctor with no questions asked. It is crucial to do the research on medications.
The first thing to look out for is in-patient and community based (sliding scale or free clinics) treatment centers. These centers have the primary concern of keeping the community of patients (they call them "consumers") quiet and complacent. Upon being admitted to an in-patient clinic, the first thing they do is medicate the patient. Anti-psychotics, strong medications labeled to treat such dangerous conditions as schizophrenia and dementia, are automatically given to every inpatient, regardless of their cause of admittance, and usually at dosages never meant to be given! Most meds are meant to be started at low levels such as 25 mg's, but treatment centers are commonly known to start patients at doses in the hundreds! These are insane, dangerous and inhumane practices! Moreover, the patient, usually being sick and not always in the state of mind to make good decisions, never knows better. Then there are consequences of severe side effects, addictions, withdrawals and the need for more medications!
All the commonly prescribed medications, such as anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, sedatives and sleeping pills, are highly addicting. All carry with them serious withdrawals. All of them carry with them side effects that many patients say are not worth going through. Many opt for living with depression, anxiety and debilitating mood swings rather than suffer from common side effects such as tremors, uncontrollable twitching, extreme restlessness, inability to focus, significant weight gain (known to lead to the onset or worsening of diabetes), insomnia and even increased agitation and a rise in harmful and suicidal thinking. So what is the lesser of two evils? Living sick naturally or living sick medicinally?
The answer lies somewhere in the middle. Taken the right way, in the right amounts, and for the right reasons, medications for mental illness can change a life. Never start at high doses. Always make sure you or someone you trust is always aware of what you are being given BEFORE you take it. Research the medication being suggested from several sources, not just the website put out by the company making the particular medication. Ask around or search the internet for other people's experiences with the drug. Do not let a doctor prescribe you too many medications at once. In addition, make sure the drug is labeled for use for your own personal illness or disorder. "Off label" use is a dangerous, but common practice to wary of.
It is unfortunate that people looking for help cannot just trustingly succumb to "doctor's orders". Overmedication is the last issue someone needing mental help should have to worry about, but it is a reality. Do not let it become something that takes over your life, be involved in your treatment plan and be educated about your condition and the medications surrounding it.
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