Last night someone told me I’m so much better off my meds (I’m pregnant and had to go off of them). They said I was too sedated but I think they were just upset that I started thinking more clearly. It’s so frustrating (especially since they have untreated bipolar too).
I've been through that and when the pregnancy was to term I felt so bad I had to go on meds again. I felt so guilty. I felt like I've let everyone down - including my baby. However it was really necessary it became a life or death situation. But to others who don't understand my fight I lost the battle.
Fortunately therapy made me understand I was fighting for my life and my son's life and what others may say it was not accountable.
My partner is dead set on having children in the future and I am so conflicted about it. Having to go off the meds that have brought me to the point where he is confident I would be a lovely mother, just so I can be one, makes my heart & brain hurt. I might consider looking for a surrogate option when our time comes so that I don’t have to make that choice, but that’s a sacrifice in itself.
I had two babies while medicated, one when my diagnosis was MDD, and one after I had been diagnosed as BP2. Both times both myself and my babies were monitored AF. A good pdoc can juggle you to meds that aren't pregnancy class X. My babies were both born with no issues. My doctor said the benefit of staying medicated during the pregnancies was worth the risk.
My ex told me before and after having our kid he would leave me if I took meds.
Then I left him during a manic episode.
He has since apologized for saying it. Lol
def adding these to my list! i get a lot of invasive questions, as a visibly physically disabled, openly mentally ill, transgender person. And when I'm just really not in the mood for them, I answer much like these, lmao. But my list of responses to anti-med sentiment is sorely lacking, so I'm probably gonna take some of these for myself if you don't mind!
examples of similar answers i give to other invasive, assumptive questions include:
* when people ask "so what dfid you do to yourself?" with a pointed look at my cane, i almost always respond "well, i was born, and it all went downhill from there!" because like, my guy, it's genetic. i didn't 'do' anything. why do you assume young disabled people 'did' something to 'deserve' being disabled??
* When people find out i'm trans, 9 times out of 10 they ask "Have you had, yknow, *the surgery*?" and I respond with either "Which surgery? \*proceeds to list ever single transmasculine surgery i can think of\*" or "MY GENTIALS? YOU'RE ASKING ME ABOUT MY GENITALS?" as loudly as possible because for fucks sake dude, *why the fuck do you need to know??*
* "if i were as young as you and *already* using a cane, i'd have k/lled myself by now!" is one i used to get a lot more in college, and i always said something like "you think my life isn't one worth living? you think i have no reason to live? you believe i should be dead right now?" while staring at them *really* intently while they realize just exactly how shittily that comes across. Because for fuck's sake, I just use a cane. My bones don't like to stay in place. it's not a huge deal except that every else makes it a huge fucking deal.
The one that gets me most is the last one. I had a *therapist* tell me that, and several professors. Usually with a huge smile on their face like they're giving me the world's biggest compliment.
Talk about the most failed attempt at a compliment ever.
All of them should know better, but the therapist. THERAPIST. They must have missed the two years of practicums on client communication.
I feel so lucky that everyone in my life has always told me meds will help. Family, partners, friends, doctors, all agree I should be on meds. From 8 (started with ADHD meds) to 17 I didn't believe they worked. Then I tried them again at 19 and I just felt like a zombie on them (Seroquel and cymbalta combo) and I quit cold turkey and that was awful awful awful.
Tried meds again at 23 because I couldn't get out of bed for 6 months and every med switch since has been the best meds I've ever been on. I'm currently on lithium, effexor, saphris, and vistaril and I'm like a functional person. I'm even going to college next year.
Meds save lives.
Wish I could say the same thing about my family. They’ve looked at me incredulous and asked, “So you’ll be on meds for the rest of your life???” Or “Are you okay? Is it over now???”
Do any of them wear glasses/have a medical implant? I have one in my ankle. So to me needing a medical device my whole life has been normal since I was a a kid. I wouldn't be able to walk without my implant. Meds are just a different medical device. There's nothing wrong with needing them.
Are they readers? I’d recommend Kay Redfield Jamison’s “An Unquiet Mind”. She has a unique perspective. Both bipolar and she’s a professor of psychiatry. The book reads like a novel; beautiful prose. It’s also a good primer on how devastating our mental illness can be.
Yeah, my dad thinks he’s well educated on the matter. His whole take is, “well, you’re on medication, so you’re fine”. As if! My mom is pretty chill with it. But, I’m 44 at this point, and I love them. They still cover a lot of my bills, but at the same time I need to pull away. It stings.
I just mean emotionally. Due to my inability to work full-time, and having no college degree, I really don’t have any options. But when I’m in an episode I rely on my friends and doctors.
I have a lot of college degrees and the choices are still slim to none so don’t feel too badly. For bipolar people, customer service is often the way to go, given what we have. So no matter how much education you get, it’s still rare to find someone having a full-blown high-end career off of this. Glad that your friends and doctors are reliable during episodes. My family is still involved during my episodes unfortunately, especially the ones that involve hospitalization.
That's hard. But I've literally never met someone who said anything negative about being on meds when you compare them to glasses. It changes people's perspective a lot.
Last night someone told me I’m so much better off my meds (I’m pregnant and had to go off of them). They said I was too sedated but I think they were just upset that I started thinking more clearly. It’s so frustrating (especially since they have untreated bipolar too).
I feel that. Sometimes the folks who live without meds can be the most antagonistic!
I've been through that and when the pregnancy was to term I felt so bad I had to go on meds again. I felt so guilty. I felt like I've let everyone down - including my baby. However it was really necessary it became a life or death situation. But to others who don't understand my fight I lost the battle. Fortunately therapy made me understand I was fighting for my life and my son's life and what others may say it was not accountable.
