Finally been prescribed

[boi]

this looked like the right place to post this in. I have finally been prescribed Risperdal. Today will be the first day I take it. It's a very low dose to begin. my dr said on very low doses the side effects are not that apparent. I will take it, however I do still feel like I'm selling out to the pharmaceutical companies. I feel like I am another stat. Then again if it helps me then why not. the dr said it will help me become detached. My reactions will be slower. if this is the case then that is great because I have never been like that in my whole life so it will be a new but good thing. I am kinda on the fence as you can see. does anybody have any experience with Risperdal?

 

[Retired]

I do still feel like I'm selling out to the pharmaceutical companies

We would all like to be able to resolve our problems on our own without external intervention. However that is not always possible, particularly with medical issues.

If you were diagnosed with diabetes and needed insulin to survive or if you had cardivascular disease and needed blood thinners to live, would you feel as though you sold out?

Someone has to manufacture reliable, safe and proven medications. The industry may not be perfect and may have some issues on a business level, but pharmaceutical companies in developed countries produce medications that in general improve quality of and prolong life.

You can feel comfortable in taking the medication your doctor has prescribed, with the expectation that your quality of life will improve.

Be sure to maintain a dialogue with your doctor to report your progress or to report any unexpected reactions so your doctor can fine tune your medication (dose) in necessary.

 

[boi]

If you were diagnosed with diabetes and needed insulin to survive or if you had cardivascular disease and needed blood thinners to live, would you feel as though you sold out?

I think I would feel that I should have done something to prevent it before it reached to that level (exercise and proper diet). I feel like I am responsible for my mental health and maybe if I had sorted out issues in the past then I wouldnt be in this position. However, then I think logically and say if I could have sorted them out then I probably would have. I guess I am still having trouble accepting that I might have bipolar II. Which apparently seems likely according to my dr

 

[Into The Light]

i think most of us are resistant to taking medication and it takes a while to get over that hurdle. in the end though i can say i am just really glad these medications are available. they really make a difference and sometimes even can be lifesaving.

 

[Retired]

I feel like I am responsible for my mental health

I don't know about your particular situation, but many diagnoses in mental health are no more the fault of the individual than whether your hair is blond or red.

It has to do with brain chemistry, which is why neurochemical imbalances need to be restored through the use of medications.

These medications are not used haphazardly, but are prescribed by physicians with specialized training in these illnesses and disorders. Their prescriptions are based on scientifically based research combined with the physician's clinical experience.

Mental illness is an illness, and referring back to my example of diabetes is an illness that often requires treatment using medication to restore the body's healthy state of balance.

still having trouble accepting that I might have bipolar II.

Do you have reservations do you have about the diagnosis or just difficulty accepting the diagnosis applies to you?

 

[lallieth]

Hi boi

I did everthing possible to combat panic disorder.spend a good 3 years trying to control it on my own,using everything from diet/exercise to herbal supplements.Then I realized that when all that didn't work,it wasn't because I failed,it was because my brain needed something more

I started meds reluctantly,but after they kicked in at the 8 week mark,I found that I could live my life without worry and panic,and it was a great feeling to get myself back..

Give the medication an honest go and don't blame yourself because of something yu have no control over..

 

[boi]

Do you have reservations do you have about the diagnosis or just difficulty accepting the diagnosis applies to you?

I am not sure. the more I obsess and read about bipolar II and knowing there is such a wide spectrum I am starting to believe it could be. I do have to trust the dr as well. i've only been a few times so that is why the diagnosisis not 100% yet. time will tell. I guess it's difficult accepting the diagnosis for me. I have been like this for many years. It is hard for me to understand that I could be more "balanced". I've always wanted to be this calm, rational and balanced individual and have never been. this could also explain, why I have always been like this.

Lallieth, did you remember the times when your life was not filled with worry and panic? I seem to have always been like this and I dont remember ever being calm and collective without worry, anxiety, paranoia and irritation.

 

[lallieth]

Boi

I was diagnosed with panic disorder just 8 years go,so I haven't lived with it all my life up till then..I do remember times of calm..but when I think back to before I was diagnosed,my life was a constant state of upheaval..

I felt the first calm,free from worry or anxiety when I started the medication.I knew that it would help me live a life free of anxiety and worry and while I was on medication I used that time to really dig deep inside myself.And also to learn alot about anxiety,treatments such as breathing/meditation/yoga

Medication allowed my thought process to slow down so I could make alot more sense of the anxiety and to learn what I needed and wanted from my life.

If someone asked me " did medication save your life" I would honestly answer " it gave me back my life"