Posts by Kevin Bailey2

Man... during my first pregnancy, the absolute worst part was right at the end. I’d go two weeks past my due date, and my phone would just ring non-stop: "Have you had the baby yet? So, when is it happening?"

God... I seriously wanted to chuck my phone against the wall. 🙂 🤣

I’ve been on some pretty heavy meds for about a year now. Honestly, I’ve dealt with stuff even stronger than what I’m taking at the moment. To help my body handle it, I take vitamins, B complex, and milk thistle to keep my liver in check. Just had my blood work done recently, and everything came back perfect—even though I used to have a few too many drinks while on them.

The real question is how much your friend weighs and what they’re actually eating. If they’re overweight or living on junk food, the pills aren't even going to be a factor.

wiredmason56 said:I’ve definitely felt that too, noticing a real difference between Xanax and Klonopin. When I took the Klonopin, after just a few days, it felt like I was drinking nothing but water, and I actually ended up feeling more on edge. The Xanax worked way better for me, though even that felt different from my absolute favorite.🤷

I built up a tolerance to both Klonopin and Xanax in just a few days. It didn't take long at all.
I'm not feeling it at all. None of this works for me.

Klonopin is definitely my go-to. I’ve been on it for a long time now. I don't deal with any side effects, but it's not like I'm just drinking water, either—it actually helps clear the fog and gets my head straight.

Eric Mitchell55 said:I have an appointment with my psychiatrist this Thursday, and I’m really hoping we can finally phase out this 10mg dose of Haldol. It’s honestly just draining the life out of me...
I seem to be doing okay with the Helix, Prazosin, and Cymbalta, but this one is just brutal.
In my opinion, Haldol is pretty awful. My doctor mentioned she might switch me over to Seroquel instead—has anyone here had any experience with that?

I haven't dealt with Haldol, but I’ve tried Moditen and it was brutal. If I took it at night, I’d wake up the next day feeling physically wiped out. It was scary.

Seroquel works for me.
At first, the side effects might feel a bit intense and you might get some weird dreams, but that passes. After that, you sleep like a baby.
The only thing is, if you take it at night, you might feel a little "spaced out" the next morning. You'll need a strong cup of coffee to snap out of it. For me, I drink a massive cup of black coffee alongside my Prozac and Rivotril. And, obviously... I take Centravit Energy and a B complex. Sometimes, if work has totally drained me, I’ll even throw in some B12 that athletes use. 😁
I perk up pretty quickly, and during the day, it feels great. It stays in your system for the whole day after taking it at night, though it isn't as heavy as those first 5 or 6 hours right after bedtime.

I definitely wouldn't take it during the day. I mean, maybe I would, but I think it would slow me down too much. Maybe it would only be for the first couple of weeks, but who knows. There's no point in taking it in the morning when nighttime is plenty.

Also, I find that Seroquel helps lower the amount of anxiety meds I need during the day.

Maybe try starting with something milder... like Lexapro or Paxil...

Bryan Rodriguez7 said:I'm only on an AD, and even then, it's the lowest possible dose. But sometimes I'll indulge and have quite a bit to drink. It's not that I can't get drunk, it's more that I enter this state that isn't even intoxication, it's just... strange. My head feels perfectly clear. My fear is that this might leave some kind of lasting trace on my brain; I know the liver takes a hit, too. That's why I was asking.
Thanks for the response. 🙂

Man, back when I was only taking antidepressants... and on a pretty high dose at that... I could drink quite a bit and feel the exact same way. Like I was drunk, yet totally sharp.

But once they added anxiolytics to my prescription, everything changed.

Antidepressants and alcohol aren't such a lethal combo.

But mixing anxiolytics or antipsychotics with booze? Yeah, that’s a disaster waiting to happen. Right now. 😁

Bryan Rodriguez7 said:What a thoughtful post. 😍
That’s pretty much how I’ve thought and acted too. Though, do you have a specific reason for mentioning that one shouldn't consume alcohol? (I obviously know it's harmful).
Did you have a bad experience with it?
Because when I was trying to taper off Effexor and was only at half a dose, I had this intense craving for alcohol, even though I don't usually drink—especially since I started taking AD-ove.

Look... a little alcohol isn't going to kill you.
But heaven forbid you mix it with an antipsychotic while you're out somewhere, because you could end up having a total blackout.
Not from my own experience, thank God. I always knew I could have a couple of beers at home with friends after taking my antipsychotics, and honestly, I can't even remember how I fell asleep.

I have a different bad experience involving mixing psych meds and antidepressants. But it wasn't just about the alcohol; it was being in the wrong situation where a few beers definitely wasn't the answer.
When you're on medication, alcohol hits you way harder. A couple of beers and you're done for.

Still, I'm saying... two or three beers won't kill you. But... if you absolutely have to drink, make sure you're under someone's supervision.

