Medications
Made the mistake of going off my medication for about two weeks, I think. I noticed myself slipping into a depressive state this week. I've started them again.
I don't understand why I do this. It starts with missing one dose and then suddenly almost a month goes by. I feel so much better at first– clearer. I suppose it's because I've been off and on medication my whole life, it becomes exhausting and so I give in to it.
I genuinely feel so horrible.
@Scarf427 Hey there, Scarf. First of all, thank you for sharing about your struggle. It's so tricky and frustrating to navigate through the bipolar journey. As a fellow bipolar, I can relate very much. You know, we're on meds and then we start feeling better, but we get optimistic so quick...to the extent that we believe we've cured it and don't need it. So, it happens that we stop it. And the missing dose and the month is so real... time just flies so fast, and everything seems so exhausting, even the simple things. I just wanna say, that's it's the bitter part of the mental health journey and many of us do go through this when we miss our doses. When I missed mine, I got a scary manic episode, and had to be taken to my psychiatrist. Then I'd accepted that any change or stoppage in doses should only be carried out by the professionals. And it did help me, and eventually weaned off the meds as I found supplementary coping mechanisms. So, yeah... this happens... but Im really happy that you've started it again. Every new start is a new beginning and I hope you make it through <3 I'm on the path with you and some days are really bad. Meds are there to give us the fighting chance while we find our way through life and it's never too late. Our future self will thank us for the efforts we put in from now. Take care :) and hit me up if you need to chat a bit :) I'm here for you.
I understand what you are going through. I have stopped my meds before also. I also have a sister who does this and she has issues going back on them. She gets very sick and won’t get help. Right now she’s in the hospital with pneumonia and kidney failure. So, I try to take my meds because I don’t want to get that bad . I hope you are doing better! Take care!
I understand what you are going through. I have stopped my meds before also. I also have a sister who does this and she has issues going back on them. She gets very sick and won’t get help. Right now she’s in the hospital with pneumonia and kidney failure. So, I try to take my meds because I don’t want to get that bad . I hope you are doing better! Take care!
@Scarf427It makes sense that this feels exhausting. Being on and off medication can create a cycle where you feel temporary relief at first, then notice the depressive symptoms creeping back. That first “clearer” feeling can feel so good it’s easy to rationalize skipping doses, but your body and brain are used to the consistency, and missing even a few days can trigger the slide back into depression.
