Happy Luau

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Sacred Life Sunday: Holding On To Who We Are

Today I feel like I'm reclaiming my identity, that part of me that makes me who I am, reclaiming it from an arsenal of prescription drugs that my well-intentioned doctor gave me earlier in the week. I do believe that prescription medications are important and vital, and especially useful when they help us to heal and thus be more fully who we are. But when they actually take away that ability, then they are dangerous. This is what happened to me.

But today, Sacred Life Sunday, I'm taking myself back. It feels really good to have made that decision.

The video explains this better...I'm still a bit of a Zombie Girl:

4 comments:

Kelly said...

Oooh, I get it now. It's not that you were suddenly getting off 3 anti-depressants you'd been taking for months or years. Four days. Ok, whew!

You know, I've heard of doctors throwing meds at a patient like that, but I've never heard a first-person account like that. Wow. Even when my GP did prescribe an SSRI, it wasn't until after much talk and consultation and considering the diagnoses from the psychologist who was treating me. It was done carefully and with a slow ramping up followed by A LOT of subsequent visits to check on how I was feeling on the meds.

Olivia said...

Yes, you're right...I just wasn't clear. The Lexapro I'd been taking for about 10 weeks or so and the rest just 4 days. After your comment I did go back and take 1/2 of a Lexapro, though, and will titrate off that. I even wondered if that could have precipitated the panic attack (if it wasn't hormonal) as I started taking it without a prescription but with free samples from this same doctor friend.

It sounds like you had a great GP. That is definitely what is required if you're going to prescribe antidepressants to people. How can anyone presume to do this without spending the necessary time or even (you're absolutely right) checking with the therapist about the diagnosis?!? She is my friend so I will tell her about my experience. I was so shocked and distressed when I saw her last week that I wasn't thinking clearly. I thought instead, "Gee, I must be a basket case to need all of this stuff..."

LoveHubbie says he can already see the difference in me.

Thanks, Kelly, for your support now and before, O

patti said...

Whoa - Olivia, you HAVE been on a trip! I think it is unfortunate that your doctor reacted in such an extreme way. Yay for LoveHubbie giving you gentle guidance - he would know your creative and emotional soul better than anyone.

Dr. Patti (LOL) believes that you have been undergoing a MASSIVE transformation during these past weeks - spiritual, emotional, physical and sometimes this transformation can express itself in ways that seem a little crazy to the naked eye. Your response to this transformation seems very normal to me!

Keep being gentle with yourself and Stay With It!

Olivia said...

Yes, indeed, Dr. Patti! Thank you for this encouragement. I love the way you put this, and do indeed believe that this is the case. I still definitely want to get my hormones checked, but I feel like the doctor just didn't get what I was going through in the short time I had to talk with her. Thank you very, very much for your encouragement.

I feel normal (for me) today which is so welcome. I'd missed "me"!

Thank you, Patti,

O