Psychiatric meds ruined my life thread

[Unlucky777]

Been reading a bunch of threads where it's clear that psych meds destroyed so many people's lives and we are HERE looking for a way out. I just want to say that psych meds ruined my life also (antipsychotics, SSRIs, benzos) and I'm 18 months off the poison and I'm IN RECOVERY.

Recovery is 100% possible and I'm living proof of it. It's slow, it's painful, It feels unbearable, but after 18 months here are some things that have helped me to recover.

1. Exercise daily - cardio and lifting weights. Exercise promotes BDNF and HGH which aid in the brain healing itself.

2. Diet - I changed up my diet a lot and only have been doing intermittent fasting one meal a day. Have even done 7 days water only fasts and this also is supposed to increase BDNF and help the brain heal.

3. Ketamine therapy - neuroplasticity helps rewire the brain. This has helped a great deal past few months when life felt hopeless.

4. Brain games. Any kind of games that help the brain think are effective in healing.

Mind you this is only anecdotal and based on my experience but I'd like to hear other people's stories and how you healed and recovered from psych meds that ruined your life.

 

[AngelTear]

Psych meds are honestly so cruel to me
I mean they help people, a lot of people, but they also have such awful side effects and make people sicker than they were prior to taking them
I was prescribed Prozac, a drug entirely TOO STRONG for me
I couldn't even last 2 weeks on it before I gave up

It made me feel so sick
My belly felt like it had a constant pressure in it, like it was gonna explode
I was nauseous constantly, a MAJOR trigger of mine
Without being too tmi it started hurting to go to the bathroom
I had a constant headache and lightheadedness
The only thing positive it did for me was give me a high but it didn't resolve ANY of my issues

So I quit it before I got ulcers or hemorrhoids or before I could get withdrawals because fuck that
They only gave me that shit because they want to stabilize people and get them out of the hospital at light speed to take in their next patient aka for money
But I'm one of the people that was failed by the system :/

 

[Spicy Tteokbokki]

https://www.youtube.com/@taperclinic is a good channel about this with a lot of stories related to this topic.
I've had my life destroyed by them in the past, too, and now oppose them, unless for short term while you sort other things out that might cause your problems, and if long term, really only as a last, last resort, not first thing you try without changing anything else.

 

[underairpressure]

Also has my life nearly ruined by psych drugs. It's shocking how little the people prescribing these things even KNOW about them, and also how little they care.

I've been told that psych drugs "have no side effects" (LOL), been taken off of serious shit cold-turkey, been lied to and tricked into taking drugs they KNEW had caused severe reactions in me in the past........ etc. And the worst part is, there is no accountability. No recourse. No standards.

 

[Lookingtoflyfree]

I wrote a letter to my psychiatrist calling her out for so many things, including putting me on the wrong meds. It was such a good day to send that to her. I also love that if you google her name, patient reviews calling her out for her misconduct is one of the first results. Karma has the receipts, karma has the receipts...

 

[Unlucky777]

Psych meds are honestly so cruel to me
I mean they help people, a lot of people, but they also have such awful side effects and make people sicker than they were prior to taking them
I was prescribed Prozac, a drug entirely TOO STRONG for me
I couldn't even last 2 weeks on it before I gave up

It made me feel so sick
My belly felt like it had a constant pressure in it, like it was gonna explode
I was nauseous constantly, a MAJOR trigger of mine
Without being too tmi it started hurting to go to the bathroom
I had a constant headache and lightheadedness
The only thing positive it did for me was give me a high but it didn't resolve ANY of my issues

So I quit it before I got ulcers or hemorrhoids or before I could get withdrawals because fuck that
They only gave me that shit because they want to stabilize people and get them out of the hospital at light speed to take in their next patient aka for money
But I'm one of the people that was failed by the system :/

I'm so sorry to hear that. They do help some people but those asshole psychiatrists also DON'T listen to you. They think they know everything and that they can't do any wrong or that they are NEVER wrong. That's what happened to me, I was actually fine before I took any meds and ALL my problems in life started once I took those meds. And what did they try to do!? They tried to MASK my side effects with other drugs to the point I was like 12 different meds and they were like oh "yeah you're a zombie and all and it's very hard for you to have a career but at least you're 'stable'

I'm so angry with myself and I hate myself now for not listening to my intuition and running the other way. It's fucked up the way it all happened.

