blazesboylan: Why should I taper?

[Petunia]

Thank you for writing about your first psychotic experience I can see how that chain of events would lead to stress and destabilization of your sense of reality about yourself and the world.  I've read that psychosis is a sudden breaking down of our ego boundaries which define the separation between what we see as ourselves and the rest of the universe.  This can be triggered by a variety of substances, events and situations.  I doubt that its often a symptom of an ongoing illness though.

 

I spent years of my life confused and somewhat anxious because my psychosis had originally been diagnosed as schizophrenia.  But after leaving the hospital, I immediately stopped taking the drugs and recovered naturally in a few weeks.  But that diagnosis was like a shadow which followed me for about 20 years, until in 2010, I stumbled onto a youtube channel called bipolarorwakingup.  I watched some of the videos which explained psychosis and bipolar mania from this different perspective, based on my own previous experience, it made perfect sense.  The videos also reintroduced me to the work of the philosopher Ken Wilber, who I had been reading at the time of my original psychosis, and the theory of Spiral Dynamics, a pattern of synchronicity started to unfold.

 

That was the beginning of my waking up to the truth about mental illness, medication and human evolution.  I had previously believed that psychosis could only be caused by a serious mental illness which needed life long treatment. But I had experienced it and recovered with no treatment, this had made me very nervous for a long time.  But then I learned that psychosis can be a natural healing process and in some people, if understood and supported, it can lead to transformation of the person to enable improved functioning and a better quality of life.

 

Whether or not someone can benefit from non-drug support to benefit and recover from psychosis seems to depend on several factors, one being previous trauma the other being their level of development, understanding and education.

 

Apparently, psychosis can be a positive experience  if we understand it from that perspective and avoid fear which can come from not knowing what's going on or believing its something outside of ourselves, or a terrible illness.  Fear seems to short circuit the potential benefits. Lack of understanding of the symbolic nature of it can make it dangerous. From my new understanding, psychosis is the subconscious mind trying to communicate with the conscious mind in the only way it can...symbolically through common themes, myths, images etc.  If a person undergoing psychosis can be in a safe, supportive environment, then the content of the psychosis can be interpreted and worked through like the content of a dream or nightmare, leading to greater understanding and possible solutions to life's problems.

 

I find it sad and frustrating that western medicine automatically drugs what could be a potentially life enhancing opportunity for so many people.  But unfortunately, alternative support and treatment isn't widely available at the moment.

 

The second psychotic episode was very different of course. It was preceded by what I refer to as my day of bliss. I think that I briefly experienced what Buddhists call nirvana. I will post about that another time.

 

I would be interested to read about that BB. 

 

I'm on the mailing list of SEN (spiritual emergence network), I recently got an invitation to take part in some research about spiritual experiences.  Perhaps you would be interested.  Its online and completely anonymous.  Here are some details and the link:

 

This research will contribute to the field of TRANSPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGY.
The study aims to explore ways to measure and assess extraordinary mental, physical and spiritual experiences. This will in turn aid clinicians in their assessment and treatment of people experiencing primarily a state of crisis/distress of a spiritual nature, which might otherwise be diagnosed and treated as pathological.

 

https://qtrial2014.az1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3q6oA6Y0U9n9Ryt

 

I apologize if I've rambled too much in your thread, I'm getting very distracted today, as Alto noted in her post above,  a common stage of withdrawal.

 

Petu.

[blazesboylan]

Hi Petu,

 

I have been busy so I haven't had a chance to reply properly. I am not forgetting and I will reply over the weekend. My scales arrived today by the way. I am very pleased 

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[blazesboylan]

Hi Petu,

 

Thanks for the post. There is no need to apologise for rambling. You weren't rambling at all and it was a very interesting read. I will certainly take part in that research program and check out that youtube channel.

