The Long Way Back: A Psychiatric Medication Recovery Podcast
In this podcast series, I share my experience recovering from psychiatric medication. I talk about a variety of topics, such as what led me to take medication in the first place, how I've been managing through this difficult period, and how my life has changed (for better and worse).It goes without saying I am not a medical expert and I do not give medical advice, though if you're recovering from psychiatric medication, there's a good chance you've been harmed in some way by such "expertise" and "advice."
Head Pressure, Headaches, and Migraines
In this fourth episode, I talk about a frustrating, persistent, and sometimes debilitating feature of tapering, withdrawal, and readjustment.
Head pressure, headaches, and migraines may not be completely avoidable, but it's possible to eliminate certain triggers as well as create conditions that give us the best chance to feel relief. I talk about different factors to consider such as exercise, activity levels, neck tension, food, supplements, heat, stimulation, and medicine.
One thing to keep in mind is stress itself can lead to head pressure, headaches, and migraines, and what we're going through as our brains...
The Rabbit Holes of ChatGPT and Recovery Forums
In this third episode, I talk about my experience going down the rabbit holes of ChatGPT and medication withdrawal/recovery forums when seeking answers and assurance for the truly bizarre, upsetting, and scary symptoms that occur when trying to come off meds. (And honestly, they happen when starting meds and even when at a stable dose!)
Of course, it's completely understandable to seek help and assurance. For me, it wasn't until Month 9 (I'm two weeks shy of one year off as of this recording) that I finally was able to stay away from ChatGPT and forums. However...
Sleep
In this second episode, I talk about another tricky part of recovery: sleep. It was something I struggled with at times even before taking medication (or tapering/stopping), but it wasn't until being prescribed meds that sleep became such an issue, which is ironic because good quality, consistent sleep is one of the best recovery tools available!
Although I was fortunate enough to never have "classic" insomnia when tapering and eventually stopping meds, my sleep quality was often poor, with a few nights here and there of sleeping through the night. Believe me, I tried it all...
How to Stay Out Without Burning Out
In this episode, I talk about my struggles with and solutions for a dilemma that has plagued me throughout this recovery journey: reaping the benefits of staying out of the home without creating unnecessary friction.
From the very beginning, I recognized that I almost always felt better when I left the apartment and usually felt worse when returning, mostly because I was stuck inside most of the day due to fatigue and other issues.
Little by little, I found ways to stay out of the apartment, sometimes burning out as a result, but over time...
