How psych drugs drove my autisitic son crazy (article)

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sheeeeeeeesh

Right, that's my understanding too. "Neurotypical" just means you're not on the autism spectrum, but says nothing at all one way or the other about depression or any other illness like that. I'm not sure if neurotypical might be used in some other context though.

I haven't heard the NT term used outside of the context of autism/Asperger's, either. As a language junkie & someone who's had a lot of contact with the mental health community, my experience is that the term is specific to the issues discussed here, and used in the context of relation to the autistic spectrum. Contextually, there are certainly people who, as we use the term would be considered NT in the definition of 'not considered autistic/Aspie' while at the same time having other mental issues, be they learning disorders, mental illnesses, or other neurological disorders. Not to say that the term may not be in use otherwise elsewhere, currently that I'm not aware of, or perhaps will come into use later if it isn't already, but that's my take on it. Perhaps neurologists use the term to connote those who show no brain abnormalities, but I have no idea.

this is why I dont trust psychatriatric medicine. I am bi polar. I was prescribed paxil when I was 16 and it made my hypo maniac states severely worse. Usually my maniac states are prolonged periods of hieghtened energy and obsessive behavoir. I'll stay awake for days reading working pursuing things that interest me and railroad my friends with obsessive talk about my obesessions. Somtimes I can have severe emotional reactions during my maniac states, anger, excessive joy, irratbility. With paxil... it was crazy, I mean crazy I couldnt ever sit still I couldnt even focus ony m obsessions anymore. I was out of my mind, I felt weird too, I developed a nervous tick and restless leg syndrome thats never gone away even years after I stopped. The paxil made my maniac states far worse, and made me in a state of perpetual mania. I had weird twitters and restlessness it was horrible. A few years ago i was prescribed mood stabilizers they werent too bad they operated pretty seemlessly and my family said they noticed a difference in my behavior. But I stopped taking those

Yeah, Paxil can be dangerous, especially for people with bipolar so it's strange that they prescribed it. I'm looking at getting some pharmacy technician training so I can understand drug reactions better when I'm reading articles like this. Getting enough sleep is a major "mood stablizer" for bi-polars and I've heard Omega-3 might help though I don't know enough to know whether or not it's ok to stay off mood stabilizers.

I do think there's a difference between how I react and how other people react to medications. I seem to notice and am bothered more by odd internal sensations and feelings caused by psychiatric medications. It seems like weird sensations are the norm for me whenever I try any new medication. It's especially frustrating when it's impossible to describe these things to a psychiatrist. They are often only interested in concrete side effects listed in studies. It's kind of scary when you notice how different you feel when taking a medication. You know it's having powerful effects on your neurochemistry, many of which aren't intended or understood.

At my house we use the term "NT" to mean not neurodiverse and average. We say AT (atypical) to mean anyone else.
AT includes; bipolar, genius, autistic, brain-injured

Most of the bipolar people I have known have special interests and talents like autistics do. They also can hold a good conversation about real subjects and tend to stay away from superficial relationships or chitchat. When they're out and about, their hypomania can override their social anxiety.
Genius people often have to be aware that others can't understand them. So, either they are very open-minded about communication or very completely shut off and awkward.

at the time they had misdiagnosed me as having chronic depression. It wasnt until they saw a previous diagnosis of add when I was little and the current suspicons of chronic depression that they put it all together and diagnosed me bi polar. Whatever the case I am sick of their diagnosis' and their drugs and their tinkering with my brain. Ive been on paxil, luvox, wellbutrin, klonopin, triletpal, and lamictal. I'm sick of playing ping pong with drugs.

To the poster who mentioned he cant describe their effects. I know full well what you mean. Most of these drugs have had strange side effects I cant quite describe, a feeling behind the eyes, a tightness in my jaw, just weird hard to describe things that made me very uncomfortable.

You might want to hang out on the Icarus Project bulletin boards too--there are a lot of bipolar people there that can give advice on medications and other options.

