Sorry to say this but a lot of people do need drugs/meds to function. I have ADD and an LD, clinical anxiety, borderline personality, schizotypal pd.. and a few others like bipolar, which may overlap with those last 3
(anti-social behavior goes along with ADD)-
AD(H)D is legit. I'm not a neurologist but during testing for AD(H)D i had an EEG which shows key features of AD(H)D & the differences in neurotransmitter behavior from an NT (neuro-typical) brain.. The studies to back it up are out there. I'm tired of people saying it doesn't exist..or worse, downplaying it by saying everyone has AD(H)D.. no, you either have it or you don't
i'm medicating my ADD. the meds have turned my life around over the last year. before that i couldn't function with a job, school, etc cause of the brain fog and constant fatigue- indistinguishable from chronic fatigue syndrome.. think about not being able to get out of bed for days cause you're so tired and weak.. and nothing helps..eating, exercise made me more exhausted. sometimes i still fast to have energy, but i'll be up for several days at a time
i take benzos as needed (been on-and-off them for years) and they keep me from slipping into psychosis. they are the only thing that consistently help my anxiety and panic attacks - i'm so grateful to be back on them that i don't abuse the shit out of them now and actually benefit from them
psych meds: cymbalta caused me a nervous breakdown. i was incapacitated for 3 months following withdrawal. zyprexa- brought out latent schizophrenia and triggered flashbacks.. no more psych meds for me ever again
I've been through psych therapy for years. It helped while i was going, but it's not a permanent solution for me anyway. I don't think there is just one for most people.. you constantly have to transition and try new things.. when i have problems i can deal with, i do. other problems in life can't be resolved and are best ignored (for sanity's sake; defense mechanisms)... the lack of or dysfunction of defense mechanisms is what throws some people off the edge. so maybe for some their problems are maladaptive behavior. for others more of a neurological issue, which is harder to deal with
when you have disturbing, life-threatening mental problems you can't just say ok i'll stop medicating & just deal with all this head on. Idk about you, but it doesn't work that way in my world. My mind plays tricks on me, delusions, dissociation.. it's not safe when i don't know who i am or if i'm dreaming or actually awake. it puts limits on what i can do. when i can't even trust myself, what am i left with? I isolate myself. It makes life simple
as for depression and AD(H)D.. it seems people mix these up too often. in my case, ADD causes me to be depressed- since my thoughts are unclear, i lose motivation & energy trying to keep up with the rest of the world.. being around other people, in public burns me out.. thus friendships are superficial/hard to maintain. this leads to a pretty lonely, depressing life
some people who are depressed may appear to have AD(H)D- due to lack of motivation, focus and apathy. these people show increased motivation/productivity when they're in the right mood. environment may play a role
then yet others may be AD(H)D+comorbid clinical depression, which could manifest in different ways
-G
