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Moving Forward from Prescription Drugs (Part 2)
By Nikki and Anne Heart ♥ Pctober 13, 2023
*Although we wrote this post together, we have chosen to present the following through Mom’s eyes.
Discovering How To Move Forward
Moving forward from a prescription drug treatment plan, as I discussed in the previous post, can be very challenging.
While there is a place for prescription medication, there is a need to be aware of all the positive and negative effects. Not only effects while you are on a prescription drug treatment plan, but any aftereffects you may have.
Continuing further into our journey, I will bring awareness to additional long-term effects.
Knowing all too well that even though you seek a different direction for your healthcare, discovering how to move forward may become overwhelming.
Discovering Through Our Journey
As discussed in my previous story, Nikki’s withdrawal from prescription drugs led to the realization of several long-term negative effects.
Long-term aftereffects included the awareness of several things such as loss of time, becoming a different person and unwanted cravings.
Some Additional Long-term Negative Effects to Be Aware of
Awareness #4: Inaccurate Diagnosis
From the beginning when Nikki sought out help for depression, she immediately was diagnosed with a mood disorder and prescribed drugs as her treatment plan.
With years on prescription drugs, her diagnosis went from an unspecified mood disorder to various types of bipolar disorders to other mental health disorders.
I remember always verbalizing to Nikki’s health care practioners her textbook symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as well as her sensitivities to medications and chemicals, but neither were taken into consideration regarding her treatment plan.
After withdrawal, Nikki was properly diagnosed with a hyperthyroid and a glutamate problem.
Soon after that came the recognition of her untreated OCD.
How is an inaccurate diagnosis considered a long-term negative effect?
Underlying conditions can worsen, thereby contributing to a long-term negative effect.
In Nikki’s journey an example of this was the diagnosis and treatment of Graves’ disease.
Diagnosing thyroid disease should be an easy task and obtaining adequate treatment should also be simple. But in Nikki’s case it was anything but.
With her past history on prescribed drugs, many doctors did not want to treat Nikki. They saw Nikki as someone who was treated for mental illness. Accompanied by the possibility that the past drugs affected her thyroid.
An added deterrent of proper treatment was Nikki’s chemical sensitivities which came extremely intensified with lack of proper treatment. This was looked at as Nikki exaggerating her reaction or just in her head.
Taking over two years and seven endocrinologists to adequately get her thyroid condition somewhat stabilized, contributed to a long-term negative effect from Nikki’s prescription drug health plan.
Henceforth, the major long-term negative effect from not being diagnosed property was the impact of Nikki’s OCD on her life now.
After years of prescription drugs making my daughter’s OCD considerably worse at times, Nikki now faces the difficult task of learning how to live and take charge of her OCD.
We recognize that treating OCD is a lifelong commitment to achieve ongoing wellness.
Nevertheless, an inaccurate diagnosis can increase long-term negative effects by deterring from a correct treatment plan.
Consequence #4: Obtaining Adequate Health Care
Awareness #5: Change in body and mind
Witnessing my daughter change both physically and mentally over the course of her drug prescription treatment plan, saddened me.
What currently saddens me the most is the physical and mental toll it still takes on my daughter.
My daughter works tirelessly to get her body physically healthy by controlling her diet with organic, non-GMO, gluten free, healthy foods while she actively exercises — with the fear of weight gain always on her mind.
Emphatically, Nikki struggles with memory problems and other thought process problems she didn’t have or are now escalated by the numerous drugs she was on.
Do we know if her memory and thinking eventually will return to where it was, no one can answer that.
Furthermore, we strive to live life in the present with the goal of making the future happy and healthier.
Consequence #5: The body and mind is altered
To summarize, there can be potential long-term negative affects you may experience after a drug prescription treatment plan:
- Loss of time
- Trust Issues
- Drug cravings
- Alcoholism
- Weight Issues
- Memory loss
- Confusion
- Obtaining adequate health care
- Body and mind altered
You should always remember…
- You are not at fault.
- You are not alone.
- You can just do what you can do.
- You are YOU!
Most importantly…
- Question what you feel is not accurate.
- Learn all you can about your treatment plan.
- Help others that need your help.
- Recognize that the health care provider may be wrong.
The goal is always to help live a happy and healthier lifestyle for YOU or a loved one!
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October 13, 2023
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“A question that sometimes drives me hazy–am I or are the others crazy?”
– Albert Einstein –
Note: All information in “Nikki’s Story and Mom’s Story” are based on detail journals covering seven years of Nikki’s life on prescription drugs.
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