Kenneth Scott41 said:If you aren't happy with who you are, then you haven't truly found your real self yet—it's hard to explain. Maybe take a day, go for a walk, and reflect on your life. Take a few hours to just lie in bed and think about your existence... the good parts and the bad ones, and where you see yourself in it all. If you don't have that clear picture yet of where you see yourself in the future—happy and whole—that's okay too... it will come eventually. Or, you could try writing things down: list the positives under one heading and the negatives under another. 🙂

Eventually, you'll find it, or you'll realize, "Yes, this is exactly how I want to live," within your own limits and possibilities, of course. I actually heard about a colleague of a friend who moved to India! He loved it at first and decided to stay there... far away from our country, which feels like it's falling apart, where more and more people are losing their jobs and naturally becoming depressed. I guess when you truly want something, not even a tank could stop you! 😉

Everything you said hits the mark.
I know exactly what I want, and I'm hitting my goals one step at a time.

As long as I'm on these meds.

Gerald Torres2 said:Unfortunately, I have to pray for some... I take meds... and I feel better than I did. Fewer intrusive thoughts, more livable. (I'm in a bit of a low phase right now, but it's not like my usual depression where I can't even function; I can still get up and head to work)... so they really do help. Without them, I would have gone off the rails a long time ago... but I struggle with this whole "self-work" thing. I can't seem to find any awareness because I can't get into regular therapy—seeing someone once a month is basically nothing. Honestly, my friend keeps me more grounded than any therapist could, but she has her own massive problems and is really struggling herself... I don't want to dump all my baggage on her since she's already in deep. I end up spending more time listening to her.
I honestly don't know what "working on yourself" actually means. When I'm unhappy, I lose all will and motivation to think positively... if you could explain it to me... please. You can even DM me. Thanks.

I don't do any therapy. I talked to my psychiatrist a lot at the start... then, once I cleared up my social phobia, I started opening up to people. I let them voice their opinions without taking it as an attack on my character. Basically, if someone has an opinion that doesn't line up with mine... I look at it critically. I take the good, toss the bad. I gather perspectives from one, two, ten different people... then I summarize it all and reach my own conclusion.

Then there's... mental masturbation. 😁 My psychiatrist laughed at the phrase.
For a long time, I practiced mental masturbation to find solutions.
Even while on medication.
Even now, I can sit by the window, smoke a cigarette, and just work through my thoughts... reviewing everything I've done, questioning it all.

But honestly... what's the difference between self-criticism without meds versus with meds?

For me personally... without meds... self-criticism = tears, crying, depression. I am the worst person in the world. Absolute rock bottom... I'll never amount to anything. What can I even do in life like this? Nothing. So I just keep crying. I can't face the world. I can't do anything. It feels pointless.

Self-criticism with meds = "Aha... I screwed up. Dammit. Now what? I'm only human. Can I be perfect all the time?"
No. I can't.
Who can?...
Who did I screw over? Person X? Okay... fine, let's take concrete action and see if it can be fixed.
Who did I mess up with now? Myself... okay... let's go back to CONCRETE ACTION, try something, and see what can be repaired.

Meaning... I ACT. I don't just spin my wheels like some dizzy toddler; I think it through and then I head out... 😁 ...sometimes with more fear, sometimes less, sometimes no fear at all... but I don't lock myself away. I go out... and I do it.
And if the mistake can be fixed... great.
If it can't... damn. What am I gonna do? Let time do its thing. I've got other things to deal with. Like cleaning the apartment, studying for work, passing a college exam... stuff like that.

Interesting... in most cases, mistakes really can be fixed.

One more thing... don't drink alcohol while you're on psychiatric meds.

Kenneth Scott41 said:The secret is actually quite simple. You just have to find who you truly are in this life and learn to embrace that version of yourself!😁😁🙂
I think I finally know what my greatest source of happiness will be—though, I suppose, I can only hope it actually comes to fruition in the future—and because of that, I find myself heading out the door every single day with a smile on my face. 🙂

That being said, it certainly doesn't mean I can manage without my AD-ove just yet. No, absolutely not,

Well, I found myself, and even Jesus Christ couldn't force me to accept who I am.
I'm terrified of everything. From ants to the dark.

All that fear eventually turned into a defense mechanism where I became an aggressive person. Not physically, just my whole vibe... loud, pushy... always fighting windmills. Anything to mask the fear.

Medication cleared all that away.
It wasn't instant, and the start was rough. It took me a year of cycling through a billion different phases before I finally learned how to actually manage myself while on meds.
Bottom line... the pills didn't do the work by themselves.
But did they help me tackle things? Oh yeah... absolutely.
Meds plus self-work... that’s the winning combo.
Just letting the drugs manipulate you and do whatever they want? That's not a solution, and it's definitely not high-quality therapy.
I know plenty of people who take handfuls of pills every single day for years... for nothing.
They choke them down, and then what? I don't get it. They still have their own issues. They expect the meds to solve their problems automatically?
Funny.
Not really funny.
It's tragic.
If you're going to poison your body anyway, you might as well do it for a purpose. Don't just spin your wheels. Move forward.

Just because you're on medication doesn't mean you can stop working on yourself every day or stop questioning your own actions.

It's just... being self-critical is easier when you're medicated than when you aren't. Makes you more productive in every aspect of life.

