Lived Experience Forum

[kristin]

Hi Zipper,

Thanks for picking up this issue.

Your point about homebased withdrawal's potential unsuitability when there are kids in the house is a very good one. I've never done withdrawal other than at home, and on my own - that is, managing it myself. It sounds like a few things have changed for the better, and so they should.

My experience was that it was quite excruciating with some drugs, and in those times trying to keep my hair on with/in front of my kids for their sakes was terribly painful. One's irritability and sensitivity tend to skyrocket, way beyond normal-bad.

Kind regards,

Kristin

[kenny66]

Withdrawal can be a pretty serious thing. I have come off 3 drugs as i got horrible side effects from them. One was a mood stabiliser and the other two were atypical antipsychotics.

My present combination took from 2011 until October 2013 to get right, with so many combinations tried, so just sorting out what works for you can take an awfully long time.

Whilst I was very keen to undertake the withdrawals at home, having thought it was a piece of cake, the opposite was true. One was terrible and I needed to finish off the process in hospital.

The other two were hard and even with the support of others, it was really tough going.

I know some antidepressants can be hard to get off and from what I hear the trick is to take it very slow. I must say whilst I was withdrawing I was impossible to be around as I was all over the place mood wise.

Kenny

[Alessandra1992]

Sounds as those for some folk, home based works and for other folks, hospitals have their part to play. Perhaps it comes down to what you and your GP, and other supports such as family/friends/carer and other supports think would be helpful. Some of my friends swear PARC, prevention and recovery centre are essential for when changing meds and side effects may be severe.
The crucial point is where you feel most confident that you are being supported through the process..

[Findingmyway]

Since March I have been put on and taken off 4 different drugs.. Started number 5 on Friday...Each unfortunately causing migraines. I have 2 adult children who understand that my moods are not their fault and have the mental capacity to understand the chemical effects of the medications. My 9 year old does not understand. She is just afraid. Afraid that something bad is happening to me. She does not know that when I am horrid and angry that this is not her fault...Mummy guilt! the added bonus to an already crappy time! 

I wish she did not have to go through this with me.. Im lucky I have a wonderful husband who makes sure she is ok.

Anywho.. hopefully number 5 will be the one that helps turn things around... I'm sure its just as difficult for others to be a part of as it is for me..

Meg 

[zipper]

Findingmyway - it took a long time for my husband to get the correct medication - lots of different types. It seems basically it came down to his metabolism and a different doctor

Allessandra1992 - I have never heard of PARC - are they in NSW(?) - but they do sound ideal

zz

[Uggbootdiva]

@kristin - very few shows/discussions on depression/bipolar seem to show parents with younger children (ie. not grown up) for example the changing minds show on abc recently, younger men, and an older lady. I know they had to take the patients who were there but I think this is typical. Maybe because of our family and kids, we don't want to expose ourselves too much.

re. Home based withdrawal, I'm not sure what you are withdrawing from? My side effects were not so serious that it would distress my children to a great degree, there was always another adult around - but I know not everyone has that kind of support.
My psychiatrist recommended it, and if I hadn't been able to handle it, as indeed happened after one week with the first medication, she put me into a hospital. I only get severe migraines, brain "snaps", sleep all the time and am extremely irritable and have moments of extreme rage. The rage and irritability were why another adult had to be around to provide a buffer for the kids as they were only little. They were at school and daycare mostly during the day, and my husband took them out in the afternoons on the weekend to give me some time to sleep or schlep or whatever.
Yes i am incredibly well supported to the point that I feel terrible guilty when I am depressed.

If the withdrawals caused psychosis then NO I wouldn't have done it at home.

[Uggbootdiva]

Btw my kids are 8 and 12 and are very understanding of what is happening for mummy, but they don't like it. We talk a lot about mental health in our house especially as they may be genetically predisposed to it.

[Baboo]

thanks for your comment Uggbootdiva , just a bit of a heads up we cant ask others what medications their on if thats ok please- cheers, baboo

[kristin]

Hi,

Thanks for all that @Uggbootdiva 

I'm not a tv watcher and have no sound on my pc so I haven't watched the show. It sounds interesting. However I wouldn't dream of putting myself in the frame with kids still living at home. If you think the stigma directed at the adult with MI is bad just imagine the field day some of the parents and other kids would have with it. "Your mum's famous as a nutcase" etc. My kids are the main reason why I don't speak much more openly about my MIs, my youngest is in prep.

The last thing I got off was an SSRI - it gave me very high blood pressure when I was on it, did nothing for my depression. Then when I tried to get off it I suffered from the worst and most prolonged migraines I've ever had - it went on for weeks. I had to very slowly reduce to a miniscule portion every 2 days before stopping altogether, so it was a nightmare month or so until I was clear of it. I didn't suffer psychosis.

Yes, having a supportive adult in the house helps. But when you are the one who holds the boundaries for everyone else then it is pretty tricky.

It's hard not to feel guilty when depressed, sadly I think self-blame tends to go with that territory.

Kind regards,

Kristin

[Alessandra1992]

PARCs are in Victoria, they are clinically referred to,as sub acute units in NSW, And are also known as step up, step down services.
If they are not funded across Australia then this is something all Carers and consumers might want to lobby for.
The reasons for going to a PARC are myriad, but some of the side effects of changing medications may not be about psychosis. Sometimes meds can cause also sorts of unexpected side effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, white blood cell counts, extreme constipation..so it is a very individualised decision as to whether home, hospital, PARC, or somewhere else..
What I love about this forum is it's ability to share knowledge and resources amongst us all!