Posts by Amanda Vaughn2

I’ve gotta be real with you—whenever I hear the word Haldol, I actually get chills. Like, seriously. It’s such a heavy-duty antipsychotic. And honestly? Once someone gets put on Haldol, it feels like a life sentence. People end up taking it forever without ever switching to anything else. Usually, doctors throw it at patients dealing with hallucinations, crazy anxiety ranging from deep depression to straight-up aggression, or just feeling totally spaced out. Now, hallucinations might not happen all the time—maybe just once a month—and anxiety can be hit or miss too, but the second you mention seeing things or feeling anxious, American psychiatrists jump straight to Haldol. They act like it’s this magic bullet for suppressing everything, but it's intense. It’s supposed to be administered under super strict supervision, too. Sadly, people on this stuff are usually under constant watch, which makes it so hard for them to actually participate in normal, everyday life. I’ll tell you what, though: you really need to find yourself an amazing psychotherapist. Someone with actual guts and the real deal expertise to help you wean off Haldol without those "thoughts"—you know, the hallucinations and the anxiety—coming back to haunt you. A good therapist should be right there with you, doing daily work. All those "thoughts" you're having? They're just reflections of your past, suppressed memories, hidden desires, fears, and emotions. You have to look inward to figure out *why* this is happening to you. You need to focus on yourself, talk through it, and really push yourself to engage that part of your brain that isn't feeling so "asleep" or disconnected from reality. Everything going on inside our heads is still such a mystery, so we often try to fix things by focusing on outward behavior or speech instead. But our brain cells? There are millions of them, and they are so incredibly fragile. Any change in the body affects them; any illness can impact those tiny little atoms that keep us moving and growing every single second. I have to say, my heart truly breaks for what you're going through. My own mom was on Haldol, and man, I fought with everyone over that medication. I looked for help everywhere, but it felt like it was always too late. Even with the Haldol, her confusion, depression, and aggression just wouldn't quit. Her struggles were way heavier than yours, and she was much older, too. But I truly believe that since you're young, you have this chance to strengthen your mind and find that inner grit. Please, don't just sink into depression and give up. My mom... she just gave up. She ran out of strength, and nobody around her really understood what she was going through. She was in a nursing home, and I felt completely helpless because the whole thing started on such a wrong note. That’s the tragedy of Haldol. I hate it, and I hate the psychiatrist who recommended it to her. He kept insisting it was the only way, but it wasn't. These doctors sometimes act like they don't care because the patient isn't "one of theirs." I even know women who had issues just like my mom, but because they were friends with the doctors, they weren't pushed onto Haldol. So, see? It is possible to get back on your feet, be social, and actually enjoy your life and your surroundings without it. Don't let them win. Find a way through this—I know you can do it. Good luck!🙂

Just jumping in here because reading through all your posts, I’ve realized a lot of people don't really get what hemorrhoids actually are—they just think it's some random vein down there. /if they even know that much/
Hemorrhoids aren't just one thing; they come from a bunch of different factors. Besides genetics, you've got people whose whole anatomy is just "low-slung," from their feet up to their pelvis and abdominal organs, plus bad posture. Then there's the digestive side of things—metabolism issues, obviously, and eating way too much "dry" or spicy food. Plus, sitting for ages and straining on the toilet doesn't help. Look, you can't force a bowel movement if it just isn't happening. It’s honestly better to go twice and have smaller movements than to try and force a massive one all at once. If the stool is too hard or too runny, you risk tearing the lining of your colon, which burns and hurts, and that pressure pushes those veins out, creating those little lumps at the entrance. Some might be dark because the blood has pooled and clotted, while others are lighter because it's just engorged blood that hasn't clotted yet. You might feel a weird sense of relief if a hemorrhoid actually pops and bleeds, but trust me, that doesn't make your situation any better! You need to keep up with ointments, wash up after every single bathroom trip, and be seriously careful about your diet. Avoid pizza and soda. If you're in an acute flare-up, stay away from alcohol, red meat, and tomatoes. And absolutely NO spicy food! Stick to soups, stews, fish, or boiled/grilled white meat. Cut back on heavy cream, bananas, rice, and sugary chocolate treats. Also, don't overstuff your stomach. For breakfast, maybe some muesli, juice, toast with butter or jam, or some ham—but skip the eggs. Anything that "constipates" you needs to go, because hard stools are exactly what trigger those hemorrhoids and cause all that pain.
One girl asked me if thongs cause hemorrhoids. NO, A THONG CANNOT CAUSE HEMORRHOIDS. You wear a thong on clean skin just like any other underwear. Just make sure to wash up after every bathroom break, especially after a BM. Hygiene in that area is everything. Also, to keep your pH balanced, ladies, please don't use regular soaps on your intimate areas or your butt. Plain water is best, and then you can apply an ointment—if you're dealing with hemorrhoids, that is. Obviously, if you're flared up, you probably won't want to wear a thong anyway, at least not until it clears up. A great ointment to try is Preparation H since it has antibiotic properties. Herbal ones based on propolis and olive oil work wonders too.
Good luck, everyone. I truly know how much this sucks. In any case, getting a checkup with a private proctologist is $133. Do it whenever you can, just to be safe, because the colon carries all sorts of bacteria and illnesses. You never know what kind of trouble might be lurking in there 😠 Pusa to everyone 🙂