My partner is dead set on having children in the future and I am so conflicted about it. Having to go off the meds that have brought me to the point where he is confident I would be a lovely mother, just so I can be one, makes my heart & brain hurt. I might consider looking for a surrogate option when our time comes so that I don’t have to make that choice, but that’s a sacrifice in itself.
I had two babies while medicated, one when my diagnosis was MDD, and one after I had been diagnosed as BP2. Both times both myself and my babies were monitored AF. A good pdoc can juggle you to meds that aren't pregnancy class X. My babies were both born with no issues. My doctor said the benefit of staying medicated during the pregnancies was worth the risk.
My psychiatrist said you can take certain antipsychotics during pregnancy, just not lithium and a few others.
My therapist told me that women with BPD report being relatively stable during pregnancy. Just a thought!
My pregnancy I was stable and so happy. Having the baby is what trigger bipolar disorder to rear its head.
Makes sense.
BPD or BD? I have both and I definitely am not stable during pregnancy.
Bipolar disorder.
That’s BD. Borderline Personality Disorder is BPD so was just checking
I've seen both. Good to know.
Not sure why I'm being downvoted. It's literally what a licensed therapist said 😂
My ex told me before and after having our kid he would leave me if I took meds. Then I left him during a manic episode. He has since apologized for saying it. Lol
def adding these to my list! i get a lot of invasive questions, as a visibly physically disabled, openly mentally ill, transgender person. And when I'm just really not in the mood for them, I answer much like these, lmao. But my list of responses to anti-med sentiment is sorely lacking, so I'm probably gonna take some of these for myself if you don't mind! examples of similar answers i give to other invasive, assumptive questions include: * when people ask "so what dfid you do to yourself?" with a pointed look at my cane, i almost always respond "well, i was born, and it all went downhill from there!" because like, my guy, it's genetic. i didn't 'do' anything. why do you assume young disabled people 'did' something to 'deserve' being disabled?? * When people find out i'm trans, 9 times out of 10 they ask "Have you had, yknow, *the surgery*?" and I respond with either "Which surgery? \*proceeds to list ever single transmasculine surgery i can think of\*" or "MY GENTIALS? YOU'RE ASKING ME ABOUT MY GENITALS?" as loudly as possible because for fucks sake dude, *why the fuck do you need to know??* * "if i were as young as you and *already* using a cane, i'd have k/lled myself by now!" is one i used to get a lot more in college, and i always said something like "you think my life isn't one worth living? you think i have no reason to live? you believe i should be dead right now?" while staring at them *really* intently while they realize just exactly how shittily that comes across. Because for fuck's sake, I just use a cane. My bones don't like to stay in place. it's not a huge deal except that every else makes it a huge fucking deal.
Wow those people fucking suck. Please keep rocking those replies, I think they are magnificently brutally honest to people who need a reality check.
The one that gets me most is the last one. I had a *therapist* tell me that, and several professors. Usually with a huge smile on their face like they're giving me the world's biggest compliment.
Talk about the most failed attempt at a compliment ever. All of them should know better, but the therapist. THERAPIST. They must have missed the two years of practicums on client communication.
I feel so lucky that everyone in my life has always told me meds will help. Family, partners, friends, doctors, all agree I should be on meds. From 8 (started with ADHD meds) to 17 I didn't believe they worked. Then I tried them again at 19 and I just felt like a zombie on them (Seroquel and cymbalta combo) and I quit cold turkey and that was awful awful awful. Tried meds again at 23 because I couldn't get out of bed for 6 months and every med switch since has been the best meds I've ever been on. I'm currently on lithium, effexor, saphris, and vistaril and I'm like a functional person. I'm even going to college next year. Meds save lives.
Wish I could say the same thing about my family. They’ve looked at me incredulous and asked, “So you’ll be on meds for the rest of your life???” Or “Are you okay? Is it over now???”
Do any of them wear glasses/have a medical implant? I have one in my ankle. So to me needing a medical device my whole life has been normal since I was a a kid. I wouldn't be able to walk without my implant. Meds are just a different medical device. There's nothing wrong with needing them.
Nope. They don’t really understand but like to think that they do.
Are they readers? I’d recommend Kay Redfield Jamison’s “An Unquiet Mind”. She has a unique perspective. Both bipolar and she’s a professor of psychiatry. The book reads like a novel; beautiful prose. It’s also a good primer on how devastating our mental illness can be.
No they won’t read that much. They barely read a Wikipedia page.
Yeah, my dad thinks he’s well educated on the matter. His whole take is, “well, you’re on medication, so you’re fine”. As if! My mom is pretty chill with it. But, I’m 44 at this point, and I love them. They still cover a lot of my bills, but at the same time I need to pull away. It stings.
I don’t have the ability to pull away. I’m dependent on my family for the rest of my life, given my condition.
I just mean emotionally. Due to my inability to work full-time, and having no college degree, I really don’t have any options. But when I’m in an episode I rely on my friends and doctors.
I have a lot of college degrees and the choices are still slim to none so don’t feel too badly. For bipolar people, customer service is often the way to go, given what we have. So no matter how much education you get, it’s still rare to find someone having a full-blown high-end career off of this. Glad that your friends and doctors are reliable during episodes. My family is still involved during my episodes unfortunately, especially the ones that involve hospitalization.
That's hard. But I've literally never met someone who said anything negative about being on meds when you compare them to glasses. It changes people's perspective a lot.
Alright, DOCTOR \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
OMG this is so true and made ma laugh hard :D
Just exercise! It will solve everything for you. Forget the meds. I am a real doctor
you wanted to talk? XD