 

Regarding my day of bliss (as I call it), I will do my best to describe what happened. It started late one evening. I was chatting with a friend on Facebook. It was a girl who I was interested in at the time. We ended the chat. All of a sudden I felt differently. I don't know who to describe it exactly. I went to my bedroom and got into bed. However, I couldn't sleep and decided to go out for a long walk even though it was quite a cold night. I felt a great sense of peace and love towards everything and everyone. It was similar to the experience of taking MDMA which I had taken many times in the past although at the time I wasn't under the influence of any substances at all. I eventually arrived home and sat in the kitchen. I smoked a couple of cigarettes. I used to smoke at the time by the way although I smoke (or vape) an electronic cigarette now. My body was really sensitive and I could really feel (for want of a better word) the smoke as I inhaled it. I got into bed after a while and lay there in a state of bliss. I could sense my organs, hear them maybe. I thought of my grandmother who had passed away. When I thought of her a beautiful feeling came over me and I could sense her presence in the room. I fell asleep eventually. The following day I woke up and the blissful feeling continued. I went to work and felt love towards everybody. I was working with some Chinese people at the time. As they spoke to each other in Mandarin it sounded beautiful to me even though on other days I found the language to be a little hard on the ears. I was amazed by my computer. I could type a command and the computer would respond. I found this to be deeply fascinating. The blissful state continued all day. Eating food was a fantastic experience. I could really taste it deeply. After work I called into a friend. He is quite religious and we spoke about God and spirituality. I called my aunt with whom I am close and told her about the experience with my grandmother who was her mother. She was delighted. When I got home I lay in my living room and listened to music. I could really hear it. Eventually I went to bed and when I woke the following day things had returned to normal. I hope that I have described it well. I often wish that I could feel like that again.

 

I really don't know how to interpret the experience. What it is unfortunate is that I became psychotic soon afterwards and made a suicide attempt which was almost successful. However, it wasn't successful so it wasn't my time to go I suppose. I am very glad now to be alive. My first psychotic episode was very intense. I believed that I was an agent of Satan and that I was to help to being about the apocalypse. I felt that some things that I had done work wise would bring around a collapse of the global financial system. That was in 2008 and ironically it did indeed collapse later on in the year although it was absolutely nothing to do with me or anything that I had done   In retrospect I feel that I would have become well without medication because at the time I felt that it was making little difference. I feel the same way towards it today.

 

I have almost finished the book on Asperger's that I have been reading. I am finding it to be quite boring to be honest and I now don't really feel that I don't have Asperger's  at all. Perhaps I have some aspects of it but over all I really don't think that it fits very well. I think that maybe  it is time to give the self-diagnosis and trying to determine whether or not there is something intrinsically wrong with me a break. I have been ill in the past but overall I am fine today. Since I have been reducing the venlafaxine I am noting a lot less anxiety. I wonder if there is some relationship. Probably yes. Since my scales arrived I have started reducing the risperidone also. I decided to start with a 15% drop, against good advice perhaps. I am thinking that I may try to reduce it as a faster rate than the venlafaxine but it is early days yet so I will see how I am feeling in a week or two.

 

That's all for now. I am having a good weekend. I had dinner with some friends down the country on Friday night and it was very enjoyable. We all went for a lovely walk in the countryside on Saturday. The weather has been very good even though it is autumn. I hope that you are all doing well.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[blazesboylan]

Hi All,

 

Happy equinox everybody! I thought that I would check in I haven't been here in a week. I made another cut to the Effexor (see signature). I didn't wait a full 30 days though but it wasn't too far off. It was a 10% cut. I am finding the digital scales to be very useful. The 150mg Effexor capsule has three pellets in it. I shave some off one of them to bring make 135mg total. Anyway, there are no major symptoms to report yet but perhaps I will experience something in a few days. However, the tingling in my ear is back of course. It became quite noticeable the very day that I made the cut. There can be no doubt that there is a connection. A very strange "anti-depressant" really.

 

Also, as I said above, I cut the risperidone by 15% recently. Perhaps it was a little reckless. There is nothing significant to report though. However, I will maintain the meds at these levels for a month or so to be on the safe side. Overall, I am feeling quite well. Maybe a little anxious but not in a big way. I am sleeping well. I have no trouble falling asleep and I wake naturally after maybe 7 hours. So, I am pleased with my progress. I don't really have anything else to say. 

