This is a topic I have created that closely parallels a post I had made in the paranormal forum:

About 10 days ago I stopped taking my medication. I ran out and decided not to go back on. I've never felt better in my entire life! There was a week period or so where I was convulsing because my body was going through withdrawal from being on this medication since I was 16. Nearly 6 years. After that it was like coming out of a dream. Since NOT taking the medication I have NOT experienced depression, anger outbursts or any of the things the medication was suppose to have solved. Everyone has noticed that I am a much more loving person being OFF the medication. I haven't felt this healthy in a long time. I'm physically stronger as well as mentally. The medication made me numb and not want to have relationships. Basically everything the medication was suppose to solve. Good old exercise, yoga, and introspection are more than any medication has ever done for me. My doctor at first was worried that it would be a problem, but she could not be more pleased with the results. I am a bit alarmed that they give these drugs out to 16 year olds and younger. The reason I was placed on it was because of my OCD. The better part of my teenage years was spent as a zombie. It was easier for me to quit speed then go off these drugs. I am all natural now and loving it!

Also since going off I've actually noticed a decrease in what might be considered delusions such as believing in ghosts and what not. It's made me much more rational and scientific in my approach to paranormal elements. I also do not have heart palpatations anymore.

It seems that everything these days is being solved with a pill. More and more people are being prescribed anti-depressents, ADD medication and so forth. I am not saying this is a conspiracy but I am suggesting that perhaps aware or unaware our government is trying to numb us. What got me thinking about this was the fluoride video someone gave me in another thread. That's how you keep a civilization at bay, you numb them.

What do you think?

I agree that we are way over medicated. Only the worst should get any type of psychological drugs. Thanks for the link. I am glad that you are ok and doing well off of your meds.

[edit on 17-10-2008 by SuperSecretSquirrel]

What ever happened to nature. Is she just a tool to be whored out as the big RX sees fit?
Every "other" creature on earth has a natural way of finding what they need to make themselves feel better.
We were no different.
We need to support the corporations that poison us on a daily basis. What else is new?
There are numerous cases of people healing and curing themselves with homeopathic remedies, herbal supplements, essential oils, and good food and water.
This has been the way for our entire existence on this planet as human beings.
So when did it happen that the only way to cure people is to give them a BIG RX drug? natural cures are a thing of the past. Lost to our apathy just like everyone else. We have become so used to our comforts, we forget what it is to have to find this stuff out on our own. Why? Because my doctor said so.
Right before he put his kids through med. school and bought himself a new yacht. But hey, at least someone isn't doped up enough to miss out on the American dream.

Good for you! Thats so awesome, Im trying to get my mom to realize this, its sad to watch her suffer as the docs just up the dosage... They tried putting me on lithium, welbutrin, xanax, etc etc, tossing out catchphrases like clinical depression, ADD and bi polar. Ironically, none of these things ever hindered me, in fact, I dont think they even existed, and from my experience with friends who were diagnosed, the ones who went along with it just got worse, and the ones who thought the docs were lying, were fine. It was as if people follow the suggestion of the doctor, and keywords like ADD and bipolar, will make you that if you believe it. Now, I understand these things may truly exist, but the amount of times they are being diagnosed these days, has to be way out of proportion to who is really actually, ill.

That's great that you were able to get off the medicine you were on, and I'm relieved to hear that you are still in touch with a therapist – going cold turkey off psychiatric medicine can be dangerous, even if it's for the best in the long run.

I agree that too many people are prescribed these medicines, especially too many young kids. One thing I've noticed talking to people is that a lot of people talk (as you did) about how the medicine makes them feel "numbed out". I have to wonder if this isn't a sign that the wrong problem is being treated.

As someone who has had chronic low-level depression, and occasional periods of severe (suicidal) depression, my experience with anti-depressants has been the opposite. When I first start them in the midst of a terrible depression, I begin to feel for the first time. For me, the depression is the numbing agent and the pills lift the numbness so that I can move again. Often, this will even be more painful in a way than the depression, for a couple weeks or so as I become aware of how shut down emotionally I have been. Then I begin to regain interest in people around me, and am able to take care of myself (diet, exercise, spiritual practice) in the ways I need to to prevent relapses.

Anyway, I just wanted to add my voice as someone who has absolutely benefited from anti-depressants in the past. There are some of us out here – depression is not just a creation of ad agencies. But even for someone like me, anti-depressants are not a quick fix, and don't work without me be willing for them to work, and seeking non-medical support in the form of friends, family, and talk therapy.

Congratulations on coming back to your (literal) senses! The world is much better when we can feel!

I starred both of your posts.

I too noticed that everyone I know who didn't go on the medication grew out of their depression and what not. It seems people are seeing teen moodiness as another thing to diagnose. They underestimate teens and their ability for their soul to rise above the conditions. Since when did we become so dependent? Turn into such drug addicts?

It's disgusting how these medications are handed out like candy... and there is such a supression of knowledge of natural medications.

