I know that people are going to think I'm nuts. But, I kind of agree with ghost. My reasons for agreeing with him have to do with my family history, my own history, and my daughter's history.
My grandmother was diagnosed as having manic depression and put on medication. Before the medications, we used to go out and have fun all the time (Nana, my mom, and us girls). After she was prescribed her meds (I don't know what she took), she didn't want to leave the house except to go to the doctor or go shopping on payday.
My mom has high blood pressure and is border-line diabetic. For years, she's self-adjusted her medications whenever she felt it wasn't doing what she thought it should do. About three years ago, she was diagnosed as having depression and fibromyalgia (sp?). She's on two different anti-depressants for those. Up until she started the meds, she used to go out for daily walks and visit with her neighbors. Now, she stays on the internet all day, refusing to leave her house unless she has a doctor's appointment or needs to go buy groceries.
Both my sisters are on meds to "control" their anger, keep their depression at bay, and to help them sleep because the anti-depressants keep them awake at night. My sister, R, talks about needing her "happy pill" whenever she gets depressed. I don't know if I blame the meds on the changes in my sisters' lives or if all of this has happened because of bad choices.
In the early 1990s, I started having problems coping with everyday life. I had major mood swings and was getting panic attacks at least once a day. I went to my doctor, to try to get help. But, based on what I had seen with my family, I did not want to be on medications at all. My doctor tried to convince me that there was no other way to control my mood swings and panic attacks. I didn't believe him. I knew there had to be something. I didn't want to get worse, like Nana, Mom, L, and R. I wanted to get better. That night, I prayed. I told God that I knew that I couldn't handle what was going on with me on my own and that I was placing it all in His hands. Guess what. I haven't had major mood swings in twenty years. And, I've only had three panic attacks since then.
My daughter started showing signs of mood swings when she was nineteen. My mom kept trying to convince her to go to the doctor and get something to help her. I told her that she didn't need to do that and told her my story. She decided to research mood swings. She never has gone on any meds. And, she tells me that her mood swings are gone. I don't know what she did because she likes to tell me that it's none of my business, now that she's a young adult.
When he was younger, my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD. My sister bought into all the claptrap and got him on the strongest meds available. He had been on the meds for about four years when he came out to visit me for a few months. My sister forgot to send him meds and his medical card. So, I couldn't get refills for him. So, I decided that I had a good "cure" for him. I own two acres of land and have dogs. My house is usually surrounded on three sides by corn 3/4 of the year. Across the street, in front of my house, there is a forest. So, I sent him out to explore and wear himself out. I had absolutely no problems with his behaviour at all, until it was time for him to go home. He didn't want to go so he started acting out. When he got home, my sister got him back on his meds. She started calling me every week, talking about his behaviour problems. I told her to try taking him off the meds. He didn't have them here and was fine. Of course, she thought I was crazy.
But, now you can see why I believe that psychiatry is nothing but a shell game. They walk with their hands in the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies and vice versa.
My grandmother was diagnosed as having manic depression and put on medication. Before the medications, we used to go out and have fun all the time (Nana, my mom, and us girls). After she was prescribed her meds (I don't know what she took), she didn't want to leave the house except to go to the doctor or go shopping on payday.
My mom has high blood pressure and is border-line diabetic. For years, she's self-adjusted her medications whenever she felt it wasn't doing what she thought it should do. About three years ago, she was diagnosed as having depression and fibromyalgia (sp?). She's on two different anti-depressants for those. Up until she started the meds, she used to go out for daily walks and visit with her neighbors. Now, she stays on the internet all day, refusing to leave her house unless she has a doctor's appointment or needs to go buy groceries.
Both my sisters are on meds to "control" their anger, keep their depression at bay, and to help them sleep because the anti-depressants keep them awake at night. My sister, R, talks about needing her "happy pill" whenever she gets depressed. I don't know if I blame the meds on the changes in my sisters' lives or if all of this has happened because of bad choices.
In the early 1990s, I started having problems coping with everyday life. I had major mood swings and was getting panic attacks at least once a day. I went to my doctor, to try to get help. But, based on what I had seen with my family, I did not want to be on medications at all. My doctor tried to convince me that there was no other way to control my mood swings and panic attacks. I didn't believe him. I knew there had to be something. I didn't want to get worse, like Nana, Mom, L, and R. I wanted to get better. That night, I prayed. I told God that I knew that I couldn't handle what was going on with me on my own and that I was placing it all in His hands. Guess what. I haven't had major mood swings in twenty years. And, I've only had three panic attacks since then.
My daughter started showing signs of mood swings when she was nineteen. My mom kept trying to convince her to go to the doctor and get something to help her. I told her that she didn't need to do that and told her my story. She decided to research mood swings. She never has gone on any meds. And, she tells me that her mood swings are gone. I don't know what she did because she likes to tell me that it's none of my business, now that she's a young adult.
When he was younger, my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD. My sister bought into all the claptrap and got him on the strongest meds available. He had been on the meds for about four years when he came out to visit me for a few months. My sister forgot to send him meds and his medical card. So, I couldn't get refills for him. So, I decided that I had a good "cure" for him. I own two acres of land and have dogs. My house is usually surrounded on three sides by corn 3/4 of the year. Across the street, in front of my house, there is a forest. So, I sent him out to explore and wear himself out. I had absolutely no problems with his behaviour at all, until it was time for him to go home. He didn't want to go so he started acting out. When he got home, my sister got him back on his meds. She started calling me every week, talking about his behaviour problems. I told her to try taking him off the meds. He didn't have them here and was fine. Of course, she thought I was crazy.
But, now you can see why I believe that psychiatry is nothing but a shell game. They walk with their hands in the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies and vice versa.