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[andy]

Well done blazes,the sleeping pattern is a very positive sign

[blazesboylan]

Greetings All,

 

I thought that I would check in as I normally do about once a week. I haven't been feeling particularly well today. The day started quite well although I did wake last night around 2am and took a zopiclone to get back to sleep. To be honest, my sleep hasn't been fantastic for the past week contrary to what I said in my last post. I'm not sleeping for as long as I would like/should. I might as well plug out the alarm clock because I don't really need it at the moment. Anyway, the day started well. I was with my best friend in the morning. I met someone else in the afternoon and we went for a walk by the sea and then had some nice food and a good conversation. The weather is uncharacteristically good for the time of year. Since I've been home I have been feeling very anxious though. There is quite a lot of pressure in my head at times. I actually felt slightly nauseous earlier. My thinking is a bit on negative side.

 

I have been in bed and when I finish typing this I am going back there to lie under the covers until it is time to go to sleep. I will then turn on my side and probably fall asleep quickly although the chances are that I will be woken by intense dreams in the small hours. I was going to watch some tv but I don't feel like it. I would like some company perhaps but it's late and there's nobody I want to/can call. Anyway, I am 9 days into my last venlafaxine cut and I suppose that I may be feeling it. I am thinking some fairly depressing thoughts. Things that I would normally not dwell on. My phone has been strangely silent all evening as well. Not even a teaser. A teaser is a what I call something such as spam e-mail that makes me think "Oh great! I've got mail" whereas it's just something that I will delete and then unsubscribe from the mailing list if possible. You understand what I mean I am sure.

 

Yes, definitely more anxious over the last few days and this evening is the worst. I know that I cut the risperidone by 15% recently as well. However, I once cut by 33.3% and fell no ill effect. What happened there was that the pharmacist gave me 2mg instead of 3mg. I assumed that the doctor has written a script for 2mg until I went back a month later and was given 3mg again. So, I blame the Effexor. Anyway, I have felt like this before and it passes. So, I am going back upstairs now. I will probably feel a bit better in the morning but I will be taking the Effexor first thing. Writing this has made me feel a little better by the way. I think that I just needed to get it out there.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Petunia]

Hi Blazes,

 

Thanks for updating, I'm sorry you had a bad day, but in general it sounds like you are doing really well.

 

I'm the same in that withdrawal has brought out some of my loneliness and abandonment issues.  Before withdrawal, these fears would arise occasionally, but it was easy to either do something about them, or let them go, but I've found that hasn't been so easy over the last few years, I've had to face them head on without using anything to block them out, which I think ultimately is a good thing.  We are all getting emotionally stronger and physically healthier every day by getting off these drugs.

 

I'm glad writing here on your thread helps you to feel better, being able to communicate with people who understand what we are going through makes this experience a little less painful.  I hope you have some better days soon.

 

Petu

[blazesboylan]

Hi Petu,

 

Good to hear from you. The feeling passed anyway. I think that the thing that affects me most is feelings of loneliness/abandonment and you seem to suffer from that yourself. If I am with a good friend I can be quite chatty and engaged though. However, I do end up spending a lot of time by myself and I can brood. I am feeling reasonably well this morning however.

 

I had a look at the bipolar waking up channel on youtube. I've watched a couple of the videos and I intend to watch a lot more. In other news I am trying to get an appointment with another psychiatrist privately and maybe discuss this tapering thing and my whole case history. I just don't know. If I ever try discussing the tapering with anyone most people think that I am nuts to do it and that I should listen to my doctor's advice. In general I find that most people have no interest whatsoever in talking about these things. I have started taking fish oil supplements and magnesium supplements by the way.

 

So, that's all for now. I've got to go to work!

[blazesboylan]

I have been giving the whole tapering thing a lot of thought. I discovered a very frightening and entertaining story today though. If you have time to spare I would recommend reading it. It is broken up into short chapters so there's no need it all at once. Some of you may be able to relate to a little or a lot of it.

