Anyone Want to Talk Medication?

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I am not diagnosed but my son is. However when I was very young my parents sought treatment for me for my difficulties with

socialization and my extreme passivity, along with anxiety. This was in the 1960's and 70's before Asperger's was recognized.

So I still had my problems. I took something when I was under 10 and I don't know what it was, presumably for anxiety, that my

dad referred to as " Kickapoo Joy Juice" from the old comic strip Lil' Abner. I don't know how long I took that but I don't believe it

was for years. Still my problems with depression and mental exhaustion and confusion continued. When I was in my mid teens

they put me on Thorazine (low dose I think) for a short while and told me it was to help me sleep as my anxiety would not allow

me to sleep. They tapered me off that with Valium. Still my problems continued. I was off meds until I was 35 when I was

diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and put on Zoloft, but by then I was a heavy drinker from self medication and they

didn't work as well as they could have, although I saw a definite improvement. I switched to Prozac at some point but was by

then I was a serious alcoholic. I dried out and remained successfully sober with the help of a non profit mental health facility

rehab and treatment center. I was in therapy through there for years but now just go there for meds management. I was

diagnosed with ADD-PI and put on a combo of Prozac and Wellbutrin, which was very very bad for me. Then Ritalin, then

Concerta then I developed severe facial tics so now it's Strattera. So amazingly, even though I feel much much better, I still don't

feel very capable. I am content with my life but I cannot gather the will to work more than a menial level (I clean offices). I want

to do things but even though I find it easier to prioritize I still have this inertia to deal with. If I work 6 hours I come home

exhausted and unable to process simple things. Being a single mom is hard but still. Recently it was suggested I try Geodon,

which is similar to Abilify but without the weight gain. I was hesitant but decided to try it out with samples. So I am seeing an

amazing difference. I don't really feel any different, emotionally ( I felt OK before I just couldn't do stuff due to inertia) but

suddenly my mind is working! I can make a plan and carry it out. I have been dealing with this vast clutter for years but

every time I try to deal with it I get confused and then sleepy. Now I am staying alert and getting things done. So now I guess

I'm officially on a meds cocktail. I'm with you OP, don't really want to argue the anti-meds thing. I don't think anyone here would

try to tell someone to snap out of their depression, why do it for anything else? I struggle without to the point of disability, I

function with. Still, none of these meds have changed who I am fundamentally. Group thinking is still an alien concept for me

and I still am happier as a loner. Sorry for the Great Wall of Text but I find double spacing helps me read it better. I think I'm

going to continue doing this.

I like it. I also find it easier to read.

I'm another on a medication cocktail - I take a mood stabiliser [sodium valproate] and an anti-psychotic [ziprasidone] and this combo has really worked for me. Ziprasidone also has anti-depressant properties which I'm finding very helpful. I'm not on a high dose of it but my current dosage is helping my symptoms and I'm happy to keep with my current dosage. I also find that ziprasidone gives me more focus and energy to do things.

I tried Invega, which is similar to Risperdal, earlier this year but unfortunately it didn't turn out very well. I had very bad side effects from it and I was only on a starter's dose, so I don't know what happened there. I guess I just have some atypical responses to meds.

I'm also another who is having problems with getting a firm DX of Asperger's. My psychologist believes I am an undiagnosed Aspie [as she can't diagnose me] and there's been some back-and-forth discussions between her and my psychiatrist about whether I am on the spectrum. My psychiatrist, on the other hand, is not interested in pursuing the idea, which is a bit frustrating because I almost feel like there's another part of my symptomology that's not being addressed.

I have job issues, too! You know, the standard corporate job, so many layers of artificiality, the whole thing is the opposite of energizing, it's de-energizing if you will. I've always been drawn to starting my own business. I am now looking at SAT tutoring, not with a firm, but on my own.

PS I like your experimental way of writing!

You mean my double spacing? It makes it so much easier to read for me I'm thinking maybe it will for others too.

I don't think I could get a corporate job. I clean their offices though and a few have expressed envy. I get to go home when I'm

done and I'm not stuck in a cubicle all day. It has everything but money and status

Yeah, the simple ability to move around, can be a considerable advantage to a job. At least it is for me. When I'm writing or studying, I like being able to take walks at times of my own choosing.

Now, is this your own business?

(And yes, the double spacing. I like that.)

No, it's not my business. I'm glad not to have to deal with all of that, although it means less income.

Ooh, it might not be that much less income. And it helps if you have a boss who's a halfway reasonable individual.

Risperidone and klonopin are helping me, but I agree celexa is doing nothing.

Yeah, I don't think it would have been good for me continually as a child, but right now it's helping me stay really calm. Because when small things go wrong I want to hurt people, throw things, kick things, plug my ears and scream. I am not normally a violent person, but right now I feel unable to cope.

Is that the only med you take? When I had Temple Grandin for a professor I think she may have been taking that drug.

I can't figure out how to make my replies show up under the person's post that I'm replying to.

The hearing voices is definitely worse with stress. I'm not sure about sleep. I had an OCD type thing about brushing my teeth for a short time, but not as bad as you describe. That sounds horrible.

click the little icon that says "quote" at the right hand side of the person you want to reply to's post. Then scroll down to the end of that persons comment and say what you want to say.

Yeah I'm not sure if sleep is a factor, but they can definitely scare me.

It was pretty rough. For a while, I also used Bendadril (this red antiseptic) to clean this minature noncut on my hair. This girl on the bus had tapped my head. It was rude of her (she had wanted me to throw this trash away, and I didn't immediately know if I wanted to touch it or not). And that delay made it awkward for her.

Anyway, often I translate social awkwardness, maybe even loneliness, to health worries. Making a conscious effort to (imperfectly!) add to my repertoire of social skills helps (and imperfect is so much more interesting anyway!). Also, philosophy has helped some, perhaps the writings of Bertrand Russell as much as anything else.

[hit the quote button in the message itself]

[quote="Aimless"]
I'm officially on a meds cocktail. I'm with you OP, don't really want to argue the anti-meds thing. I don't think anyone here would try to tell someone to snap out of their depression, why do it for anything else? I struggle without to the point of disability, I function with. Still, none of these meds have changed who I am fundamentally./"

I agree, sometimes a meds cocktail is necessary. For me, it's not a replacement for therapy, or for working on my behavior, it's just allowing me to be on the game board when it comes to anything in life.