Do You Need a "Medication Makeover"?


"Medication Makeover"?
Am I serious?
Some of the most popular shows on TV right now are house makeovers. 
Apparently lots of people love to see a house transformed.
Would you like to see your depression transformed?
I sure would.

Bipolar II, which is my diagnosis, is a little harder than just depression to find medical solutions for.

I tend to suffer terrible side effects from most medications
and so for a few yearsI decided that if meds weren't helping
then I may as well just handle my mental illness with other strategies.

I quit taking meds altogether (with doctor permission) but I am not recommending this for everyone else.

Never stop medication without consulting your doctor.
But some good came out of that time. 

I examined my lifestyle from food, to exercise to activities
as well as the kinds of people I spent time with and made some changes.

But I was still stuck with this insidious illness.

So my psychiatrist tried me on something new. It took a long time to adjust but I did.

The headaches eventually subsided but I was getting less sleep.

Was it worth it?

Well, yes and no.

It definitely helped but just a little bit.

However,
a little bit is better than nothing.

The last two years have been less than ideal and so I decided to talk to my psychiatrist
and see if there was some other medication we hadn't tried yet.

Trying new medications is tough business.

Making any changes is hard and takes courage and perseverence.

Adjusting to something new and deciding whether the side effects are worth it is tough.

Getting your hopes up that maybe this will work too
is hard when nothing good comes out of it.

A 'medication makeover' is not as easy as a house makeover.

But just imagine that you could become a whole new you just like the house?

Would that be worth it?

And so I am adding a new medication to the med I am already on.
I will let you know if I get a good result.

 That will take some weeks to measure.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?
How are you feeling these days?
Are you taking medication?
Is it working?
Would you like to try something different?
Have you tried everything?

Don't give up, there is hope for depression.


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