 

http://beyondmeds.com/effexor-recovery

 

Anyway, roughly 3 years ago I had to move in with my aunt and her family temporarily. I was on meds at the time of course (risperidone and venlafaxine). I put the medication in a drawer in the room I was sleeping in. Out of sight out of mind though! I forgot to take the meds altogether for maybe 3 days. When I realised this I said to hell with it, I won't bother taking them any longer at all as I feel fine and I don't need them. No brain zaps or anything like that. I was drinking at the time also of course. Not every day but bingeing at the weekends.

 

After some time though, I became obsessed with the apocalypse, antichrists and similar religious topics. I was watching lots of youtube videos on these subjects and visiting strange websites. I also became obsessed with conspiracy theories regarding September the 11th and things like the New World Order, Secret Governments etc. I became a big fan of Alex Jones and I was very paranoid about things like my computer being hacked and being spied on. I also stopped seeing my psychiatrist. Eventually I received a letter from the hospital asking me to make an appointment as they were concerned about my absence. So, I went in to see my psychiatrist and I started back on the meds again. Roll forward a year and I had my day of bliss (described above) followed soon after the suicide attempt my second hospitalisation.

 

So, I am now wondering whether this abrupt discontinuation perhaps caused some of the above. Or maybe I am just a little bit crazy. Sometimes very crazy. Reflecting on the above it all seems a bit mad though. I barely give these topics a second thought now. The take home from the story that I have linked above is that it is crucially important to taper Effexor very slowly which isn't really news to most people here I suppose   

 

That's all for now.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[blazesboylan]

Hello again,

 

I am looking for some advice. I hope that I have come to the right place! Since the last cut to the Effexor on the 18th of September I am have been experiencing an increasing amount of anxiety with some depression thrown in for good measure. That was over two weeks ago now. I am really hoping that it doesn't escalate much further to be honest. Would going back up to 150mg be something that I should try for a while maybe? Or just sit it out and hope for the best? I don't have anything to be depressed or anxious about by the way. It is just how I am feeling. To complicate matters I have been taking terbinafine for an infection for over a week now. This can interact negatively with venlafaxine according to my GP and the online interaction checker. I am going back to the GP for some blood tests in a while. 

 

Any thoughts anyone please?

[Altostrata]

It's the terbinafine. Your GP needs to check your liver function immediately.

[blazesboylan]

Hi Altostrata,

 

I am actually feeling a bit better today all of a sudden. My GP told me to come to blood tests a month after stating on the terbinafine. He didn't seem to think that it was that urgent. I've been taking it for 10 days now so I was going to go back for the tests in maybe 3 weeks. I have also started taking penicillin now for some dental issues. I think that I will see how I feel over the next few days before taking any action. All of a sudden I am taking a lot of drugs!

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Rhiannon]

BB--

 

The other drugs you are taking can definitely worsen withdrawal symptoms. Hopefully the infection will heal soon and you will be able to get off the antibiotics. Please take a probiotic supplement or eat yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, to help support your gut's nervous system, because the antibiotics will totally screw that up, and then that will make your other withdrawal symptoms worse. Don't do any tapering while you're taking the antibiotics.

 

Also, I see that you made a big cut in risperidone and then made another substantial cut in Effexor right after. Please don't do that! You're just asking for trouble, especially with a history of psychotic type experiences. If you push yourself too far you could end up in hospital--and back on a cocktail of meds, of course, because that's what happens in the hospital--and lose everything you've gained so far on your taper. Please don't do that to yourself. Don't self-destruct.

 

You need to taper only one drug at a time. If you're going to be cutting the risperidone, you need to STOP cutting the Effexor in the meantime. If you want to cut the Effexor, then you need to hold on the risperidone.

 

If you want to taper both drugs at the same time, then you need to make cuts no greater than 5% at a time and you need to hold for four to six weeks between cuts. 

 

Please don't undermine and destroy all that you've accomplished thus far. 

