The benefits of telling the truth

[[Lo...]]

The media claims there is less stigma with mental illness but I don't believe that anything has changed.

 

The stigma is very much there. I think there's more of it now than there was before. If there was less stigma, most people would feel free to discuss their thoughts and feelings in real life and would not have to resort to taking psychiatric meds, which a lot of people usually start when they are severely anxious, depressed, isolated, despairing.....

[[Te...]]

I have a feeling that not too many people tell the truth to the doctors they see because otherwise this would be out in the open. I mean, it's been going on for over 50 years. 50 years of who knows how many people on these pills telling their doctors - well, something would have been done by now.

 

I feel that a lot of people on the pills keep pretty quiet for the fear of being cut off. And usually, those are the ones having considerable trouble coming off. The ones that don't have conisderable trouble coming off just resume with their lives and usually don't tell anyone and just keep on living. So we either have people who are coming off/have come off but are too vulnerable to share and bound not to be believed, or we have people who do fine, but are uninterested to spread any awareness outside of recovery circles because they just want to resume their lives. And most people not affected still want to cling to the idea that benzos are helpful, should they need them if something bad occurs in their life.

 

Well, there's the rub, Loraz. You put it very well.

[[Ph...]]

I wish I had the courage to say what I'd really like to say to doctors. That would be so freeing! But I'm afraid they'd flag my medical record as being difficult, and they'd just point out my GAD diagnosis. Case closed.

 

Say it anonymously, then! Either way, i don't see how that's a big deal.

 

I have doctor phobia. My blood pressure goes really high when I see a doctor. The less I tell them, the better, and the sooner I'll get out of there!

 

It's all about having a healthy mindset prior to going into your doctors office.  Your doctor works for YOU.  He is your paid employee.  You are there to evaluate him and to determine if you will continue to employ him.  Okay?  That's the position you need to take.  I don't know how we manage to get this backwards.  You do not fear him.  He fears YOU.  (But be nice.  Smile as you bludgeon him with questions he's unable to answer.)

 

[[ne...]]

I have a feeling that not too many people tell the truth to the doctors they see because otherwise this would be out in the open. I mean, it's been going on for over 50 years. 50 years of who knows how many people on these pills telling their doctors - well, something would have been done by now.

 

I feel that a lot of people on the pills keep pretty quiet for the fear of being cut off. And usually, those are the ones having considerable trouble coming off. The ones that don't have conisderable trouble coming off just resume with their lives and usually don't tell anyone and just keep on living. So we either have people who are coming off/have come off but are too vulnerable to share and bound not to be believed, or we have people who do fine, but are uninterested to spread any awareness outside of recovery circles because they just want to resume their lives. And most people not affected still want to cling to the idea that benzos are helpful, should they need them if something bad occurs in their life.

 

Right on point! 

[[Gr...]]

This is true about the fear of being cut off.  At my last doctor's appointment, which I went to for a prescription for cannabis, to help with withdrawal symptoms, I mentioned waiting for my GABA receptors to regulate.  And I saw my doc look up, like she was listening.  It was weird, cause I don't want her to feel bad.  I came to her already dependent and believing I always needed to take these pills. 

 

NOW,  I have more than enough pills to finish my taper and I am not afraid to say what I really think.  I have often thought about writing letters to previous psychiatrists and updating them about my journey after them and after benzos. 

[[Te...]]

I wish I had the courage to say what I'd really like to say to doctors. That would be so freeing! But I'm afraid they'd flag my medical record as being difficult, and they'd just point out my GAD diagnosis. Case closed.

 

Say it anonymously, then! Either way, i don't see how that's a big deal.

 

I have doctor phobia. My blood pressure goes really high when I see a doctor. The less I tell them, the better, and the sooner I'll get out of there!

 

It's all about having a healthy mindset prior to going into your doctors office.  Your doctor works for YOU.  He is your paid employee.  You are there to evaluate him and to determine if you will continue to employ him.  Okay?  That's the position you need to take.  I don't know how we manage to get this backwards.  You do not fear him.  He fears YOU.  (But be nice.  Smile as you bludgeon him with questions he's unable to answer.)

 

Thanks, PhotoSF. I do wish I were stronger.

[[Bl...]]

The media claims there is less stigma with mental illness but I don't believe that anything has changed.

 

The only stigma that’s been removed is the idea of getting on psychiatric meds without feeling like your some kind of an anomaly. And we can probably look to the pharmaceutical companies as the primary force behind this current way of thinking.

 

Also the media has been instrumental in aiding this modern day phenomena, since it does serve as a major pipeline for informing the public on anything and everything…..whether true or not.

 

I’m not anti-meds. But I do dislike manipulating for profit.

[[Ph...]]

The media claims there is less stigma with mental illness but I don't believe that anything has changed.

