Some ways to cope with side-effects

To my readers:

    I thought I might give a little bit of help to those struggling with side-effects.

    Some of my strategies:

       For-

          1. Fidgetting; I found that posture while sitting can help you from 
                                 feeling unsettled. Put your feet square on the floor,
                                 about even with your hips. Then flex your toes and 
                                 at an angle (45*) lift your heels and rest them at the
                                 angle against the chair legs.

                                 ( If you are not in a chair, lift your heels to where
                                    it is comfortable and if you can still rest your
                                    heels- do so )

                                  I came across this posture when I was crocheting
                                  and trying not to overwork my back.

          2. Pacing:  Sometimes pacing happens when your medicine dosage
                            is too high. But then, sometimes, it is akathesia that attacks
                            the tendons on the backs of your knee making the backs
                            of your knee uncomfortable- like your tendons are stiff
                            and only partway flexing. 

                            Sometimes, having a banana or two a day is helpful with
                            the feeling of being restless without any relief from this
                            uncomfortable side-effect. I think that it is the potassium
                            that helps relieve your discomfort.

          3. Rocking: For this, I found that the lower back and upper buttocks
                            are tense and massage helps with this, but once a month
                            may be too little help for this, because the symptoms
                            usually come back up in a week. So, if you can afford it,
                            ( talk to your doctor first ), but if you can afford it I would
                            recommend massage on a weekly basis.

          4. Tremors: Sorry, for this I can only urge you to talk to your doctor
                            and suggest switching to a different medicine. But, it 
                            helps if you already have a new medicine in mind.

          5. Blurry Vision: Consult with your eye doctor.

          6. Trouble Sleeping/Sleeping too much: Consult with both of your
                             doctors. Psychiatrist/Primary Care Physician

          
    I hope some of these are helpful.  Remember the resources at the side of
            this page and also the helpful links that can be found in my
                 article:  Vocabulary ABC's in mental health circles, posted
                      in July 2014.

Removing fear from the "diagnosis" might just save someone you love.

     One of the many misconceptions of mental illness is the use of a straight jacket. Ok, so that one was easy right? They say I am mentally ill, but I was never told that the straight jacket is antiquated. But, then I learn that medicine is used as a straight jacket instead of the real thing. But, that is still the real thing. Medicine.

    To understand the fear that patients face, go back to your childhood. What did your family say when you noticed a mentally ill person. What did your friends say. How about the media. Hmmm.....

    You probably went along with the idea that being "mentally ill" is bad and that it won't happen to you cause someone said so. Probably from someone in the family. 

    Then there is the burden of truth. Trying to prove to everyone that you are not "one of them" and that you don't need that awful medicine that makes you look crazy. Cause, I'm still me inside. "Please, I don't want to take this medicine because it makes me look crazy. I see the way it affects my physical character and I don't like it."

    Please, when did I stop being me and became crazy to you?
I'm still the me I remember. Why is it that all my dreams are crushed, just because you! say so?

    There should be stricter laws on committing someone. Because, as far as I remember it only takes two people and a judge to take away someone's dream of the future.

    It is this dream that is one of the problems. As I iterated in the article "Surviving mental illness from the inside out 2" in June 2012, not a single child growing up announces 'they want to grow up to be mentally ill'. 

    Now, why is that?

    Fear. Fear of innuendo and labels. So that would be three.

    That folks is part of the stigma and they (the medical staff) try to 'teach' "us" coping skills. What exactly are we supposed to grin and bear it? Discrimination. Plain. Simple. 

    So, if you can no longer grin and bear it, take a breath and then go to my article "Vocabulary ABC's in Mental Health Circles"
and educate. Educate yourself, your family, your friends. Educate anyone. Educate everyone.

    If we get the word out more and more, the fear of mental illness might become "learned" with mental disorder.