Now that my system is pretty much used to Adderall, I’ll take it before I sit down to study—especially if I've had one of those frantic days where everything just throws me off. It makes focusing way easier.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Has anyone actually sat down with "Side Effects: Death by John Virapen," or perhaps caught his interview on "Science on the Edge"? Ever since I finished reading that, I’ve felt this overwhelming sense of dread regarding these medications, particularly the AP class. I’ve considered trying something like Q-pin, but the hesitation is paralyzing. Honestly, I don't put much stock in Sanval or Xanax either, yet I find myself stuck in this impossible dilemma: how does one even begin to choose the lesser of two evils?
http://dalje.com/hr-zivot/narkobosso...ipulira/326998

I'm not scared of anything. My grandma lived her whole life on nothing but herbal tea and Valerian, then switched to Paxil and lived to be over 90. A damn good 90 years, too. 😁

David Vaughn75 said:You can't catch the flu just because you're feeling depressed.

But personally? I believe if you're constantly feeding negative thoughts and bad vibes, you're basically inviting bad things into your life... though I know science won't back me up on that one.🙂

Look, you won't catch a virus just through sheer willpower, but you can absolutely wreck your immune system to the point where every bug going around sticks to you like glue.

Sad, is this toxic or what?
Even an apple from a farmer's market can be toxic. 😁

You eat it, you shit it out, and then you move on with your life.

Thank God I poop every day, so I don't have to worry about toxicity getting the best of me too much. 😁

David Vaughn75 said:People act like these meds are pure poison, which is just plain stupid.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or just messing with me here...
But let’s be real: drugs have a certain level of toxicity. You can't deny that.
That's why I take milk thistle to support my liver whenever I'm on meds.

That said, speaking from experience, since I started my medication (about a year ago), my PHYSICAL health has improved massively.

My logic is pretty simple: stress is the root cause of most ailments, and being on medication keeps your stress levels way down. Naturally, your immune system follows suit.
At least, that's how I see it.

Before I was medicated, I was physically sick almost every single week... some virus, this ache, that pain... it never ended.

Just recently, I was right in the middle of a crowd of people who were clearly sick (I don't know if it was the flu or something else, but they were running fevers over 102)... and I didn't catch a single thing.

Plus, those issues I've dealt with since I was ten—my asthma and allergies—have basically vanished.
I had my first asthma attack right after my father passed away. I was ten. From that point on, I was practically living in hospitals. They threw every allergy and asthma med under the sun at me, but nothing worked.

Now? Dust, pollen, ragweed... none of it bothers me. Even mites.

It's entirely possible all my physical issues were rooted in my mental state.
And that isn't something you can just "willpower" your way out of. I tried everything before—piles of vitamins, strict diets—nothing did a damn thing for me compared to psychotropic meds.

I'm strictly talking about physical health here.

David Vaughn75 said:Look, if you look at most of the research out there, you're basically looking at taking these APs for the rest of your life anyway—so honestly, does it even matter if they're addictive or not? It's all moot when you're on them indefinitely.

Yeah. That’s exactly what I told my buddy when he started getting worked up about why I was using the Associated Press. 😵

Do antipsychotics cause a heavy addiction?

Gerald Torres2 said:I ended up getting a bit anxious and decided I’ll just hold off on starting the Seroquel until Saturday night. Between a job interview today, studying for school all afternoon, and a workshop tomorrow morning... I figured it was better to delay. I'll let you guys know how it goes once I actually try it.😍

Makes sense.
Antipsychotics used to sound 😲 😲 😲
to me, too. But once you actually find the right one, it’s not some huge deal. Still... definitely better than those standard benzos.

Gerald Torres2 said:Well, mine was prescribed for the evening too... so I'll probably take it around 7 or 8 PM like you suggested. I don't want to be a total zombie during my interview tomorrow since this is the extended-release version. I've taken all sorts of pills before, but I've never tried an antipsychotic, so I honestly have no clue what to expect... and when does the drug actually kick in? Like, how long after taking it? Since you know about this XR version?? Sorry for being such a pain, I'm just a little stressed out...😢

For me, Seroquel hits hardest about thirty minutes after I take it. Almost immediately. I usually just head straight to bed and wake up feeling rested, though I'm a little groggy until I grab a coffee or a Gatorade. That usually snaps me out of it. And then, of course, I start my morning routine... Prozac and Valium.

Don't sweat it. Those aren't even high doses.

Gerald Torres2 said:Yeah, mine told me to take it once a day as a stabilizer. 😕
When exactly do you start feeling that XR kick in?
I'm really hoping I don't pack on the pounds... because right now, I'm already feeling a bit heavy...😍

If she said "one a day," you can pretty much count that as "one at night." Just take it right before bed. If you're worried about the munchies, that's your best bet. Usually, those cravings hit hardest when the meds are peaking... so it's better to just sleep through that imaginary hunger.

But seriously... at first, I just felt hungry. After a while, even that stopped.

Then again, I’m basically on the edge of having anorexia, so who am I to give advice on this stuff?