 

The only stigma that’s been removed is the idea of getting on psychiatric meds without feeling like your some kind of an anomaly. And we can probably look to the pharmaceutical companies as the primary force behind this current way of thinking.

 

Also the media has been instrumental in aiding this modern day phenomena, since it does serve as a major pipeline for informing the public on anything and everything…..whether true or not.

 

I’m not anti-meds. But I do dislike manipulating for profit.

 

Fully 50% of the pills we are told to take are unnecessary.  "Ask your doctor if ________ is right for you!"  HAHA....what a freaking zoo full of predators we live in.

[[Ph...]]

I wish I had the courage to say what I'd really like to say to doctors. That would be so freeing! But I'm afraid they'd flag my medical record as being difficult, and they'd just point out my GAD diagnosis. Case closed.

 

<<"That would be so freeing!">>

 

Terry, it's extremely freeing and liberating.  It doesn't have to be done with malice or anger.  Just challenge your doctor with your questions.  Be informed and show him (or her) that you are informed.  If his answer doesn't not satisfy you, ask follow up questions until you ARE satisfied.  A good doctor will respect you for it.  In fact, a good psychiatrist (or any specialty) will see your desire to assert yourself as a positive sign.  Try it.  Dip your toe in the water.  Nothing bad happens.  Actually, good things happen.

[[Lo...]]

I saw the new commercial for Rexulti. Basically, they marketed it as an adjunct if an antidepressant is no longer working. They showed a person going to the doctor's office and bravely admitting that the antidepressant no longer worked, so they get prescribed this. I do rememeber the old Abilify commercial, which was very similar to this, and though I never took it, I recall that its name ended up with -prazole. Ths one, too. Looked it up today and found out that the chemical name for Abilify is Aripiprazole, and the chemical name for Rexulti is Brexpiprazole. Same class of 2nd generation atypical antipsychotic drugs advertised for depression.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexpiprazole

Brexpiprazole, sold under the brand name Rexulti, is an atypical antipsychotic. It is a dopamine D2 receptor partial agonist and has been described as a "serotonin–dopamine activity modulator" (SDAM). The drug received FDA approval on July 13, 2015 for the treatment of schizophrenia, and as an adjunctive treatment for depression.[2] Although it failed Phase II clinical trials for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it has been designed to provide improved efficacy and tolerability (e.g., less akathisia, restlessness and/or insomnia) over established adjunctive treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD).[3]

 

[[be...]]

The media claims there is less stigma with mental illness but I don't believe that anything has changed.

 

The only stigma that’s been removed is the idea of getting on psychiatric meds without feeling like your some kind of an anomaly. And we can probably look to the pharmaceutical companies as the primary force behind this current way of thinking.

 

Also the media has been instrumental in aiding this modern day phenomena, since it does serve as a major pipeline for informing the public on anything and everything…..whether true or not.

 

I’m not anti-meds. But I do dislike manipulating for profit.

I thought this was a good article about the push we see by organizations and the media to "reduce the stigma".  I always feels it is nefarious.  Makes me crazy every time I hear it.  I feel like it's harder now to talk about how we feel because there is more fear that we will be seen as "mentally ill".  I posted this in the News section not too long ago. 

 

Dec. 27/17, Epoch Times, also posted on Mad In America site:

 

https://www.theepochtimes.com/how-pharma-uses-the-charge-of-stigma-to-sell-psychiatric-drugs_2397047.html

Do you overeat? Did your boyfriend just break up with you? Does no one return your emails? Do you fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning? If so, you may be suffering from mental illness! Mental illness is a highly stigmatized, life-long condition, says Pharma, that millions do not even realize they have and only a pharmaceutical drug can fix...

The elevation of everyday symptoms to ‘mental illness’ and accusation that sufferers are victims who experience ‘stigma’ is the best thing that ever happened to Pharma. The charges have enabled it to aggregate and co-opt patients into lobbying groups that appear ‘grassroots’ for its high-priced, psychiatric drugs...

[[Lo...]]

I wish I had the courage to say what I'd really like to say to doctors. That would be so freeing! But I'm afraid they'd flag my medical record as being difficult, and they'd just point out my GAD diagnosis. Case closed.

 

<<"That would be so freeing!">>

 

Terry, it's extremely freeing and liberating.  It doesn't have to be done with malice or anger.  Just challenge your doctor with your questions.  Be informed and show him (or her) that you are informed.  If his answer doesn't not satisfy you, ask follow up questions until you ARE satisfied.  A good doctor will respect you for it.  In fact, a good psychiatrist (or any specialty) will see your desire to assert yourself as a positive sign.  Try it.  Dip your toe in the water.  Nothing bad happens.  Actually, good things happen.

