Medicines against fear of change and sensory issues?

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I take Fluoxetine and Lamictal. I stopped taking Abilify two weeks ago, and I'm feeling so much better (better memory, better concentration, my thoughts are much clearer and I'm happier). My doctor told me to start using Abilify four years ago because I was socially isolated in my room and started to have hallucinations (I saw and heard things). I was 14 and diagnosed with a psychosis. The symptoms of the psychosis disappeared after a few days with Abilify.

I don't want any medicines at all! I want to stop using them right away. I'm an anxious person and that's why I get my medicines. I have anxiety in new situations, when changes happen and when I hear loud or a lot of sounds. I also get anxiety when people touch me, when people force me to have eye contact with them.

Are medicines really necessary for me? Furthermore, the medicines don't even work for me - I still have my sensory issues of course, and my fear of new things and change.

Fluozetine is an antidepressant (SSRI), Lamictal is an anticonvulsant. Abiliy is an antipsychotic which is also used for bipolar depression.

Some say http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... -dont-they that SSRI antidepressants are pointless to take, because their efficacy is about the same as placebos. Considering whether you should reduce or stop taking any of your prescribed medicines should be discussed with your prescribing physician. Being able to describe how the drugs don't work for you or cause side effects as bad or worse than not taking the medicines is helpful for your physician to decide if a lower dose or stopping the medican altogether is needed.

Good luck.

Do not take your self off all meds all at once. Your body and mind have grown accustomed to them, and are therefore somewhat dependent on them, so you need to come off of them gradually. As one of the other posters said, discuss this with your doctor. Tell him/her that they don't help, and that you want to live a drug free life, if possible, so have the doc put you on a reducing dosage regimen to gradually wean yourself off of them. If after reducing the dosage part way, you find your symptoms worsening, then the doctor can raise the dosage again, to just a little above that level, to see if you can do well at that new, lower dosage level.

I've come across a lot of negative info about SSRI's, so I will never take them. Perhaps your doctor can switch you to a safer, non SSRI med for your symptoms.

I prefer to use my coping methods, instead of dangerous meds. I do use B-complex, and additional Niacin to help with my depression, and I avoid heavy stress situations as much as possible. I have also been looking into other natural remedies.

Hope this all helps.

This is going to sound strange, but you can also try a naturopath. Naturopaths vary greatly in what techniques they use--my naturopath uses homeopathy, herbs, supplements, and acupuncture. The naturopath I work for uses nutrition, herbs, and supplements. When you start reading about it, it sounds bizarre, I won't deny that. Honestly, I wouldn't have tried it if I didn't suffer from a chronic pain condition and the Western-trained doctors (MDs) were actually able to help me. But all of the things the pain specialist gave me only made the condition worse, or added extra symptoms, so I found myself looking for alternatives. If you can try it, you may find that it works just as well, or better than, your prescription drugs. Go to naturopathic.org to look for one close to where you live. Good luck.