I don't even know how deep the rabbit hole goes... I think it's as much lazy parents looking to label instead of discipline their kinds, and adults looking for a label to garner attention or excuses as much as it is Big Pharma pushing the stuff.

I've only ever known one--- that's one! kid that I thought needed medication as opposed to discipline... poor guy was 7 and he was biting his wrists and punching through walls, but Mom was afraid to get him atticted to something.

This is exactly what inspired me to start thinking for myself and search the internet for truth. My experimentation with using my pineal gland had led me to believe that brushing your teeth with fluoride toothpaste and drinking fluoridated water severely inhibits control over your pineal gland. I've tried using fluoride and not using fluoride as a personal experiment, going on and off from time to time and this has consistently proved true.

We are being deceived people. This is an effort by those who are the elite few to regain control of the many and to carry out the plans that the few think are most beneficial to us.

The plans of the elite are usually never in the best interests of the many, this is the whole point of the Integral movement.

There's a book called "Comfortably Numb" that I highly reccomend to the readers of this thread. It discusses how medical advertisements have chance psyciatry and have almost made mental disorders and drugs a status symbol in our culture.

It is a bit disgusting the degree to which drugs have infiltrated our culture. Many of the "antidepressants" don't work any better than placebo, but carry a whole heck of a lot more side effects. This is the intelligence of these people, they treat the side effects with more drugs. Sleeping bad from antidepressants? Have some Ambien. Getting a stomach ache from the Ambien? Here's some Prilosec. Having diahrea, here's more medicine. At what point does our body become foreign to itself because of all the drugs. Then you know later on they'll find that each drug had some real nasty side effect that no one knew about, like the "black box warning" put on antidepressants that says for the first few months the drug increases the risk for suicide. Well wtf is up with that. Or like how they find with anti-inflamitory drugs for arthritis you have an increased risk for heart attack.

The word "Antidepressants" should be banned, if I had my way. They should be called what they are, selective serotonin reupintake inhibitors, its a little less cushy then the term antidepressant. It's great marketing being called "antidepressants" and it seems to even fool doctors. Doctors won't care "why" or "how" you're depressed. It could be a known condition, like hyperthyroidism for example, that has a known effect on the body that causes depression. But instead of fixing the problem, or waiting for it to correct itself, they stick you on an SSRI that has absolutely no effect on someone whose thyroid levels are off. SSRI's work on serotonin, not T3 and T4 last I checked, it makes no sense. "Lets see, you're depressed so what should I do....ah ha, here's some ANTI-depressants so that should do the trick, says so right there in the name *pats self on back for being so smartz*" I swear this is the level of most doctors.

Another thing thats sick, besides the medication of the younger folk, which are sort of helpless in their decision because of their age, are the amount of drugs that are recommended for the older people. I lot of it it required I'm sure, but do people really need 8 medications just to live when they're older? And who knows how that effects quality of life with the combined side effects on all the medications. I read awhile go that common drugs used for hypertension (anticholinergics) increase the decline in memory for older adults by about 50%. And this is a new finding, and think of how long people are going to be put on these drugs, 30 years for some or longer...Scary thing is you won't know if the reason Grandma forgot to feed the cat for 2 weeks is from "getting older" or if it was from the medicine she uses for her blood pressure.

[edit on 17-10-2008 by ghaleon12]

The whole system is broken, absolutely and without doubt. The FDA is nearly useless, and i'm sure that is the way it is "supposed" to be. This drug, that drug all over the place for any ailment you have. The industry reminds me of those tonic salesmen from years back. "Got a problem!? No matter how small or silly the problem, we can fix it! You didn't even know it was a problem until we told you! Pay me and drink this! Here is the ten page list of side effects, oh, and you'll need to buy these tonics to fix them! Anything, everything, we have a cure! "

Drugs to fix natural emotions. Drugs to fix the menstruation cycle. People pop advil and the lot all day long, every day, not realizing that it builds up within the body over the years, and when you reach that cap, your as good as dead.

I took zoloft for some time years ago. The side effects were pretty extreme. Vivid open and closed eye visuals, much like ingesting some mushrooms. Hearing things. Waking up with a blazing pulse and slowed reaction.

And within the medical industry, and the reason it keeps going the way it's going, is that everyone is in everyone elses pockets, keeping the wealthy wealthy and charging more every day to us fools who think we have no other choice. And, of course, if you use natural means to get better, the Dr. on the today show will tell you it's pure hog wash. The industry doesn't profit from you getting better, and that is what it's all about.

A conspiracy? Maybe you were just mis-diagnosed or too quick to think pills were going to solve whatever problem at the time that made you seek help... ?
Maybe they worked for a bit but then you kept taking them when they weren't needed? What kind of pill exactly?

[edit on 18-10-2008 by MurrayTORONTO]

There are very real chemical imbalances that take place in psychiatric disorders. The euphoria or higher state of wellness you are experiencing now is mostly due to the drug still being in your system and the lack of side effects from still constantly taking the pill. As someone previously stated, it's only a matter of time usually 2-4 weeks before the drug will completely clear your body and you'll be feeling those all too familiar symptoms once again...