EricInAlabama

Thanks for the replies. I am in the process of getting a second opinion. I'm lucky to have found a good therapist who is committed to my success, but were working on finding a psychiatrist who is willing to join the team, to serve as a professional monitor during my detox. What I think I need that I do not have much of right now is a sense of community. Unfortunately I am in an area where I don't have much of a support network, rural alabama is not for me. I need to relocate but I want to get this sorted out before such a major transition. Perhaps FDR can serve as one outlet for me in this regard. There is basically a 3 step priority list right now, which is to resign from a stressful job, detox and assess where I'm at, and then relocate. I'm early in this process, but I am making progress slowly but surely. I'm just trying to find a community that holds the same mindset as me, one that believes that there are no quick fixes, but with a good work ethic and healthy support, something like this can be overcome. What I have seen stefan talk about and the intelligent and open minded community that he seems to draw gives me a sense of confidence that this community is out there, I just have to get my situation sorted out and find out where to go to find it. Thanks again for the replies Tyler and tony. My mind is still in here, Its just been kind of muffled for a while. Hopefully with a good, grounded, rational community in my life again to use as an anchor on a regular basis I will make it past this stage in my life and use it to find more insight about myself and the direction I want to go in life. Eric

Check out the move "shamans of the amazon" Also, the book DMT: The spirit Molecule DMT is the active chemical in ayahuasca. Approach with caution, it is extremely intense and lasts roughly 12 hours. Consider trying magic mushrooms first, from my understanding it's similar but less intense.

Hi, I wanted to discuss some mental health concerns I've been having, particularly personally relevant, but also more general that many people in my situation may be able to relate to. I was diagnosed bipolar about 8 years ago. I had a severe manic episode after coming off of Lexapro, and was hospitalized for 3 weeks and started on a regimen of mood stabilizing drugs to maintain balance. I put my faith in whom I considered to be experts in this field, out of fear that what happened would happen again, and have recently begun questioning their opinions after consideration of bias, incentives from big Pharma, and potential health risks I may be looking at long term. I have noticed over the course of my life post diagnosis that I have periods of extreme depression but never experience the manic side. Sometimes I feel at an even keel, but I don't know if the meds are responsible for helping to keep me from going manic, or if they are responsible for the depression and general lethargy that happens so much, or both, or neither. I've asked doctors about the possibility of being misdiagnosed due to the suspicion of having my manic episode following a change in my med routine, a drug induced or drug related manic episode, from antidepressant to med free. I've recently discovered research about antidepressant withdrawal symptoms, which can include mania as according to one particular article, and escitalopram (Lexapro) was one of the meds studied. I'm concerned about staying on my medicine long term due to health risks (namely, diabetes, liver problems, and cognitive decline over time), and the mysterious nature of drugs like the ones I'm on, seeing as how little research has gone into their long term effects or even in their biological efficacy. I'm also concerned about whether I will even be able to stop taking it at this point, if I am addicted to them and my brain is dependent on them after being on them for so long. My doctors seem to be dismissive of my concerns, and seem intent on keeping me medicated but I don't know if their recommendations are fueled by bias, from the current mental illness paradigm, or if this paradigm is accurate or credible, or for all intents and purposes, a self fulfilled reality for me at this point. I recently saw Stefan's discussion with Robert Whitaker about the risks of being thrown into the bipolar camp after drug induced episodes, and was intrigued, though also quite troubled at some of the implications of this talk. I was wondering if anyone had any advice, recommendations, experience, or knowledge/expertise in this area. I don't really know who to trust, and quite frankly, I am terrified of the long term effects of the medicine I am on, but also of the potential short term results from discontinuing my meds. Anything could happen, and this frightens me. I want to be right about not being sick, but I'm not sure if it's wishful thinking. I'm trying to find others who are willing to consider the other side of the story, it seems so one sided in psychiatry. So I'll open the discussion with this. I am on Abilify, Lamictal, and Wellbutrin XL, if this helps. Thanks for your help and insight in advance.

Hello FDR! I just wanted to introduce myself to the community and express my excitement to join in on the discussions that go on here. My name is Eric, and I am 26 and from Alabama (don't judge ha!), as my username suggests. I discovered Stefan and subsequently FDR a little over a month ago while trying to find a news source that I felt was free from bias, and presented rational and educated facts and opinions about current issues related to government, which admittedly I am rather uninformed about, as well as other topics of interest which I am slightly more versed in, namely mental health which is my field of expertise (should I have one!). I obtained my bachelors degree from the University of Alabama in psychology, partly because I found it very interesting, but also because I felt it would open doors to contributing to a rather uncharted frontier in science (or pseudoscience more realistically). Most importantly, my passion lies in helping others and contributing to a better and more peaceful future for our children's generations and beyond. One thing I hope to gain in my involvement with this community is a little more direction in terms of where I want to go in the psychology field in furthering my education and gaining more credibility, as it is a very broad field to explore. I am extremely interested in the mental health talks that Stefan has given and in the conversations he has had with experts in the field, particularly relating to the different approach to understanding what mental health is and how environmental interactions early in life influence our development. I myself have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness, bipolar disorder, and these insights discussed in his talks have enhanced my perspective very much already, but I am eager to learn more so that I can help others who have suffered from similar problems to mine, and contribute to more holistic research that may serve to prevent mental health issues from developing early on, rather than taking an after the fact approach and working backwards, which as most people agree, is very difficult if even possible; this, as well as helping myself, which ultimately must come first and foremost before setting out on the path to help others. Before I become too long winded (if I haven't already!) I will stop, and just say that I am here to contribute as well as soak up any insight I can gain, and I look forward to this personal growth very much. I will conclude my intro with a logistic question...which topic on the FDR forum do most mental health discussions take place? I didn't see a "psychology" subforum, though I saw science, philosophy, and parenting... Have a great day! Eric