The Brain Can Return Itself to Equilibrium

In what ways have you found psychiatric medication(s) helpful, if any?

Antipsychotics are evil. I did find Epival and Prozac very carefully balanced to keep me in a state of wellness. Of course no one ever suggested after my major psychotic break that I could go without medication. No one suggested weaning off. I am only now weaning myself off all medications with help of Truehope dietary supplements and online blog [by] consumers doing the same thing.

In what ways have you found psychiatric medication(s) harmful, if any?

Yes, antipsychotics are very harmful and psychiatrists pile on more drugs when problems are revealed instead of doing what they should which is helping you to get off drugs. Psychiatry has nothing to offer but drugs. I was on Seroquel for a year recently. I began having bladder spasms and was unable to urinate. Ended up needing to be catheterized to pass urine. The doctor made no connection to antipsychotic, but I did. Tried to go off it fairly quickly but [experienced] brutal withdrawal, nausea, and vomiting. Got off it with support of online bloggers and all my health problems disappeared. Since then I have also decreased my Lamictal down from 200 mg a day to 75 so far. Feel better then I have in a long time. I called [my] psychiatrist to ask him to help me wean off seroquel he didn’t call me back.

During your mental health care, have you often felt hopeful about your chance of getting better?

Yes. I was certified, injected with Haldol against my will. I knew I needed to cheek my drugs, clear my head and escape which I did. My brother became ill when I was 13 and because of my learning from his experience I knew I could recover but only if I could find better quality professionals.

During your mental health care, have you often felt hopeless about your chance of getting better?

No. I have been in recovery for most of my life except for one major relapse but did not end up in the psychiatric ward again. That is the worst place to try and recover from anything.

Has a mental health provider ever told you that you could reach a personal goal despite your psychiatric diagnosis (for example, education, career, independent housing, relationship, children, etc.)?

Yes. Psychiatrists are not all evil they simply don’t have much to offer from my experience as a family member/consumer and healthcare professional. All they have is a prescription pad.

Tell us what recovery means to you. How would you define recovery from mental health or emotional problems in your own words?

Recovery means life returning to ‘normal’ i.e. family, career, and fun. Living in a state of equilibrium and wellness. My overarching goal will be to be off all psychotropic medication and maintain the state of wellness.

If you could send a brief message to someone receiving mental health care today who is feeling hopeless about getting better, what would you say?

The brain, body and spirit have a righting reflex. The brain can return itself to equilibrium if given half a chance.

Can you give examples showing you have gotten better from a mental or emotional problem, such as how you are doing well or accomplishing goals you have chosen?

I had a serious psychotic episode and was very ill. But because I was already informed about mental illness and medications, I knew that what the mental health team was injecting me with was making me sick. If I had not known that I would be institutionalized today. I became informed and connected with other mental health consumers who were living and working. Never stop trying in whatever way you need to. When you have no hope, borrow it from others around you. I did take medication and believe it allowed me to maintain my pre illness level of functioning. If I could have significantly decreased my stressors I believe I could have weaned off my medication but it was never my goal. I wanted to get back to feeling pleasure at living and be successful. As long as the medication was not causing adverse effects I was happy to take them. I did lots of work on my thinking, i.e. life coach, neurolinguistic programming, belief system work, cognitive stuff, hypnosis, meditation, relying on god, having a greater purpose for my life and using my experiences to help others.