I find that doctors are too keen on prescribing medication for
depression and anxiety. My GP prescribed a drug, its a SSRI which blocks
serotonin. Interestingly its the same way LSD works. After taking it for
2 months I didn't notice any difference a...
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I find that doctors are too keen on prescribing medication for
depression and anxiety. My GP prescribed a drug, its a SSRI which blocks
serotonin. Interestingly its the same way LSD works. After taking it for
2 months I didn't notice any difference and wanted to stop taking them
but my GP forced me to keep taking them. I was sent to prison for 2
weeks for driving unlicensed several times. It was mentally challenging
as I went through huge moments of trauma, shock, stress, depression,
anxiety and helplessness. They didn't supply the medication and so I
didn't take it for those 2 weeks. The first night of my release, as I
was trying to fall asleep I kept getting woken up by a very loud noise,
a bang, a scream, a whistle, someone calling my name, a smash. I later
found that this is known as exploding head syndrome. The next night I
went to go to the toilet in the early morning, as I woke and got out of
bed I was confronted by an old man standing beside my bed, right in
front of me. I freaked out and ran out of my room screaming. I was so
freaked, I know it wasn't a dream, I was awake. I recognized the old man
as my cell mate in prison. The following night as I was falling asleep I
saw a blue string of light dancing and floating in my room. Again I was
completely scared, I panicked and ran out of my bedroom screaming again.
I slept that nigh on the sofa in my living room. Seeing something that
isn't there is quite frightening. I thought I was going insane until I
found a scientific explanation. They are called sleep hallucinations and
occur when your waking up or falling asleep. But why had this happened?
I'm sure the psychological effects of being incarcerated played a part.
But then I had a closer look at the side effects of my medication and
was shocked at what found. Along with hallucinations and delusions there
was a huge range of side effects, the worse ones being; manic episodes,
trouble breathing, seizures, convulsions, coma, loss of consciousness,
changes in blood pressure and heart rate, dizziness, suicidal thoughts
and attempts, acting on dangerous impulses, panic attacks, new or worse
depression and/or anxiety. These side effects also occur during
withdrawal. I went to my GP and told her about my hallucinations to see
what she would say. Her reaction was to label me a schizophrenic, double
the dosage and send me to a mental home. I told her no way, its the
alteration of my serotonin levels that has bought this on and asked her
to take me off the medication. There was no need to medicate me in the
first place. Everyone feels depressed or anxious at some point in there
lives, they're just normal emotions. So in order to make someone feel
better doctors are willing to take huge risks with medications that are
not very well understood to alter the chemical composition of our brains
which is also not very well understood.
Seeing a psychologist for first time and don’t know what to ask or expect
