Self Medicating (Elle)

Mind Palaver

As my consultant said recently, medication has its role, but it’s not the be all and end all. I really respect her for this view – it’s close to my own opinion.

So this had me wondering how else I ‘medicate’ myself aside from the meds I take.

My first risky run in with self-medication was with alcohol, in my early days of doing psychiatry. I hadn’t been diagnosed bipolar as yet, and was cycling out of control between hypomania and depression. When my father killed himself the stress and claustrophobia of that weekend in hospital were colossal, and when the life support was switched off my mood soared (stress has often made me go very high). I remember the train journey home with my sister feeling elated, superhuman, able to take on the universe. The sky was ethereal, the clouds whitest white and fluffy. I was staring down the…

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Holding it all Together (Elle)

I feel like I have to spend the best parts of my energies just holding it all together (all the time, regardless of mood state). A constant below the hood and out of sight vigilance just to stop me from flying apart in all directions. Like 'background checks' being run on your computer while you're…

Self Medicating (ii) John.

I struggle a bit with the term self medicating. To me the term suggests taking a substance for (percieved) beneficial or calming results.   (John) Over the past couple of blogs Elle and myself have discussed the ideas and the term of self medicating.  The quote above is from my last post. The problem is I…

Self Medicating. (John)

Well this is nice. We've ended up with a transatlantic conversation here on the idea of Self Medicating. Bipolar Barb  has just blogged regarding this, on her own site, in response to Elle's last post Self Medicating (Elle) on here. Much thanks for your input Barb and now I'll add mine to the mix. I definitely see my…