Building mental wellness on a foundation of strength
You can find all kinds of stories online of people reporting negative experiences with different forms of psychiatric medication. However, there's inherent bias in that kind of reporting of side effects, so you really can't use that information to effectively generalize how safe or effective a treatment is. In this post, we'll look at where… Continue reading Bias in Online Stories of Psych Med Side Effects
But Deliver Me From Crazy by Katie R. Dale is a memoir of living with bipolar disorder. You may know Katie from her blog, Bipolar Brave. She also contributed a story about bipolar I to my book Making Sense of Psychiatric Diagnosis. The book begins when Katie was in high school, when her illness first… Continue reading Book Review: But Deliver Me From Crazy
For anyone need to take medications for a chronic condition like mental illness, dealing with side effects may end up being part of the reality of taking meds. The pros should always be outweighing the cons, but the right balance can be hard to find. No side effects is possible All medications have potential side… Continue reading Living with Psych Med Side Effects
Pretty much the same cocktail of meds I'm on now used to work well, and got me into full remission (i.e. no symptoms at all between episodes). I'm not sure what got me thinking about this recently, but while my depression has become increasingly treatment-resistant overall, my medications are still doing a pretty good job… Continue reading Treatment-Resistant Depression – What My Meds Do Help With
Back in 2018 I did a post on my not-so-hygienic sleep hygiene, looking at the sleep hygiene recommendations (specifically the ones from American Sleep Association) that I was and was not following. I decided to look back and reflect on what's changed since then. What hasn't changed is that I can't sleep without medication. I'm… Continue reading How My Sleep Hygiene Has Evolved
This post is by Heather of The Anxiety Diva. I needed an antipsychotic to get through the pandemic Like most people my anxiety was taken to new levels during this pandemic. I could not focus and felt like my head was going to explode with all the anxious thoughts I was having. I have already… Continue reading Emerging Blogger Series: The Anxiety Diva
This post is by Mio of Mentally Ill in America. My Possible Origin Story It most likely began when I was two. I was taken to the ER for a fever that would ultimately rise to 107. But, first there was church to attend to… Once that let out (or whenever it was that my… Continue reading Emerging Blogger Series: Mio (Mentally Ill in America)
Naltrexone (brand names include Vivitrol and ReVia) blocks opioid receptors just like Narcan (naloxone), which is used to treat opioid overdoses. Both drugs prevent any opioids in the vicinity From being able to latch onto opioid receptors and do their opioid thing. While Narcan and fast- and short-acting, naloxone works more slowly and is longer-acting. … Continue reading Naltrexone – An Opioid Blocker That Gets Around
Spiders, Vampires and Jail Keys by Brooke O'Neill is a compelling story of one woman's life with bipolar disorder. Like me, Brooke is a nurse. When she returned to work after her period of acute illness, she was able to have positive conversations self-disclosing to some of her patients who had bipolar disorder in addition… Continue reading Book Review: Spiders, Vampires and Jail Keys
In case you hadn't noticed, I'm pretty pro-medication when it comes to mental illness. I thought it would be worthwhile, though, to give a little bit more nuanced perspective. My take on meds comes from my professional training as a pharmacist and then nurse, years of experience, and many hours of continuing education. I've seen… Continue reading My Version of Being Pro-Medication
