Undercurrents/Undertow by Susan L.

When a group of Psychiatric Survivors meet there is always an edge to our voices when the topic of conversation turns to our struggles with medications. Just as an aside, the term Psyciatric Survivor was coined by those of us who have been through that particulately thorny branch of the health system. I acknowledge that I am one of the lucky ones, read: blessed. After roughly four years of trial and error, my own meds are doing what they are supposed to do. That is: help me live a rich and fullfilling life. I no longer survive, thankfully I am thriving. It's easy to make decisions when you are well and the brain is not bogged down by depression or trauma. It is easier then to let someone dictate what you need when you are not well and desperately seeking relief. Does this mean it's okay? Depends on our individual circumstances. I guess the anger that swirls and eddies is not because of the meds themselves but because of how our basic human rights are tossed out the window once we've been labelled " mentally ill". It's the only illness that automatically assumes incompetance without trial. Oh, and it's the only one that portrays us as mass murderers if we don't take our pills. Scary thought. "Yeah though I walk through the valley." Ps 23