How long did you stay on them? I hope you did not have any cognitive issues? If you made a clean getaway without any long term cognitive issues then I'd say that's a win.

 

[AngelTear]

How long did you stay on them? I hope you did not have any cognitive issues? If you made a clean getaway without any long term cognitive issues then I'd say that's a win.

Probably like a week and a half
Not long enough to get withdrawals from it

Cognitively I don't think it was the meds that made me worse but they definitely would have if I was still on them today
And I was hospitalized like back in ~2022, if I was still on meds now I'd be so fucked

 

[Spicy Tteokbokki]

Also has my life nearly ruined by psych drugs. It's shocking how little the people prescribing these things even KNOW about them, and also how little they care.

I've been told that psych drugs "have no side effects" (LOL), been taken off of serious shit cold-turkey, been lied to and tricked into taking drugs they KNEW had caused severe reactions in me in the past........ etc. And the worst part is, there is no accountability. No recourse. No standards.

Even worse, the research on said drugs can be so shit and manipulated on top.
It's really just sad how little care there is about them, yet how they're given as if they're candy to so many people.

At least we are seeing more psychs teach themselves about how to properly taper these psychiatric drugs, instead of just having a patient go cold turkey (WHAT THE FUCK) or still really bad, have them taper down in just a week or two, which is WAY too quick, especially if you've been on a drug for months or years, where tapering itself can take weeks to months or years for some patients as they get severe withdrawals otherwise.

 

[AngelTear]

And the worst thing to me is how READY doctors are to medicate you for mental health issues
Like my GP has recommended me mood stabilizers when I told them I was depressed years ago
I never took them because I KNEW it wasn't what my body needed
I'm pretty sure I was a teenager back then and I never brought up my mental health issues to a doctor again and I REFUSE to ever again

 

[Unlucky777]

https://www.youtube.com/@taperclinic is a good channel about this with a lot of stories related to this topic.
I've had my life destroyed by them in the past, too, and now oppose them, unless for short term while you sort other things out that might cause your problems, and if long term, really only as a last, last resort, not first thing you try without changing anything else.

Thanks for providing this link. When I first started researching this topic I felt so alone until I came across some of these channels on YouTube that were talking out against psych meds. They definitely ruined my career that I worked so hard to earn and my professional reputation was shattered by the effects of these drugs.

Have you gone off these meds now and if so how are you feeling now? I've been off all psych meds since July 2024 and I am feeling better each day but it's still a struggle every day. We need to raise awareness on this topic to prevent other people from becoming victims.

OH and the manner that they do this is as if they are handing out candy to school children. They sit down with people for 5 minutes and are ready to hand out diagnoses and hard drugs. This system is broken

 

[Spicy Tteokbokki]

And the worst thing to me is how READY doctors are to medicate you for mental health issues
Like my GP has recommended me mood stabilizers when I told them I was depressed years ago
I never took them because I KNEW it wasn't what my body needed
I'm pretty sure I was a teenager back then and I never brought up my mental health issues to a doctor again and I REFUSE to ever again

That's what they're taught primarily, and it's also the easiest solution.
They can't spend a few hours with you to get your entire life history written down, but they can easily correlate your symptoms with some DSM/ICD-criteria and give you some drug which fits for said "illness."

Thanks for providing this link. When I first started researching this topic I felt so alone until I came across some of these channels on YouTube that were talking out against psych meds. They definitely ruined my career that I worked so hard to earn and my professional reputation was shattered by the effects of these drugs.

Have you gone off these meds now and if so how are you feeling now? I've been off all psych meds since July 2024 and I am feeling better each day but it's still a struggle every day. We need to raise awareness on this topic to prevent other people from becoming victims.

