Medication is essential to recovery, untreated mental illness should be treated as any other illness
Marilyn Davies
shared this idea
17 comments
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Carol Fritz
commented
We can be physically ill, mentally ill, spiritually ill. The first two are hingly amenable to proper medications from skilled practitioners. The third benefits from more faith-based practices.
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martin baiada
commented
i'm thinking the medical model is the foundation upon which the house of recovery is built.
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Patricia Oehler
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I have read the comments and would have to agree, "MEDS" may or may not always be the answer. everybody has diffrent chemestry. My question is, How do we TRULY help the disabled, rather it be mentally, physically, or emotionally. One we treat each individual as an individual, and ask many questions do not put everybody in the same exact boat. we are all diffrent with diffrent experiances, diffrent emotions, diffrent make-up, chemistry, and so on... treat what works best for you, talk with your physician if it does not work for you, the physician should listen to your voice. we know ourselfs better than anyone else does, even the physician...
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Cure the Cause
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I think we should look into food dyes, MSG, Aspartame, and other additives in foods that is turning our kids today and also adults into very unstable individuals. I definately believe that BEFORE someone is labeled with a mental illness that all these other concerns should be addressed. Also exposure to heavy metals in much of our drinking water makes anyone mentally unstable. Make sure you have the proper diagnosis. To make a wrong diagnosis is very debilitating. The brain is nothing to ***** around with. Mental illness is real, just don't label without doing the full protocol.
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Beta Sheep
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If mental illness is supposed to be treated as any other illness, then the patient has every right to free agency and to refuse the recommended treatment. This happens every day.
But I am very confused with your argument. You're claiming it's just like any other illness and then you're trying to make a special exception for it.
And not only that, you're trying to make a blanket claim that medication is essential to recovery, no exceptions. That's simply not how science works-- there's never anything that comes in at 100% in science. No wonder shrinks just don't get respect in the medical community.
I now really regret I skipped Sophistry 101 in college.
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Sunnysewsit
commented
We had a son who had paranoid schizophrenia, diagnosed when he was a senior at University. Even so, he managed to complete three years of medical school but had to drop out. We lived in **** for 12 years until he was under guardianship of the court for a year, having to take medication. For the last three years of his life, he was "almost" his old self. Without medication, he would have hurt himself or someone else. Perhaps some people with mental illness can recover without medication, but I think that is the minority.
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Anonymous
commented
A little over a year ago, in my 60's, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and given medication. I had a very difficult time with the medication I was initially given because it interfered with motor skills and with life long techniques (mainly various forms of exercise and out door activities) that help me function. My friends described me as being listless and vacant. I am now on a very low dose of an expensive medication and my psychopharmachologist believes that my recovery is more due to my own efforts than to the medication. I also suspect that the medication, if strong enough to prevent further manic episodes would likely have to be strong enough to cause the undesirable characteristics I initially experienced. After much discussion with my therapist, my psychopharmachologist and my family, I am weaning myself off the medication.
There are serious side effects and long term effects of medication and more importantly there are alternatives including the most effective form of treatment - the dialogic form of treatment offered in Lapland. Developing a Wellness Recovery Action Plan can be helpful in managing mental health as are diet, exercise, creative arts and being focused on accomplishing goals. There are also many people who have successfully recovered without medication. Before you insist that the only way you can keep your loved one safe is by forcing them to take medication, educate yourself and look at ALL the alternatives. -
David W. Oaks
commented
The book "Anatomy of an Epidemic" by Robert Whitaker shows with multiple peer reviewed scientific studies, that often those diagnosed with serious psychiatric disorders who become free of psychiatric drugs do better in the long run, than those who stay on psychiatric drugs. I'm pro-choice about taking prescribed psychiatric drugs, but I was once told I had to take psychiatric drugs the rest of my life because of my diagnoses of schizophrenia and bipolar. That was 35 years ago. If I had believed that I needed to be on neuroleptics (antipsychotics) the last 35 years, it would have been horrible.
If someone promotes misinformation about those of us diagnosed with mental and emotional problems, at what point can we ask, "Have you really examined yourself, your mind and your psyche? Why would you promote false harmful information to other people? Why haven't you taken the time to research this? Why do you apparently consider simple psychiatric chemicals to be some kind of magic fairy dust that can heal unproven chemical imbalances?"
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J. Dosick
commented
Medication may/may not be PART of recovery. Time to start thinking outside of the box!
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SurvivingADs
commented
Absolutely not. Every phrase in this proposal is false.
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Edward L. Knight PhD CPRP
commented
Neuropleptics are only 20% effective on average CATIE study shows while side effects run at much higher rates. and anti depressants are on 2.7% effect compared to a placebo. while prospective and retrospective studies show that getting off junk and processed food has a 50% effect
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Edward L. Knight PhD CPRP
commented
. Neuropleptics are only 20% effective on average CATIE study shows while side effects run at much higher rates. and anti depressants are on 2.7% effect compared to a placebo. while prospective and retrospective studies show that getting off junk and processed food has a 50% effect
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Edward L. Knight PhD CPRP
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TAC is manufacturing misinformation. Aaron Beck MD perhaps the most respected psychiatrist and mental health researcher in the country in his 2006 book Schizophrenia summarizes the lack of evidence for the biological evidence for mental illness. After 100 years of research there is no evidence for anatomical, genetic or physiological differences between labeled and non labeled people. another excellent summary of the lack of evidence is bio researcher R Walter Heinrich in his 2003 book In Search of Madness. Neuropleptics are only 20% effective on average CATIE study shows while side effects run at much higher rates. and anti depressants are on 2.7% effect compared to a placebo. while prospective and retrospective studies show that getting off junk and processed food has a 50% effect
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spiritual_emergency
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I've had no medication. I'm recovered. I recognize that many people self-identity medication as beneficial and I support people in using medications if they find them helpful and if they have had the opportunity to make an informed choice. We must remember however that medications have the power to help and the power to harm. The same medication that helps one person might prove utterly debilitating, even fatal to someone else. This is why I cannot support the statement that medication must be part of a recovery program. Many people recover without medications and many peoples' conditions are worsened by medications. However, if people find them helpful I believe they should make use of them.
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Corinna
commented
I disagree. I'm much more recovered now that I'm off meds. For the first time I can get to sleep in 15 minutes or so instead of the 1-3 it took me the whole time I was on meds. Meds are one tool among many, and not effective for all people. Some people do worse on meds.
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jameson
commented
I have schizophrenia and couldn't agree more, without medicine I would be back to day one. The recovery model does or should incorperate the medical model. Those people I know that don't use medicine don't seem to do as well as those who do. I've been on medication for 14 years and have no intention of quitting.
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spiritual_emergency
commented
Marilyn: Medication is essential to recovery. I don't believe we can say that is true. Many people who have recovered have done so without medications or have since successfully withdrawn from medications.
I think we could say, "medication can be an important component of recovery," however it's also only one tool. Peer support, spirtuality, nutrition, talk therapy, secure housing, addressing unresolved trauma, maintaining healthy relationships, engaging in productive work/activity -- these are also tools of treatment.