[blazesboylan]

Hi Rhi,

 

Thank you for your response. I need to take the penicillin for 5 days only. I have a dental abscess. It's quite painful so I have been some ibuprofen as well. However, that will only be for a short period also hopefully. Not that it's much use by the way. It doesn't seem to give much pain relief. I will take your advice and not taper two drugs at a time. I am thinking of holding at 135mg Effexor until the anxiety settles completely and then waiting a while longer. I think that I am quite sensitive to changes in Effexor actually although it's hard to know though for sure. Today feels a little like light at the end of the tunnel though but it could be a false dawn too. Anyway, I won't make any further changes until things settle down. No, I definitely don't want to and really can't afford to end up on a psychiatric ward again!!! By the way, I am looking at your signature and you certainly have been going very slowly. I hope that it is going well for you.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Altostrata]

blazes, please put ALL the drugs you take in the Drug Interactions Checker http://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html and post the results in this topic.
 

[blazesboylan]

Hi Altostrata,

 

I did as you suggested. The only things that would be of any concern would be the following.

 

Moderate Risk - Terbinafine may increase the blood levels and effects of venlafaxine, even up to several months after you've stopped taking terbinafine. 

 

Moderate  Risk - Terbinafine may increase the blood levels and effects of risperidone, even up to several months after you've stopped taking terbinafine. 

 

I am almost done with the penicillin and I will be going to my GP in a couple of weeks or so for those blood tests. I am feeling fine from a health perspective. The anxiety comes and goes though. As I was saying I'm not planning on making any further cuts to the psych drugs for a while I don't think.

 

Have a great weekend everybody and all the best,

Blazes.

[Altostrata]

This is what happens: Terbinafine blocks the processing of venlafaxine and risperidone in the liver, causing blood levels of both these drugs to rise and the effects of both of them. It also causes a concentration of drugs in the liver. This causes liver damage.

 

I got such damage, which was quite severe, within one month of taking terbinafine with paroxetine. I stopped terbinafine immediately. t took my liver ONE YEAR to recover.

 

These are not mild risks. If you are having any adverse effects at all from any of your drugs with the addition of terbinafine, you need a liver function test immediately. Your doctor is not paying attention to red flags.

[blazesboylan]

Greetings,

 

At the moment I'm not particularly concerned about the psych drugs interacting with terbinafine. I've been doing some Googling and I don't really have any symptoms of liver difficulties I don't think. The anxiety has settled quite a lot too. I am going for my blood test soon so if there is a problem it will show up then. I have finished with the penicillin and I am no longer taking ibuprofen. I made a another cut to the risperidone a few days ago by the way. Roughly 6%. We will see how that goes. That's all for now.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[crazykatie]

Hi Blaze,

 

Finally someone who used drugs n alcohol prior to psych meds!! I feel I'm not a loner now. I feel that these psych drugs are just as bad if not worse for your brain. When I drank n used, it would be a one night event, not something I took 365 days/year. Neither are good. N this is just my opinion sorry mods if this is inappropriate.

I juggled back n forth for a long time if I could go off my meds? It was repeated over n over for years that I had to take them for life. I've given up my dx of bipolar. I decided I wanted off my antipsychotic bc it was doing things to my body as well as hormones. I must admit I do feel more like myself than I used to.

I often wonder if I will always have to be on something. Right now I've decided to just focus on getting off just one. Possibly just taking very low doses if necessary. I want to believe I don't need these meds but I fear that I might. That's why I'm going to therapy too.

[blazesboylan]

Hi Katie and everyone else,

 

Sorry about the delay. I have been busy. It is a week now since I made the last cut to the risperidone. So far so good. My anxiety has cleared up. I suspect that it was related to the last Effexor cut. Anyway, I don't plan on making any further cuts for a while. I will see if this period of calm continues. I am reading this book at the moment. I am almost finished it. It has been very enlightening and I would recommend it.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Madness-Explained-Psychosis-Human-Nature/dp/0140275401

 

It has got me thinking though. As I have had at least a couple of psychotic episodes and have definitely entertained usual beliefs and thoughts at times would that make me a schizophrenic or put me somewhere on the schizophrenia spectrum? What do people think?

