[smart (OP)]

This Friday I'm going to visit a new psychiatrist and I'm planning to stop further treatments. I read on Wikipedia that 2 years is sufficient for stopping antipsychotic medication. I'm now undergoing my fifth years of continuous treatment with aripiprazole and so far I survived the process. When does a psychiatrist can feel it is appropriate to stop ongoing treatments? I really want to have a normal life again and feel anxious about the long-term side effects of this "medication".

What do you think?

[Kryptid]

It's an unfortunate fact that medications often have undesirable side effects. If you are worried about them, have you considered trying an alternative medication? What was your life like before you started medication? Why did your doctor start you on it to begin with?

[smart (OP)]

If you are worried about them, have you considered trying an alternative medication?

No. They are all the same to me.

What was your life like before you started medication?

I used to work as a software developer.

Why did your doctor start you on it to begin with?

Because I believe in the weaponization of geoengineering and refuse to accept climate change in my life, I guess...

Thanks for writing, Kryptid.

[Kryptid]

Because I believe in the weaponization of geoengineering and refuse to accept climate change in my life, I guess...

Having eccentric beliefs alone would not warrant the prescription of any kind of medication, in my opinion. I seriously doubt everyone who believes in geoengineering is on medication for it. I imagine that such medication would only be prescribed if these beliefs, or some behavior caused by them, was disruptive to living a normal life. Since I doubt you were the one who went to the doctor on your own about this, who was it that recommended that you go and for what reason? Did you actually have a behavior that caused problems for yourself or others?

[smart (OP)]

Having eccentric beliefs alone would not warrant the prescription of any kind of medication, in my opinion. I seriously doubt everyone who believes in geoengineering is on medication for it. I imagine that such medication would only be prescribed if these beliefs, or some behavior caused by them, was disruptive to living a normal life. Since I doubt you were the one who went to the doctor on your own about this, who was it that recommended that you go and for what reason? Did you actually have a behavior that caused problems for yourself or others?

According to the DSM-IV handbook, freethinking and nonconformity may now be considered a mental disorder:

https://theunboundedspirit.com/nonconformity-and-freethinking-now-considered-mental-illnesses/

But seriously, I find that without doing any objective testing on the root causes of schizophrenia, this "disorder" is purely subjective.

Besides, the primary difficulty I was having in my old life was unemployement. I never suffered from hearing voices, or had psychotic episodes.

[Kryptid]

According to the DSM-IV handbook, freethinking and nonconformity may now be considered a mental disorder:

https://theunboundedspirit.com/nonconformity-and-freethinking-now-considered-mental-illnesses/

That's not what I'm getting out of that. What makes Oppositional Defiant Disorder a disorder is that it actually causes problems: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oppositional-defiant-disorder/basics/symptoms/con-20024559. If a person is constantly arguing with their boss, teachers or parents and ignoring their responsibilities, that's going to be problematic. That goes beyond mere "free-thinking" and "nonconformity".

But seriously, I find that without doing any objective testing on the root causes of schizophrenia, this "disorder" is purely subjective.

I'm not an expert on the condition so I can't comment on its causes.

Besides, the primary difficulty I was having in my old life was unemployement. I never suffered from hearing voices, or had psychotic episodes.

Who was it that sent you to see a psychiatrist and why? Was it due to your unemployment? Why were you unemployed?

[smart (OP)]

Who was it that sent you to see a psychiatrist and why? Was it due to your unemployment? Why were you unemployed?

My loving mother did. She thinks unemployment is a mental disorder.
 

[Kryptid]

My loving mother did. She thinks unemployment is a mental disorder.

There must have been some reason for it. Were you simply not looking for work? Were you looking but not able to find any? You say that you once worked as a software developer. What happened there? Did you quit?

[smart (OP)]

There must have been some reason for it. Were you simply not looking for work? Were you looking but not able to find any? You say that you once worked as a software developer. What happened there? Did you quit?

Software development is a very competitive field. I lost several job opportunities because of my lack of experience and interest in building websites strictly for the web.

[Kryptid]

Software development is a very competitive field. I lost several job opportunities because of my lack of experience and interest in building websites strictly for the web.

I see. I'm sorry to hear that. Regardless, there must be some reason that your mother thought you needed to be sent to a psychiatrist. Merely being unemployed wouldn't be enough. Merely being unemployed wouldn't cause a psychiatrist to diagnose you with schizophrenia.

[alancalverd]

Unless you are under a Court order to attend psychiatric treatment, you surely aren't under any compulsion to attend or to take any medication?

[smart (OP)]

Unless you are under a Court order to attend psychiatric treatment, you surely aren't under any compulsion to attend or to take any medication?

Yeah, initially a court order forced me to take monthly injections. But the court order expired a long time ago and I was just following my psychiatrist recommendations until she got pregnant. Right now I got a new psychiatrist and I intend to persuade him about stopping this madness!

[evan_au]

There is some evidence that cannabis use may contribute to development of schizophrenia.

Ensure you tell your new doctor about any herbal remedies you may be taking.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_cannabis#Chronic_psychosis

[smart (OP)]

There is some evidence that cannabis use may contribute to development of schizophrenia.

Ensure you tell your new doctor about any herbal remedies you may be taking.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_effects_of_cannabis#Chronic_psychosis

Reefer Madness, anyone? 

Without any objective testing for properly diagnosing schizophrenia, this "mental disease" is subjective and not based on scientific evidences whatsoever.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia#Diagnosis

[Kryptid]

Yeah, initially a court order forced me to take monthly injections.

Sounds like something of a serious nature must have occurred in order for this to have happened.

[jeffreyH]

As the late, tormented Kurt Cobain wrote "Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you." You have to take things ss they come. Accept advice and don't think that just because you are doing well now you won't need assistance in the future.

[kazbert]

Life isn't fair.  Someone with a missing leg isn't looked down upon for needing to use a prosthetic limb or a crutch.  But someone with a mental/emotional instability may be perceived by some as having a flawed character.  The person with that instability may see themselves that way, too.  It is understandable to wish that the instability were not there, bit if it is then the medication should be seen as a blessing, not a curse, just as the prosthetic limb is a blessing to the one with a missing leg.  Do you have a better overall quality of life while on the meds versus off of the meds?  Be honest, if you can.  It is difficult to be objective because you may have conflicting interests -- the desire for a good quality of life versus your perceptions of yourself.  You may also be conflicted because of side effects from the meds or the cost.  You will need to trust the independent objective opinions of others.  If those objective, educated observers say that you need the meds, accept that and be glad that the meds are available to you.  It is fair to ask if the meds are still needed or what the alternatives are, but your goal should be to maximize your quality of life, not persuade your mental health professional to do something that might not be in your best interests.

[smart (OP)]

You may also be conflicted because of side effects from the meds or the cost. 

I might have developed asymptomatic hypertension from prolonged aripiprazole therapy. Thus I really think my overall health has degraded since I'm on this stuff. Life isn't fair surely but it is the responsibility of my psychiatrist to ensure the treatment isn't putting my life in jeopardy. Otherwise there's no need for anyone to risk his life to be socially accepted. Schizophrenia is just a poorly defined mental disease in my opinion...

[smart (OP)]

Psychiatry sucks because it is not based on actual evidences and rely on junk science to rationalize the use of brain-altering drugs to become socially accepted. 

[smart (OP)]

And where's @exothermic when you need him...