The main problems with being misdiagnosed are a) you don't get any better, and b) the treatments that are applied to treat something that you don't have CAN MAKE YOU MUCH WORSE.
The main drug that I was put on to cure my pain made me anxious, confused, paranoid, suicidal, and on top of that, gave me obsessive compulsive disorder. What do I mean by that? It means I had to keep checking all the switches in the house, and pressing on doors to make sure they were closed.
You might think, then, that I'm here to tell you not to take drugs at all. That is not the case. I fully believe that when you are given the right medicine, you can trump any kind of holistic health care. What I want to reiterate is my point from the previous two posts, that getting a correct diagnosis is absolutely vital, and that you have to keep going until you get it.
My GP insisted that I start taking some anti-depressants to help get me through my illness. I have always resisted that kind of drug, even though I agree that the mind should be treated like any other organ. It's hard to accept that you can't make it on your own, that your mind just isn't strong enough.
Those anti-depressants without a doubt saved my life. I am still taking them now. One every night. I plan to come off them early next year, but if I decide to stay on them a bit longer, that's OK. I've had a hell of a time, and if I need that helping hand, I'm going to take it.
There are people who campaign against anti-depressants, for various reasons. They don't fix everyone. They can have side-effects. But for me, they allow me to feel like myself. In fact, right now, I feel like no one I ever have. I feel like a version of me that never had depression. I feel happy. I can enjoy living day to day. I can face what life throws at me.
This is my brain on drugs. And it's OK.
