Meds worth it?

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I can't think for some reason - but basically is the trade off between benefits and side effects worth it when coming to meds? Is it worth it to keep taking them even if your sense of self gets lost - is it ok if you blend into society - yet are not happy with that? Should I be plain or should I be myself? What do you think?

Part of me says this, at least about myself.

Since NO ONE REALLY can KNOW me, then what I know about myself is all that can matter, after all. I give up THINKING anyone in the 'social world' could EVER, EVER, EVER understand me. My family comes close, but social contacts don't have 'knowing me REALLY' as their goal....and even when they 'think' they understand me I KNOW THAT THEY *HAVE TO* be wrong. Why. Because I am so unlike them, and they only have their 'own' comparative, psychological yardstick as a judgement tool...... So if they are going to be wrong, in the end, anyway....why should I expend effort deluding myself that I need to be like 'they see me'........since they DON'T SEE ME.....if I tried to be like they see me, then I would be lying to myself, betraying myself, and living a lie.....for them, and not for me.......and what reward would there be in that? The reward of trying to be like others 'see me'......so, I need to just be me......and not worry about 'how others' want me to be. They can do nothing but 'make mistakes' about who I am, anyway. And really, I admit this....it makes me MAD when others tell me about me as if they know.....because they DON'T KNOW......they only have their own delusional assumptions.

It depends on why you're taking them and what you hope to accomplish. Take them for yourself, not for anyone else. If it helps you be the best version of yourself than that is a benefit. If the side effects are worse than the benefits, then keep trying until you find a combination that works. Some people need meds to function and there's nothing wrong with that. You just need to find the kind that works best for you.

I'm a depersonalized aspie, meds do a bit for me... one of them is make my day better and bring me closer to reality - which in exchange kills my sleep pattern, sex drive, and makes me grumpy/angry/forgetful. For myself its almost like the person I am I've become due to the stresses of my life/emotions - so, getting rid of that stress ... seems like giving up myself, my drive. I have to find something to strive for - but then I realize past my problems I'm a procrastinating aspie... and have no hope.

As has already been stated....if you feel the trade-off is worth it, then go for it. I had social anxiety(with panic attacks) so bad that I was willing to put myself in a coma, in order to find an escape. I'm now on meds that make me a little sluiggish at times, especially in the beginning, but feel like it was totally worth it. Yes, I still struggle with anxiety, but I am much better off.

Sounds like your meds need adjusting, Nim. The sex drive thing is a pretty normal side effect, but that other stuff sounds more like meds not working than side-effect.

As Electric_Kite said, do you feel that you'll lose your soul because of having to take meds, or is that a side effect of the medication?

There is also the question of what you want to do, what meds do, and finding what works for you to meet your goals.

For example, I was prescribed Ritalin since Grade 3, and then in high school they updated to dose to an adult dose. Unfortunately, while the Ritalin helped me to focus, it was giving me meltdown panic attacks. So I stopped taking the adult dose and switched to a more easier dose, although I have quite a few manageable side effects which weren't all pleasant. Now that I am currently out of school, I've stopped taking it as I can function at my job without it. I'm thinking of trying out a different med to do the same job when I've decided where I'm going for college.
Also, I was prescribed Zoloft in Grade 12 to help manage the panic and anxiety. I had one day of side effects and immediate results, which continue to this day, when I remember to take them Which is fairly useless to you other than as an example of medications that work.

So if you want to try the meds, then try. It's completely acceptable for you to change your mind about a medication.

In my case, meds are definitely worth it. They do cause debilitating side-effects, but I can't live without them. I am physically and psychologically dependent on this particular drug cocktail. One time, I tried to "kick" by going cold turkey with catastrophic results. I was so unstable, I could have done anything, including suicide.

I have accepted that I am dependent on these meds.

*sigh*

My meds do a lot for me, and I have noticed a couple of things when on certain dosages and have had the doctor correct them. Now I take enough of the concerta to give me focus during the day when I need it, and the resperidone, I am not sure exactly what it does for me, but I haven't had any issues with it, and I am sure it does something good, I notice I am off if I haven't had it for too long. Without the concerta my stimming is also 10 times worse.

I take one anti depressant every day. It is my life source.

Since there is no treatment for Aspergers unless you have a comorbid condition such as bipolar you are just being silly taking pills for AS. A lot of people are gullible and are looking for that magic pill to make them normal but there is not one.

The AS people I have met who chose to be medicated always act like they are in a drug stupor, are very quiet and if they do talk it makes absolutely no sense what they are babbling about. There are a lot of studies coming out the SSRIs help no more than placebos and that CBT helps more for mental disorders than anything.

Are you saying I'm silly?

Heh. As I understand it, it is very common for AS people to suffer anxiety and depression. I'm on meds for those things. It's great. I am certainly not in a drugged stupor. Not being overwhelmed with anxiety and unhappiness means that I'm not sitting there all shut down all the time. I do more stuff and interact more with people. They don't make me act normal, either; I'm getting the impression that people have stopped thinking, "That guy's really shy and quiet," and started thinking, "That guy is really strange."

Ticker, site these 'lots of studies.' The only one I've seen made me think, bugger me, that's exactly what I'd do if I wanted to discredit the efficiacy of antidepressants.