OH and the manner that they do this is as if they are handing out candy to school children. They sit down with people for 5 minutes and are ready to hand out diagnoses and hard drugs. This system is broken

I had to do a shit-ton of work myself to fix a lot of things, so I am doing a lot better. Though the autism/ADHD part kinda remains and seem untreatable from what I've seen, but at least I can ease a lot of symptoms if I am strict with my sleep, diet, lifestyle in general, but even then, some factors like neighbors, life stressors etc are beyond my control which can cause me to become more unstable again. However, since I carry an entire cargo ship worth of knowledge I at least know how to approach things now instead of blindly relying on uneducated doctors, psychs etc.

 

[Unlucky777]

Also has my life nearly ruined by psych drugs. It's shocking how little the people prescribing these things even KNOW about them, and also how little they care.

I've been told that psych drugs "have no side effects" (LOL), been taken off of serious shit cold-turkey, been lied to and tricked into taking drugs they KNEW had caused severe reactions in me in the past........ etc. And the worst part is, there is no accountability. No recourse. No standards.

I'm so sorry you were inflicted by this also. How long were you on them and what exact meds were you on??

It appalls me that people on Facebook for example know more about Cymbalta than most of these so called psychiatrists. They know nothing about how the negative side effects impact people. Psychiatrists are a joke and I will never trust any of them

I was lied to and misled and they said there would be no side effects and that if I DIDN'T take the meds they were giving me that I would ruin my life. And yeah they don't like being told they are wrong and there is no accountability. We must fight back against the system

 

[Spicy Tteokbokki]

Also, even though my family and friends are on said drugs and I've tried warning them and given some some reputable sources about said info, pretty much everyone still blindly trusts said psychiatrists and feel they have no agency over their own treatment, which is sad, but I understand that because most people are simply afraid of being someone who rejects the common standards/path(?), so I don't try to force anything on them beyond saying that I am willing to help them if they one day want to try that out, and we're talking things like tapering, alternative easier drugs (if they still want to go that path), lifestyle changes, have me with them as a support for said changes etc..

While I haven't had anyone outright say "pls help me change my life" I do notice them taking at least parts of my advice and adding it into their life, or at least being conscious of it even if they're still doing bad choices, as they'll frequently go "omg this food is so unhealthy, look at this label with 999999 ingredients" or "omg I am sleeping so late again and again and I'm feeling increasingly trash" etc.

 

[underairpressure]

I'm so sorry you were inflicted by this also. How long were you on them and what exact meds were you on??

It appalls me that people on Facebook for example know more about Cymbalta than most of these so called psychiatrists. They know nothing about how the negative side effects impact people. Psychiatrists are a joke and I will never trust any of them

I was lied to and misled and they said there would be no side effects and that if I DIDN'T take the meds they were giving me that I would ruin my life. And yeah they don't like being told they are wrong and there is no accountability. We must fight back against the system

It was Geodon (an "anti-psychotic") that nearly disabled me for life. I was only on it for about a month, but I ended up developing rapid onset tardive dyskinesia. Which is when your body starts to violently twitch and jerk and convulse, completely outside of your control. Mine got so bad that I was basically unable to eat, walk, or sleep.

My psychiatrist couldn't see me anytime soon, so I was told to go to a crisis center where they would "help me safety taper", but that is NOT what happened. What was done to me there, and the whole experience of being forced off cold turkey, is a whole other story I won't dump here for now, but, both mentally and physically it was one of the most horrific experiences of my life. And, even though it's been 6ish years since then, and I was "only" on Geodon for a month, I STILL get occasional facial twitching.

You'll find other people discussing the issues with the psychatric system if you look for "antipsych", "psych abolition", and "mad liberation" circles. There's also some good journalism and literature on this out there, more as time goes on. Highly recommend Rob Wipond's "Your Consent Is Not Required".

 

[Spicy Tteokbokki]

It was Geodon (an "anti-psychotic") that nearly disabled me for life. I was only on it for about a month, but I ended up developing rapid onset tardive dyskinesia. Which is when your body starts to violently twitch and jerk and convulse, completely outside of your control. Mine got so bad that I was basically unable to eat, walk, or sleep.