 

Challenging a doctor can be dangerous sometimes, and especially if the doctor has his mind firmly made up about certain things. My former doctor wanted to prescribe me Seroquel, and I refused knowing it was an anti-psychotic. I objected that Seroquel was an antipsychotic, and told him that I wasn't psychotic, and the doctor got short-tempered with me and said "Oh, You know a lot about YOUR drugs". I found this deeply offensive, and was shell-shocked. He took advantage of my weakened state to launch into a tirade. But his whole premise was wrong. These were not my drugs. I'd never taken Seroquel in my life and I had every right to refuse it. If the doctor took the time and explained to me that Seroquel in low doses works as an antihistamine, which helps with sleep, I'd be grateful for that information. But he was just looking for something to sedate me even more. Later, I looked him up online and saw that he was receiving perks for prescribing Seroquel. It explained many things. I don't see that doctor anymore, His attitude and disrespect brought me to the point where I was seriously considering whether my life was worth living. Thankfully, I am doing better, and am seeing a much better doctor and don't have to subject myself to that kind of trauma anymore.

[[Rx...]]

Challenging a doctor can be dangerous sometimes, and especially if the doctor has his mind firmly made up about certain things. My former doctor wanted to prescribe me Seroquel, and I refused knowing it was an anti-psychotic. I objected that Seroquel was an antipsychotic, and told him that I wasn't psychotic, and the doctor got short-tempered with me and said "Oh, You know a lot about YOUR drugs". I found this deeply offensive, and was shell-shocked. He took advantage of my weakened state to launch into a tirade. But his whole premise was wrong. These were not my drugs. I'd never taken Seroquel in my life and I had every right to refuse it. If the doctor took the time and explained to me that Seroquel in low doses works as an antihistamine, which helps with sleep, I'd be grateful for that information. But he was just looking for something to sedate me even more. Later, I looked him up online and saw that he was receiving perks for prescribing Seroquel. It explained many things. I don't see that doctor anymore, His attitude and disrespect brought me to the point where I was seriously considering whether my life was worth living. Thankfully, I am doing better, and am seeing a much better doctor and don't have to subject myself to that kind of trauma anymore.

 

There's one word for that doctor.  J-E-R-K.

[[Te...]]

I tend to agree with Loraz, PhotoSF, but thank you.

[[id...]]

I agree that telling the truth is important, however I was admitted to a psychiatric unit involuntarily every time I tried to be honest with doctors. I'm mostly saying things that won't get me in trouble from now on.

[[Ph...]]

I saw the new commercial for Rexulti. Basically, they marketed it as an adjunct if an antidepressant is no longer working. They showed a person going to the doctor's office and bravely admitting that the antidepressant no longer worked, so they get prescribed this. I do rememeber the old Abilify commercial, which was very similar to this, and though I never took it, I recall that its name ended up with -prazole. Ths one, too. Looked it up today and found out that the chemical name for Abilify is Aripiprazole, and the chemical name for Rexulti is Brexpiprazole. Same class of 2nd generation atypical antipsychotic drugs advertised for depression.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexpiprazole

Brexpiprazole, sold under the brand name Rexulti, is an atypical antipsychotic. It is a dopamine D2 receptor partial agonist and has been described as a "serotonin–dopamine activity modulator" (SDAM). The drug received FDA approval on July 13, 2015 for the treatment of schizophrenia, and as an adjunctive treatment for depression.[2] Although it failed Phase II clinical trials for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it has been designed to provide improved efficacy and tolerability (e.g., less akathisia, restlessness and/or insomnia) over established adjunctive treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD).[3]

 

<<"They showed a person going to the doctor's office and bravely admitting that the antidepressant no longer worked, so they get prescribed this.">>

Machiavelli must be laughing in his grave.

 

[[Lo...]]

I saw the new commercial for Rexulti. Basically, they marketed it as an adjunct if an antidepressant is no longer working. They showed a person going to the doctor's office and bravely admitting that the antidepressant no longer worked, so they get prescribed this. I do rememeber the old Abilify commercial, which was very similar to this, and though I never took it, I recall that its name ended up with -prazole. Ths one, too. Looked it up today and found out that the chemical name for Abilify is Aripiprazole, and the chemical name for Rexulti is Brexpiprazole. Same class of 2nd generation atypical antipsychotic drugs advertised for depression.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexpiprazole

Brexpiprazole, sold under the brand name Rexulti, is an atypical antipsychotic. It is a dopamine D2 receptor partial agonist and has been described as a "serotonin–dopamine activity modulator" (SDAM). The drug received FDA approval on July 13, 2015 for the treatment of schizophrenia, and as an adjunctive treatment for depression.[2] Although it failed Phase II clinical trials for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it has been designed to provide improved efficacy and tolerability (e.g., less akathisia, restlessness and/or insomnia) over established adjunctive treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD).[3]

 

<<"They showed a person going to the doctor's office and bravely admitting that the antidepressant no longer worked, so they get prescribed this.">>

Machiavelli must be laughing in his grave.