Antidepressants can definitely bring on manic or hypomanic states in people with bipolar - and yes, it probably happens most often with those many of us who've been misdiagnosed with unipolar depression. I'm sure it leads to rediagnosis in a lot of people. I read the other day that the estimated average period for people with bipolar getting the right diagnosis is 10 years. It took about 12 for me. I never had any relief to speak of from the antidepressants I was on, though they didn't do me any good either. The first treatment, if you can call it that, that threw me into mania, was ECT (electroconvulsive therapy - I don't recommend it), when I was hospitalized upon becoming truly suicidal.

To be honest mood stabilizers haven't done that much for me either; I'm reconsidering whether even the bipolar is a correct diagnosis. I suffer a great deal from anxiety and panic disorders & wonder if these are what bring on the mood problems. At present I'm only taking anti-anxiety med, being (finally) mostly out of a several-year severe depression. This coincides with seeing a specialized therapist in the field of domestic abuse, which I suffered both in childhood and adulthood. I'm wondering if I'm finally getting to one of the root causes of my problems, though there's mental illness in my family and I have no doubt that there's a genetic predisposition there and think it likely that something else would have triggered my illness(es?), whatever they are, even had it not been for the awful verbal abuse (at home, at school, from ex-husband and past friends - when you grow up with abuse, you don't tend to make very good choices in relationships unless and until you really come to understand the truth of what's gone on, and the dynamics involved).

That hit very close to home for me. Thank G!d I got off my medications about a year ago. Now I'm doing much better.

Weird. Ann Bauer has written another article that, to me, seems to downplay the role of his medication in his deterioration:

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/0 ... index.html

Thoughts?

Yes, and it wasn't the medication; antipsychotics should make someone less aggressive in theory (of course, there's paradoxical reactions, but that's the risk).

What she describes is exactly what the doctor said; frustration in a land that's too hard to live in, which creates the aggression. It happens, and a goodly portion of people with HFA/AS are in institutions with full-time care due to similar behaviour.

I went down the same slippery slope of mis-diagnosis and treatment. Poor social skills leads to social isolation, this leads to depression. I tried an anti-depressant for social anxiety which leds to a manic episode. They are so quick to diagnose bi-polar and put you in that because they have drugs for it. Then ECT was suggested. Then I got angry and fired my doctors including my brother-in-law and sister who I have disowned. Anyway Ive been off all hi-tech meds for 6 years with only some moderate depression which did not require treatment. I take fish oil and st johns wort.

'There but for the grace of god, go I.'
Actually if I met god I would punch him in the head.

When I was taking Moban, I went completely psychotic. It took awhile to convince the doc that it was the meds that were causing it. I had nearly every symptom of psychosis, and wasn't even the full dose (at least my pdoc knows that I am extremely sensitive to meds, that's why he gave me below the normal dosage). It was a terrible and terrifying time and lasted several months. I was hallucinating 24/7, having extreme delusions, disorganized speech, catatonia, and (luckily negative symptoms didn't bother me all that bad during that time though). So, I believe I was misdiagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Q. Why is it so hard?
A.. Because the rules are unfair and sadistic. Everyone stands on those at the bottom of the heap and robs them of their lifeforce. It's a parasitic system. We are supposed to accept that--- "Life is a game you can't win, can't lose, and can't break even." [the 'can't lose' part is because suicide is a crime.....btw the reason for that is because it is supposedly necessary, according to the system, to sacrifice your lifeforce so those standing on you can have a better life...it's a lie, of course...but the laws/rules of the game enforce it.]

What's to be done?
Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Work toward change but don't expect it. Take the steps necessary to ensure your and your family's protection and survival in a world made hellish by humans being human. Why do they do it? Because they can get away with it. Maintain constant vigilance, never let down your guard. And keep money put aside in order to hire an attorney, a good one. Because only the good attorneys know how to beat them at their own game.

Learn your enemy. Know him like the back of your hand. Know his strengths and weaknesses. Keep track of everything he does. Stay informed. Fight fire w/fire. This is war.

Do not give up and do not surrender w/o a fight.

Last edited by alba on 14 May 2009, 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.