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Abilify Withdrawal
Hi to everyone who comes across this page. I am a male in my late 20's. I was diagnosed with schizoaffective bipolar type disorder as a teenager. I have seen many psychiatrist's since then and have been put on a variety of drugs. The last prescription I was given was for Abilify. I started taking it about four years ago. Without my current psychiatrist's approval or knowledge I have been off it for about three months now. I don't believe I am insane. At least not yet. The problem I am having is that I can't identify with myself. I hate to do this, I don't like to whine and complain about my life. It makes me think I am ungrateful for what I have. I don't like posting this online where any random creep who feels like spreading negativity can reply to my post but I have no one to talk to in real life. My thoughts are really not making sense to me and can be entirely disturbing at times. I feel out of control, fatigued, and worst of all abnormal. Like I don't fit in with society. I believe I am inferior to most people because most people are self assured and social. I am not self assured and I don't have any friends. Not even one. My purpose for posting this is to ask if anyone has had similar experiences and how did you get past all the negativity and start being more positive and self accepting?
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Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
Regardless of whether you like my advice or that of AdviceMan49 we are telling you the truth. I have been a part of the mental-health community for 10 years and dealt with bipolar myself.
I know from talking to psychiatrists over the years that the worst thing you can do is go off any medications on your own. You make things worse for yourself and dangerous that way.
You can relapse and wind up back at square one in a mental health ward or worse in a hurry. You should only go off medication with the assistance of the doctor who prescribed it if you don't want trouble.
Right now I can see from your writing that you aren't well and not thinking right. You can't see that as the illness makes people believe they're fine when they aren't well.
If you feel out of control do yourself a favor and visit an emergency room and tell them you are off your medication and for how long and wait either for your doctor or the on-call psychiatrist to assess you. Let them know all the medications and treatment that never worked and why so they can find the right path for you. Then stick to it for wellness.
You need to get a psychiatrist to train you how to manage your illness or as my own doctor says the illness will master you. If you work with your doctor you'll be well. Tell them that the medication isn't working and you still feel as bad as you did the first time you were diagnosed and have this figured out. That's the best thing you can do for your yourself now and in the future.
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HI, I do not suffer with the problems you suffer with though I do have a couple of friends that are suffering with bipolar disorder. Also my wife works for the largest supplier of mental health services in the country. Through her work we are friends with a number of psychiatrist and psychologists several of whom deal with disorders like yours.
No you are not insane but you do have a mental illness that can be controlled with medication. One of the biggest problems with the problems you are dealing with is when you are on your medications you feel fine. You see no reason to take your medications and you go off them. When you do you head down the path you are now on.
You need to get back on the Abilify and any other medications you have stopped taking. You also need to call your psychiatrist and make an appointment to see him or her urgently. Tell the appointment secretary you went off your medications and need to see the doctor.
Most important is you get back on your medications and take them as directed until you see your doctor. Then follow the doctors directions for when you are to take the medications.
Also write yourself a note that you can put on your refrigerator to see everyday reminding you that you feel good because of your medications. The note should also remind you of what is like when you are off your medication as part of the problem you have is you don't remember what the other side of the illness is like. Let the not be a reminder so you stay on your meds.
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