 

https://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2009/04/how_dangerous_is_academic_psyc_1.html

[[Ph...]]

I saw the new commercial for Rexulti. Basically, they marketed it as an adjunct if an antidepressant is no longer working. They showed a person going to the doctor's office and bravely admitting that the antidepressant no longer worked, so they get prescribed this. I do rememeber the old Abilify commercial, which was very similar to this, and though I never took it, I recall that its name ended up with -prazole. Ths one, too. Looked it up today and found out that the chemical name for Abilify is Aripiprazole, and the chemical name for Rexulti is Brexpiprazole. Same class of 2nd generation atypical antipsychotic drugs advertised for depression.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexpiprazole

Brexpiprazole, sold under the brand name Rexulti, is an atypical antipsychotic. It is a dopamine D2 receptor partial agonist and has been described as a "serotonin–dopamine activity modulator" (SDAM). The drug received FDA approval on July 13, 2015 for the treatment of schizophrenia, and as an adjunctive treatment for depression.[2] Although it failed Phase II clinical trials for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it has been designed to provide improved efficacy and tolerability (e.g., less akathisia, restlessness and/or insomnia) over established adjunctive treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD).[3]

 

<<"They showed a person going to the doctor's office and bravely admitting that the antidepressant no longer worked, so they get prescribed this.">>

Machiavelli must be laughing in his grave.

 

https://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2009/04/how_dangerous_is_academic_psyc_1.html

 

There are no "clean" drugs.  Words are powerful (and dangerous) when spoken by someone we elevate to a position of power.  But that's on us, if we elevate them.  Start with the premise that everything you hear and read is false.  Remember that everything everyone says or writes reflects a motive, usually driven by ego and/or personal gain.

 

[[pi...]]

I just started using a VPN for security reasons and the ads I've seen on youtube from america regarding psych meds is really creepy and feels pretty predatory. Im surprised theres not laws regarding that. Like there are laws against predatory money lending.

[[Lo...]]

https://www.madinamerica.com/2013/08/ptsd-in-withdrawal/

[[Be...]]

I agree that telling the truth is important, however I was admitted to a psychiatric unit involuntarily every time I tried to be honest with doctors. I'm mostly saying things that won't get me in trouble from now on.

 

That's why I lied on my form I filled out at the doc's last time.  Sometimes you have to lie to save your butt.  Normally I don't lie, but sometimes it's ok.  I don't like people who lie constantly for no good reason.  I had a gf in highschool who used to lie to me all the time.  Also I broke up with a bf because he lied alot to me and didn't see a problem with it.  Breaks trust and causes distance between people. 

[[Lo...]]

It's hard because a lot of people cannot just drop 25% or 50% of their dose just like that, and many people have to resort to using compounding pharmacies and micro-tapering via liquid titration or a gram scale. I have yet to meet a doctor who understands this. The advice I'd been given was to take less on a day I feel less anxious. Heck, that's what I did before. I didn't take any pills when I wasn't too anxious and I still ended up here.

 

If this was so easy, people would just go to rehabs, or the doctor would draw up a nice taper plan, and everything would go as smoothly as a fairytale. If it were so easy to get off of these meds, I'm pretty sure both doctors and patients would find ways. Otherwise, why would people stay on these meds for 2, 5, 10, or 15 years?

[[Lo...]]

And honestly, why in the world would anyone take these pills if they didn't have pretty severe anxiety in the first place? They are strong and there is no point in taking them when a person isn't anxious. It's not just about quitting pills. It's really about treating the root cause of this, and unless that pain has been addressed, being benzo free doesn't mean all that much. It's so much more than about quitting pills.

[[Ph...]]

I just started using a VPN for security reasons and the ads I've seen on youtube from america regarding psych meds is really creepy and feels pretty predatory. Im surprised theres not laws regarding that. Like there are laws against predatory money lending.

Crony Capitalism.  Tammany Hall on steroids.  And yeah, very creepy.  Welcome to America.

[[Ph...]]

And honestly, why in the world would anyone take these pills if they didn't have pretty severe anxiety in the first place? They are strong and there is no point in taking them when a person isn't anxious. It's not just about quitting pills. It's really about treating the root cause of this, and unless that pain has been addressed, being benzo free doesn't mean all that much. It's so much more than about quitting pills.

 

Although anxiety and panic can also be triggered by non-psychological factors, what you're saying here is largely true.  There are other things that often need to be fixed in addition to getting off the pills.  So, back to the title of this thread.  The benefits of telling the truth.  We need to tell ourselves the truth.  Truth not just about ourselves but about others and about human nature in general.  This can open the door to peace.  There are very few shrinks who have the skills to help us do this.  We have to do it ourselves.