 

No psychiatrist has ever given me a diagnosis of schizophrenia by the way although they have been fairly taciturn when it comes to diagnoses in my experience. Maybe I am just in remission at the moment. However, what I have learned is that the relapse rate for psychosis is very high. It just takes a trigger such as high stress. I was wondering if I had Asperger's a few posts back. What is interesting is that schizoid personality disorder has a lot of symptoms in common to Asperger's. See

 

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Aspergers-Syndrome/Aspergers--Schizophrenia/show/1345962

 

Quote

 

"Of the schizophrenia spectrum disorders schizoid personality disorder is most similar to AS, at least in a sense, by the mere fact that it does not involve hallucinations, or delusions, and these people are generally sane. People with schizoid personality disorder are either overtly, or secretly socially withdrawn. They struggle with feeling deep emotional connections to people, and often have a blunted, and limited range of emotions. This can mimic AS, but differs fundamentally from AS, as people with AS can and do form deep emotional connections with others when given opportunity to do so, and people with AS can express a full, unattenuated range of emotions sincerely."

 

I have bolded the part that I feel is very relevant to me. However, I sometimes wonder whether this blunted affect and social withdrawal may be iatrogenic. I can't remember clearly but I don't think that I was quite so numb before 2008 when I was first hospitalised. Anyway, I am going to continue with the tapering. Slowly but surely.

 

Regarding alcohol, I believe that it is the piss of the devil. It is as bad as any illicit drugs and it is far worse than most of them. Have a good weekend everybody.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Altostrata]

There's something called medical student's syndrome, where you come down with every disease you read about.

 

See http://www.hearing-voices.org/

[crazykatie]

Hi Blaze!!

So happy to hear you're doing well. I'm 100% with you about alcohol. Just bc it's legal doesn't mean it's no deathly dangerous.

Keep up the great work!!!

Hugs

[blazesboylan]

There's something called medical student's syndrome, where you come down with every disease you read about.

 

See http://www.hearing-voices.org/

 

To me that sounds like a rather facetious response to what was a simple question. Let me put it again. If one is prone to psychotic episodes does this mean that one is schizophrenic. Yes or no? Or maybe schizophrenia and psychosis don't even exist at all. It could be a clever conspiracy by psychiatry and the drug manufacturers to ship more product. You just wouldn't know. For the record, I have never had auditory hallucinations or visual hallucinations. Ever. Tactile hallucinations perhaps. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh7l8dx-h8M

[Rhiannon]

BB, did I already mention Will Hall's work to you? You might be interested in him and his thoughts about psychosis, schizophrenia, etc. I think if you Google you can find a lot of stuff.

 

Here's his story, I think this is kind of old (he's been in Portland for quite a while now) but it's still applicable:

http://www.power2u.org/articles/recovery/recovery_stories/will_hall.html

[Altostrata]

There isn't a yes or no answer to your question. See http://www.hearing-voices.org/

[blazesboylan]

First of all, this could be my final post for a while. However, there is this.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blunted_affect

 

This describes how I feel (or don't feel) precisely. It is good to know the clinical name for it. Emotional numbness would be another way of putting it. Relevant quote from the above - "It may also be a side effect of certain medications, for instance antipsychotics." However, there was a period in my life pre 2008 (ie before I was medicated) when something very significant was going on. I remember somebody saying at the time that it must have been a very emotional time for me. I clearly remember my reply -  "I am not a very emotional person". I think that she was taken aback by that.

 

So, the conclusion that I draw from that is that I have probably always been a little like this. However, I want to level the playing field so to speak, and, I do want off these drugs altogether because I really don't think that they are helping me very much. The only way of knowing what I am really like (because I forget) is to come off. However, if it all goes horribly wrong and I end up psychotic again without recovering as quickly I would be in danger of losing everything. And people would probably call me a fool for going against medical advice.

[Petunia]

Hi Blazes,

I just caught up with your thread.