Hey everyone!
I’m also part of that unlucky group dealing with the nightmare of hemorrhoids.
About ten years ago, I actually had laser surgery to get rid of them, plus treatment for a fissure that popped up at the same time. Honestly, it worked wonders—until now, when they’ve decided to make a comeback. Now, every single time I hit the bathroom, it’s pure pain and burning, and I deal with bleeding more often than not. I tried calling a few proctologists, but oh my god, the exams were a total disaster and the prices? Insane. Take Dr. Misir, for example; I saw him ages ago for that laser procedure. His setup is so much better because he uses a specialized exam chair, kind of like a raised gynecologist chair where you just lie back comfortably, instead of those other doctors who force you to awkwardly hump a table or lie on your side. Plus, Dr. Misir uses lasers rather than just tying them off. The results are way better—it’s smoother, less painful, dries out the hemorrhoid, and tightens everything up immediately so there's zero bleeding. It held up great for ten years, even though I kept eating junk food, but I guess I finally pushed my luck too far. I’d go back to Dr. Misir in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, his prices have skyrocketed. Now, every single hemorrhoid costs up to $1667 and a fissure goes up to $2667. I practically fell on my butt in shock! Back then, it was only like $100. *Sniff.*
So, what now? I called Dr. Phil and Dr. Smith, and oh man, they are straight-up butchers. They do the ligation method where you bleed everywhere, and they’re shoving fingers inside while you’re in absolute agony—honestly, I wanted to punch them right in the junk! And the exam? You either have to hump the table or lie on your side. Their prices are a bit more "affordable" at $1500-$833, but still. As for fissures, some of them will even treat you and others won't, and you might end up stuck in a hospital under total anesthesia, like at the Bates clinic. Just awful.
I also tried those Pfizer tablets. I finished two boxes and now I'm taking a three-month break. At least, that’s what Dr. Landon, the Pfizer advisor, suggests. But honestly, even after that, it still hurts every time I go, especially if I have to go again right away. I feel like things are a bit more resilient, but it's definitely not back to normal. I try to watch what I eat, but if I slip up even once, it's game over. My digestive system has become a total rollercoaster. I’m honestly at a loss. I don't have the cash for Dr. Misir, and I definitely don't have the guts or the energy to deal with those butchers. So yeah, that’s my experience. I’m just waiting a little longer before I decide my next move. 🤷

Honestly, you should definitely have a primary care doctor get them a referral to a neurologist. Otherwise, you're looking at specialists like Dr. Vid Demarin—who’s basically a brain expert—or someone like Tomislav Babić over at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Depending on where you live, though, they really need to see a neurologist, a psychologist, and even a cardiologist since blood vessel issues play such a huge role. The real headache is that a patient like this needs a whole team of doctors weighing in. From what I’ve seen, and let's be real, age definitely plays its part, it sounds like what others mentioned about your grandma—it’s almost certainly dementia. You probably noticed it popping up about a year ago, but trust me, it likely started way before that. There are different types out there, like vascular dementia or Alzheimer's, among others. All those symptoms—forgetfulness, confusion, getting disoriented, sleep issues, insomnia, constant anxiety, panic, fear, depression, or even sudden aggression and anxious behavior—they all point toward dementia. It’s heartbreaking because there isn't a cure, but you can try to manage things with a solid diet and the right medication. This stuff usually progresses, and honestly, it can even hit people as young as 65. Anyone seeing these signs needs to jump on it immediately. It’s so sneaky; families often just brush it off as "old age forgetfulness" until suddenly, the person can't take care of themselves anymore. They start forgetting things vital to their safety, struggle to eat or dress themselves, deal with incontinence, and eventually, they might not even recognize their own family or where they are. It gets messy emotionally, and it can even lead to losing the ability to walk. Sometimes it hits so fast the whole family is just left reeling. Sadly, these folks need 24/7 care—not just someone helping them move around, but actual medical supervision. If you're planning to handle that within the family, you’ve got to be ready for it physically, mentally, and yeah, financially too. If that's not an option, you're looking at assisted living or residential care facilities. People tend to wait too long, but you can always reach out to Skrba Social Services in your local area for some guidance and recommendations.