For those who do not know what this corresponds to, it is simply the fact of modifying your treatment yourself without the doctor's advice or to take care of yourself without a doctor's prescription. Self-medication is the use, without medical prescription, of drugs that have received marketing authorization. In a way it is the use of medication without a doctor's prescription. There is often a strong desire to practice self-medication. In view of some side effects, it would be tempting to do so because we are the first to be affected. The first to know what a medication does or does not do to us. However, I invite you to be wary of this practice without the agreement of your doctor. It is not for nothing that it is a profession in its own right and that it requires ten years of study.
I have self-medicated several times. Three or four times about. And when I talk about self-medication I am of course talking about bipolarity.
The first time was when I was constantly tired and was convinced that it was due to the medication I was prescribed. I then stopped it for two weeks but without much result. I then went back to the original treatment with the experience of telling myself that I was not necessarily right on this point.
As fatigue continued, the idea of questioning the treatment did not leave me anyway. It was only a year and a half later that I tried to stop the treatment again for the same reasons. After a long period of time without results, the effects were felt. I am finally back in shape that I had dreamed of so much from the start. The only problem was that the different moods were back on track.
The third time I self-medicated was more recently and a bit by chance. Indeed, it was by forgetting to take my evening treatment that I realized that I had slept much better. Neither one nor two I directly made the connection between the medications and the fact that I was having quite restless nights. I then decided to reduce the antidepressant because I didn't want to touch my thymo-regulator. And it worked, I was having better nights. However, a new setback, my mood gradually declined until it stabilized so that I became a bit depressed again. So, after consulting my psychiatrist, I decided to go back to the original treatment. And the little anecdote, since then, I have had a good night anyway.
Personally, I would not recommend changing your treatment yourself without the doctor's advice. However, in the first two cases, I used it because I did not feel listened to by my psychiatrists (I changed three times). It was only by making decisions myself that I was able to move towards better stabilization. What I could advise is to change your psychiatrist if yours does not listen to you. A psychiatrist is like a psychologist or a general practitioner, you need to find one who suits you and who listens well to what you have to say. A psychiatrist who only listens to you with one ear will not help you move forward properly with the disease.
Today, it was a bit shorter than usual but it was a subject that was close to my heart because I think it can concern a lot of people.
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See you soon 🙂
