Last Option

Before you read this, let me be clear I’m not a doctor and you can’t take any medical advice from me. With that being said, I just want to give my two sense on the topic of prescribed medications. I remember the first time I got put on medication for anxiety was when I was 20 years old. At first I was relieved because I thought it would give me a break from everything that I had going on. I thought mentally I would be relieved. At first, I felt okay. I didn’t really notice much of a difference, but now that I look back on it, I didn’t notice much of a mental clarity difference at all. The only thing I noticed is that it put me in a worse mood because it made me tired and lethargic all the time. But I kept taking it because the doctors said there would be an adjustment period. They switched my medication after about a year and the same thing happened. Not feeling better but trusted the doctors because they’re doctors. I quit my meds cold turkey about 2 years ago and have never felt better, which I now learned you aren’t supposed to do. Here’s what I did to improve my mental health and what I wish the doctors told me before they came to the conclusion to medicate me.

1.     I needed to change my lifestyle. I needed more sleep, less screen time. More movement in my day, less sitting around during my free hours. Less complaining, being more thankful. I think mental health is a tricky subject because it can be very serious, and it can also be people taking advantage of not taking a care of themselves and just labeling it “mental health.” It might sound harsh but that’s the truth. Have you ever heard someone say things like, oh I’m depressed, nothing ever goes my way, why does nobody like me, things of that nature. See how they treat themselves. What do they do throughout the day? Eat bad foods, no exercise, vaping, drinking anything but water, looking at a screen all day, being rude to others because they’re upset. Notice those who are actually depressed, and then those who are just in a bad position in life.

2.     My diet needed to drastically change. Something overlooked is what people consume on a daily basis. Junk food, bad oils, processed foods, nicotine, drugs, alcohol. Everything has a bad effect on you. Whole foods are the way to go. Whatever comes form the earth, you probably should it eat (with exceptions). I heard this story about a guy who loves cars one time that I now live by. There was this old man on a street with an older Mercedes Benz that looked brand new. It was always clean and kept very well. Low miles, always shiny. The neighbor asked how he kept it that way. The owner of the car said he only uses the best products to keep it nice and clean. The best gas, oil, car cleaning products. You get the point. The only downside to this was the owner was super overweight, had knee braces, a limp when he walks. And was always smoking while cleaning his car. His neighbor never said anything to him, but he always thought to himself, “why does he take care of his car better than his own body?” Don’t treat your body like you get another one. The more whole foods you eat, the better you’ll feel. The clearer you’ll be mentally.

3.     Don’t use medications as your first option. I think medications cover the wound but won't heal it for those who don’t make changes to their life choices that have put them in the position to struggle with mental health. Like I did. I think you need to find the core reason before you alter your brain chemicals. Again, I’m no doctor. But why not try the natural way before a huge decision?

4.     Make sure your open and honest about what is really going on. Honesty is the best policy. Being ashamed of what is happening is all part of the process to heal. Those that are generally willing to help wont judge you. They’ll support you when you need it.

In the long term, I think living a healthy lifestyle is the best way possible to fix your mental health. I don’t think medication is bad, I just think it should be the last option because it doesn’t fix the root cause. Medication is a bandaid. You need to heal the wound.

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