 

I think that if you want to come off your medication and learn who you really are, then you owe it to yourself to do that.  If you taper slowly and carefully enough, you should be able to do that without experiencing withdrawal symptoms, which could easily be misinterpreted as an 'underlying condition'.

 

My understanding of psychosis these days is much different from what it used to be, I don't see it as an obvious symptom of an illness, but a normal reaction in some people to certain extreme circumstances.  Not understanding what's happening and fear can make it a lot worse.  I believe that what gets called psychosis, diagnosed as an illness and suppressed with drugs is actually an evolutionary healing opportunity which could be used to overcome unconscious trauma, which we all have.

 

I want to write more, but I'm having a bad brain day, can't seem to get what I want to write onto the screen

 

Do keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

 

Petu.

[Altostrata]

Here's another article for you, blazes: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/schizophrenia-identity/

 

You seemed to be inclined to a psychiatric label for your symptoms. Many people do without the labels. It's your choice.

[blazesboylan]

Hi All,

 

I have just finished the following 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Psychopath_Test

 

I am pretty sure that some of you have read it. I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it. You will be glad to hear that I am finally coming around to the view that psychiatry has gone into overdrive categorising what are normal states of being for many people as illnesses, and then out with the prescription pad. As far as I can see, it's the only weapon in their arsenal. I think that I can sum up psychiatry with the following words - write a prescription and hope for the best. I actually don't understand why someone needs to study medicine before studying psychiatry. It would seem like an awful waste of time to me.

 

Anyhow, I haven't been feeling 100% for the past week or so. I have been more anxious than usual and feeling a bit depressed also. I have decided to stop taking the terbinafine for a week or so and see if it makes any difference. I was with my GP the other day to give blood samples for liver function tests etc. I will get the results in a few days. I don't plan on tapering anything psychiatric for a while or at least until my mood settles.

 

Thanks for the link Altostrata. It was interesting. I have never heard voices though! I hope that you are all having a great weekend.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Altostrata]

I believe you have to take terbinafine consistently to kill fungus. Otherwise, you're experiencing the risks for no benefit.

[blazesboylan]

Greetings,

 

Well I am going to give it a break for a week anyway. Until I get the results from the liver function test anyway. I would prefer to have a nail fungus that nobody sees rather than high levels of anxiety. I am feeling reasonably ok today. I am meeting a friend later and we are going to a gallery. Tomorrow is a public holiday in Ireland so that's another day off work. I hope that you are all having a good one 

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[blazesboylan]

Greetings All,

 

I haven't been here for a while. I just thought that I would log on and post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic 2015.       

 

I am doing very well anyway. I updated my signature to reflect where I am at with the meds. My mood is good and my anxiety levels are quite low. I have started my meditation practice again and that is really helping with my anxiety. I am sleeping well.

 

That's all really. Peace and happiness to you all.

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[Petunia]

Thanks Blazes, for stopping by to let us know how you are doing.  I'm happy to hear you are feeling better.

 

All the best for the new year.

 

Petu.

[blazesboylan]

Thanks Petu. The very same to you 

 

All the best,

Blazes.

[blazesboylan]

Hi All,

 

Happy new year! I haven't been here in a while so I thought that I might post. I have updated my signature by the way. I am going to cut the risperidone very soon. Anyway, I met with a doctor the other day. I told him about the tapering. I was warned about the risk of relapse and all the rest. He wanted me to increase the Effexor and the risperidone again and he wrote a prescription to that effect. Anyway, I think that I will be ignoring his advice. To be honest I am doing fine as I am. My mood is generally good and the anxiety isn't bad. I am meditating a lot. He wants to see my again very soon to see how I am doing with the increased meds I suppose. I think that I will just pretend to be going along with the plan although I don't like telling lies. I mean, why is there so much resistance to coming off meds? Any thoughts anyone please?

 

Blazes.

[Altostrata]

Blazes, it sounds like this doctor has a religious belief in psychiatric drugs. Why should he want to increase your drugs when you are feeling well?

 

Perhaps you should see another doctor.