katydid23
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As to the bolded---that was the big problem we had with my brother. He'd get stabilised on his meds and would 'feel just fine.' And soon he'd secretly stop taking them and then he'd have another episode.BBM : So very true.
It's a real catch 22 situation with the side effects. Medication adjustment is best dealt with by a psychiatrist ( of course there is a hefty cost ) v's GP when trying to find what works for them . GP's are great at maintenance & rpt scripts, once stabilised IMO
In my experience people stop taking their meds for many reasons : because they have " no feelings" - they say they are like a zombie etc, weight gain is a big one, run out & can't get a Dr's appointment, cost, because they fell good & don't think they need them,
Sometimes he'd spiral badly and it would take awhile to get him to comply and begin a new regimen. But somehow he'd always get back to his meds because they did make it possible for him to maintain mental balance. And lithium, for some reason, seemed to work the best for him--it was mostly a matter of how much.
He lived in a group home for awhile, full of guys with same diagnosis. I visited him a few times there and he said living with them helped him understand how others saw him, and it helped him realise that he did need his meds. He could see the difference between guys who were on the program from those who weren't taking theirs.
itinerant life style, they get stolen.....so many reasons.