My psychiatrist couldn't see me anytime soon, so I was told to go to a crisis center where they would "help me safety taper", but that is NOT what happened. What was done to me there, and the whole experience of being forced off cold turkey, is a whole other story I won't dump here for now, but, both mentally and physically it was one of the most horrific experiences of my life. And, even though it's been 6ish years since then, and I was "only" on Geodon for a month, I STILL get occasional facial twitching.

You'll find other people discussing the issues with the psychatric system if you look for "antipsych", "psych abolition", and "mad liberation" circles. There's also some good journalism and literature on this out there, more as time goes on. Highly recommend Rob Wipond's "Your Consent Is Not Required".

At a group I'm in we had a person who was going through that. It was so sad to see as they were really struggling with doing anything. :/
I wish I could've helped them, but it wasn't my place to do so, and he stopped coming eventually.

 

[Frxtagooox]

Been reading a bunch of threads where it's clear that psych meds destroyed so many people's lives and we are HERE looking for a way out. I just want to say that psych meds ruined my life also (antipsychotics, SSRIs, benzos) and I'm 18 months off the poison and I'm IN RECOVERY.

Recovery is 100% possible and I'm living proof of it. It's slow, it's painful, It feels unbearable, but after 18 months here are some things that have helped me to recover.

1. Exercise daily - cardio and lifting weights. Exercise promotes BDNF and HGH which aid in the brain healing itself.

2. Diet - I changed up my diet a lot and only have been doing intermittent fasting one meal a day. Have even done 7 days water only fasts and this also is supposed to increase BDNF and help the brain heal.

3. Ketamine therapy - neuroplasticity helps rewire the brain. This has helped a great deal past few months when life felt hopeless.

4. Brain games. Any kind of games that help the brain think are effective in healing.

Mind you this is only anecdotal and based on my experience but I'd like to hear other people's stories and how you healed and recovered from psych meds that ruined your life.

one thing for sure is it makes me fat

 

[Isolatedloser]

I need to get off these drugs and live a fulfilling life

 

[Unlucky777]

Sorry I haven't responded to all the messages in this thread yet. I plan on doing so within the next day or so. Just keep losing track of stuff. Anyway, for those inflicted by psych meds here is a very useful resource and peer support group. Just know that recovery and getting your life back on track are very much possible

Welcome

Tapering psychiatric drugs

www.survivingantidepressants.org

 

[Unlucky777]

Has anyone here healed from the effects of psych meds?

I've been off all meds since July 2024 and I am seeing progress and am healing but it's slow and frustrating. I'm back in school now and having to learn very complex topics that my mind used to be able to handle no problem before the god damn meds but now I find myself struggling to learn these concepts that came to me very easily before.

I definitely feel slow and my processing speed is significantly less than what it used to be.

 

[pyamu]

Has anyone here healed from the effects of psych meds?

I've been off all meds since July 2024 and I am seeing progress and am healing but it's slow and frustrating. I'm back in school now and having to learn very complex topics that my mind used to be able to handle no problem before the god damn meds but now I find myself struggling to learn these concepts that came to me very easily before.

I definitely feel slow and my processing speed is significantly less than what it used to be.

This is how I feel too. I used to want to get into medicine but now I don't even think I'm mentally capable. I'm can't deal with my slow processing speed anymore.

 

[Unlucky777]

This is how I feel too. I used to want to get into medicine but now I don't even think I'm mentally capable. I'm can't deal with my slow processing speed anymore.

I'm so sorry to hear that, it kills me each time I hear this. Can I ask how old are you and if you are completely off all these meds? I ask because maybe in a way I'm trying to see if it's possible for younger people to negate these effects and turn their lives around again.

I'm 44 going on 45 and if I can get myself to heal I think younger people have a higher chance to heal.

I know that with time and right strategies, you can heal from this. I'm just trying to give someone some hope here.