Are you on medication?

[Melkor]

This topic title made me laugh.

NO.

 

[Radioactive_Springtime]

probably should be, never been to a doctor but I'm pretty sure I'm bipolar.

 

[kimboli]

I'm on Effexor for depression and social anxiety. I recommend getting counciling over meds anyday! the side effects really suck and your a zombie if your on a high dose!

 

[murkrow]

I'm high on life, alcohol and occasionally tobacco. And I used to use some stuff with much longer names, but I've always rejected attempts to medicate me.

 

[Saturnine]

I was on paxil, welbutrin, and klonopin for about 2 years. I finally weened myself off of them for personal reasons. I am very prone to depression and anxiety/panic, but I'm choosing to be pill free because those things made me feel ill most of the time.

Now I'd rather just smoke some weed, or have a few drinks to help me chill out. I'm still very depressive, but I'm learning to control the panic on my own.

 

[Jordan~]

Oxytetracycline, but that's for acne. :P

 

[NoID10ts]

I have a history of depression and even self injury. I went 14 years without the self injury but had a really low point hit a few years ago and did it again. I was subsequently put on Lexapro and then Zoloft but I quit taking them. The effect is subtle but effective to a degree (those around me found me easier to be around), but as an artist, I found that I actually missed the depression. It is part of who I am and I just have to keep myself from getting to the extreme low points through counseling, diet, exercise, and keeping my mind occupied. BTW, My counselor swears by L-Tryptaphan which is available at most health food stores but I haven't tried it yet.

 

[PreAlgebra]

Yeah. I hate the idea of being completely unconcious... I don't even like sleeping.

Thats funny cause I had a serious problem with this as a kid. Every night when I had to go to sleep, I got serious anxiety.

I only self-medicate with alcohol. It is the only anti-depressant that I am comfortable with. All others seem to have nasty side affects like numbing my creative juices.

The comments about creativity and depression are interesting. I know people that can only make really good art if there is a lot of turmoil in their personal lives or if they are depressed. I on the other hand can't create anything from my depression. The depression is just to distracting.

 

[Anti-socialite]

I'm not on any medication and although I've always thought I should be, recently I've changed my mind about it. The world is screwed up. If every human alive isn't on medication, then I don't need it either.

 

[Saturnine]

I have a history of depression and even self injury. I went 14 years without the self injury but had a really low point hit a few years ago and did it again. I was subsequently put on Lexapro and then Zoloft but I quit taking them. The effect is subtle but effective to a degree (those around me found me easier to be around), but as an artist, I found that I actually missed the depression. It is part of who I am and I just have to keep myself from getting to the extreme low points through counseling, diet, exercise, and keeping my mind occupied. BTW, My counselor swears by L-Tryptaphan which is available at most health food stores but I haven't tried it yet.

I can relate to everything you said. I don't like the zombie like effects of these medications. Being an artist I know that feeling intense emotion is important! It's sometimes unbearable though...to the point where I can't even draw anything. When I do draw it's obsessively for week long spurts, until I exhaust myself.

 

[NoID10ts]

A little Star Trek wisdom from Captain Kirk:

Damn it, Bones, you're a doctor. You know that pain and guilt can't be taken away with a wave of a magic wand. They're the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain!

 

[Radioactive_Springtime]

all great art is made through suffering.

 

[loveofreason]

A little Star Trek wisdom from Captain Kirk:

Damn it, Bones, you're a doctor. You know that pain and guilt can't be taken away with a wave of a magic wand. They're the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain!

Kirk said that!? I thought it was my own original thought.

I think I'm on the verge of discovering I'm nothing but a composite of all the childhood TV I consumed.

 

[Perseus]

It should be possible to ascertain what personality type a person by their preferred chemical intake as it effects the brain:
The only one I know definitely is preferred is that ESFJ likes "Henry the Horse" (street name: Heroin).

I think (by reputation if not in fact that the ISFP Cat likes Hashish, but I am not sure about this? not being cat-like myself)

The other chemicals of note include LSD, Alcohol, Stimulants (Ephedrine and related drugs). I am not sure what Ecstasy is whether or not it is a stimulant or a a psychedelic?

I forgot about the tranquilizers which I do not know much about. Not favoured by the rationals, I am sure.

All chemicals are short-acting ones that return the partaker to homeostasis the following day. Addiction is a different kettle of fish.

I have a fondness for wine and cider. In work situations when forced to be with people I would sooner avoid, other chemicals may be preferred.

 

[hikky]

My parents once took me to a counselor due to the many problems caused by my personality.. Well, suffice it to say even with all the lying I was doing, the guy wanted me on medication. I just refused to take it though. So I'm drug-free, and always intend to be. For some reason, I don't want to dull my senses, even if they bring me sadness or loneliness.

