Psychiatrists not checking in on prescribed patients.

[prbreese01]

I think psychiatrists are shit. I used to think that I had this so called chemical imbalance for decades because that's what I was fed when I was a kid. I'm having serious doubts about it now and have started to wean myself off my medications. One of my medications is a controlled substance so my psychiatrist has to call in the refill each month in order for me to get my medication. I've been taking this medication for awhile and I was due for a refill about a week to 2 weeks ago. My doctor knows that I was taking the prescription according to the instructions; 2 times a day, everyday. I even told him that I tried holding off on taking the meds a couple of days but then I'd start crying and the suicidal ideation would start up again. So basically I thought I'd be tied to this medication for the rest of my life because I needed it.
Anyway, I've been slowly cutting down on my meds without my doctors knowledge and so far so good. But I have to say, I'm fucking pissed at the psychiatrist. Doesn't he have a system that alerts him that I've been due for a refill and where's his concern for possible withdrawal symptoms? It's unbelievable that some of these doctors aren't being held accountable for the shit work they do. Luckily I'm in a better head space right now but what about those patients that aren't? I've now realized, after 30 years of going to a psychiatrist on and off, that they're bullshit.

 

[hellispink]

Be mindful of the withdrawal symptoms. These medications are poison. They ruined my health and I am still tapering from them cause when I did it cold turkey, I couldn't even move from the bed. Psychiatrists are piece of shit, all they care is about money. They prescribe such horrible things and if there is a professional that doesnt give shit it will always be a psychiatrist. They usually make hell money they dont care how it affect you inside or your overall healthx

 

[AliceTheGoon]

Unfortunately you raise an eyebrow at psychiatry and you get accused of being a Scientologist thanks to stupid Tom Cruise and his stupid Today Show interview. Dude has literal blood on his hands for how far he set back rational discussion on psychiatry and psych med disorders.

 

[KuriGohan&Kamehameha]

Be really careful when tapering off psych medications, especially things like benzodiazepines. If you have been taking them long-term, you can't go cold turkey or you risk having seizures. Most other meds can come with withdrawal syndromes too if you've been using them for long periods, SNRIs like Cymbalta come to mind, due to the prevelance of the "brain zap" side effect upon cessation. When you want to stop taking perscription drugs, everyone expects that doctors will always provide you with the necessary guidance to do so, but unfortunately this often does not seem to be the case with psychiatry.

Psychiatrists don't seem know a whole lot about quitting medication and how to taper efficiently and safely. They can be astonishingly misinformed about these topics and convince patients that they have to take medications for life, in spite of the patient's wishes. The patient really wants to come off the drugs, yet finds themselves stuck taking them anyway due to the harsh side effects induced by protracted withdrawal. It creates a viscous cycle of addiction.

There is a good community out there run by peer-support volunteers that has guidance about coming off psychiatric drugs safely, it contains a wealth of information taken from drug leaflets and scientific journal articles on this topic. Here is an article for you that may be helpful.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2045125321991274

 

[prbreese01]

Be really careful when tapering off psych medications, especially things like benzodiazepines. If you have been taking them long-term, you can't go cold turkey or you risk having seizures. Most other meds can come with withdrawal syndromes too if you've been using them for long periods, SNRIs like Cymbalta come to mind, due to the prevelance of the "brain zap" side effect upon cessation. When you want to stop taking perscription drugs, everyone expects that doctors will always provide you with the necessary guidance to do so, but unfortunately this often does not seem to be the case with psychiatry.

Psychiatrists don't seem know a whole lot about quitting medication and how to taper efficiently and safely. They can be astonishingly misinformed about these topics and convince patients that they have to take medications for life, in spite of the patient's wishes. The patient really wants to come off the drugs, yet finds themselves stuck taking them anyway due to the harsh side effects induced by protracted withdrawal. It creates a viscous cycle of addiction.

There is a good community out there run by peer-support volunteers that has guidance about coming off psychiatric drugs safely, it contains a wealth of information taken from drug leaflets and scientific journal articles on this topic. Here is an article for you that may be helpful.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2045125321991274

Thanks for that link and the concern. I have a much clearer understanding of everything now so I'm definitely taking everything slowly. Hopefully I'll be off all meds in a couple of months and then I'll see what my true state of mind is in. I wouldn't be surprised if I never needed another prescription ever again. I think the psychiatrists got it all wrong about me. Too bad that I've wasted over 30 years of my life thinking I have a "chemical imbalance". I'll be turning 47 in two weeks and I've believed this load of crap since I was around 17 or 18.