As you all may or may not know, I have an addictive personality. I've managed to give up cigarettes (two packs a day), alcohol, drugs, ice cream and too many other foods to list, and I'm doing okay on the unavailable women. Tonight, I've discovered another addiction to add to my ever-expanding list. The newly discovered thing that I have to now give up is....going off of my psychiatric medication!
I started out by skipping a dose a couple of times every so often. Now I'm up to once a week and have done this new thing twice in one week at least once. When I skip a dose of my anti-psychotic medication, I don't sleep that night and I have to stay up all day until the next time to take a dose. I feel a great deal of discomfort all during the day as I go further and further into withdrawal. Finally, late the next night, I take the scheduled dose and sleep for a long time. After I wake up the next day, I feel a heightened sense of well-being that greatly contrasts with the discomfort of the previous day.
Now that I have this somewhat disturbing practice framed in the context of yet another manifestation of my addictive personality, I have a better idea of how to manage it. I will no longer skip doses of my anti-psychotic medication, ever. Back when I drank heavily I was better about taking my meds than I am now. My psychiatrist suggested another end-of-the-day ritual to replace heavy drinking, but I could not think of one at the time. I guess that I could try blog entries at the end of each day.
I started out by skipping a dose a couple of times every so often. Now I'm up to once a week and have done this new thing twice in one week at least once. When I skip a dose of my anti-psychotic medication, I don't sleep that night and I have to stay up all day until the next time to take a dose. I feel a great deal of discomfort all during the day as I go further and further into withdrawal. Finally, late the next night, I take the scheduled dose and sleep for a long time. After I wake up the next day, I feel a heightened sense of well-being that greatly contrasts with the discomfort of the previous day.
Now that I have this somewhat disturbing practice framed in the context of yet another manifestation of my addictive personality, I have a better idea of how to manage it. I will no longer skip doses of my anti-psychotic medication, ever. Back when I drank heavily I was better about taking my meds than I am now. My psychiatrist suggested another end-of-the-day ritual to replace heavy drinking, but I could not think of one at the time. I guess that I could try blog entries at the end of each day.
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