 

[IfloatTHRUlife]

Growing up my mother always had all kinds of anti-depressants, pain killers, and sleep pills. I never liked any of them...i have been offered all kinds of pain killers from where i had my ankle fractured and other dumb things like the headaches i get, i never accepted any of them since i assumed my mother was so wild because of them. To this day i avoid every drug known to man basically. My friends are all around 20-28 years old (me being 18) and i have to always preach about how they are stupid for drinking and doing pills. (pills not prescribed to them of course, but i don't like them even if they are prescribed)

I smoke weed every day though, it may seem sort of a contradiction to what i said before but i don't think marijuana is a bad drug, it may cause lung cancer and some people say it stunts your motivation but who cares, it relaxes me and allows me to think a lot more clearly around people. I would even go as far as to say weed has prevented me from developing any depression but i have always been really easy going and try to not let stuff get to me. I have been depressed before but it wasn't for a long period of time but hey.. I have only had 18 years to have something traumatic happen to me...whose to say i wont go into a deep depression later on today... lets not hope so but yeah...ramble ramble

 

[IntenseBurger]

I got put on antidepressants two years ago. stopped taking them six weeks later, of my own accord. I really hate the idea of pills being thrown at me and being told they are the answer to all my problems. I really don't care if they help or not, I cant stand them.

 

[severus]

Video about ADD/ADHD and the negative affects of antidepressents:
The Drugging of our Children (Gary Null) (SSRI drug dangers)(Columbine shooting)
Very interesting, I highly reccommend watching it.

 

[Agent Intellect]

Video about ADD/ADHD and the negative affects of antidepressents:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3609599239524875493&hl=en
Very interesting, I highly reccommend watching it.

just got done watching it. definitely worth the time, but that shit pisses me off. especially the whole shit about "social anxiety disorder" because people are shy and shit. i can get pretty depressed quite often, i've thought about getting on antidepressents myself, although i've always had my doubts, but seeing this, i almost think i'm better off sticking with alcohol.

 

[Decaf]

http://www.keirsey.com/add_hoax.aspx

This is one of the reasons I want to get into psychology professionally.

 

[eudemonia]

I don't want to contradict people's feelings about taking medication as I sympathise and thought I would never allow my child to be medicated. But there is a case which still puzzles me. A friend has a boy the same age as my son. From as early as the age of 2, her son had difficulties. He could never stay doing anything for a small period of time (no problems there, just hyper active) but he was also violent. Whenever he couldn't get his way he lashed out at people. My son was the frequent recipient of his hits. We often used to take them to playgrounds and the next minute a child would let out a wail and an angry mum would come to complain about my friend's son. He was impossible to have around in a social situation. Soon after he started school he started hitting the other children. Then he bit a teacher - needless to say he would not settle at all. He was asked to leave. He was asked to leave two subsequent schools. Then my friend, who is American, took him to a camp based in the State where they helped him psychologically but also prescribed a better drug than Ritalin (less strong). Since then he was transformed. He plays rugby for the County; he is musically gifted; he has set up a band and organized a concert; he has got into one of the top schools in the country. He has not been zombieised but just seems to have blossomed in every sphere. He is still a very physical child but he is not violent towards others. I later found out that his father suffered the same symptoms and was locked up in some type of reform school when he was young. I am not making any judgements but I thought it was an interesting story.

 

[severus]

Some people will definately benefit from certain medications. Just some of the doctors here are a little prescription-happy.

 

[Decaf]

I'm not for the banning of psychopharmacology. I just believe that the industry behind it has grown hideously out of control.

Even being a libertarian I believe in Universal Healthcare for this reason. You can not wrest this kind of power away from an organization because they don't need the regulation. They needed it early on, but now they're firmly entrenched. If it were government operated I don't believe it would be great, or even good. I do see the benefit of taking drug company's hands off of doctors.

A lot of what I believe was also said in that video (and thanks for finding that. It was very well done) and is why I first took to personality theory. I agree that there are physical conditions that can occur due to problems in the brain, but we need to stop treating people simply because their personality runs contrary to the environment they've been placed in. That's when counselors should do their job (though I believe it should be a more prestigious job with better training opportunities and pay).

 

[Jesin]

prescribed a better drug than Ritalin (less strong).

Which one?

 

[Agent Intellect]

real men medicate themselves with alcohol.





(i'm drunk right now)

 

[hope]

So... I have add (not hyperactive) and have recently began taking Ritalin. I am not entirely sure how this could work, but i think Ritalin is actually making me less focused and more impatient-- the opposite of the intended effect. Possible?

 

[Ghost1986]

anythings possible. any changes in your life? routine? diet? conflicts?

 

[Invoke Ninja's True Power]

I can't discuss herbal remedies in public, thanks SJ types for making my life a living hell

 

[preilemus]

i do not take any medications, and i never have either

 

[Rain]

Never been medicated. Not that I think I would need to.