So, I have discovered some things about myself this past week--my humanity. I had a wonderful New Year's Eve (hot date & everything with an at home late night movie) until 12:30 am when I unexpectedly started throwing up for the next 10 hours. Consequently, there was no way that I could take my regular medication for ADHD. The next day I was still quite queasy and did not want to chance a relapse by eating or doing too much or taking medication (one of the side effects is nausea).
So, I had the opportunity to see how much my medication interacts with me on a daily basis. I was quite surprised at the results. Come to find out, being chemically imbalanced makes me a bit "quacky" and very obsessive-compulsive, highly anxious and hence "edgy" with a short fuse, not to mention having an inability to switch my brain off at the end of the day to fall asleep. All-in-all, NOT FUN!
My poor husband and kids had to deal with that and a physically exhausted woman recovering from the stomach flu. It has taken 4 days for me to recover, and not quite fully yet either. Because my medication has virtually no half-life, I have to readjust to it as well. I can feel myself slowly getting back to where I was.
The major benefits of me taking my two medications are: being able to handle stress better & cope with anxiety (think it through), getting something out of reading or conversations with other people, the ability to be more balanced and complete a task, and to be more engaged in my roles as wife, mother, and friend. Trust me, I feel more myself with the aide of medicine--I am A LOT NICER & MORE PATIENT.
With help I am better able to learn new coping skills and to reach my full potential. I really do not know how I have made it this far in life being imbalanced--I thank God for the miracle of medication and how much it has improved the quality of my life. Modern miracles happen everyday.
"You have to know where you have been to appreciate where you are today." I have progressed too far to forget where I have been and have come far enough to to see that I am growing.
I cannot agree with you more, Emily, about the medication. I love my meds... I know that sounds horrible, but I do. I have seen myself one too many times OFF them, and it's not pretty for anybody.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am truly blessed to live in this day and age where medication can help me cope.
I've taken medicine for almost 4 years cause the mental illness and have never been able to stop taking them..It almost makes me sick..
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