Let’s Get Medical
AYOOOOOOOO LIL’ CHERUBS!!!! This is the first post I’m writing on my new website!! OMGGGG YA GURL GOTTA WEBPAGEEE. (Honestly really simple to get one…the internet is way too readily accessible to the damaged and downtrodden). BUT for the first of many times on here…LET’S GABB!
This is a post I’ve been getting asked by a number of people to write (ik my inbox is like Grand Central…miss popularity). Ugh medication is trickayyy. You have people like the lovely @MommaDamics who calls them my happy pills (she ain’t far off) and although she means it all in good humor (bless your heart Beth) it’s important for people to actually understand what medication does for us. (yes, ew I just generalized…for the sake of simplicity, bear with me). On the flip side, you have some that think, “Hmmm just pop some Mgs and your problems are as good as gone.” LMAOOOOO ya ok guys. I know no one here thinks that way…I’ll come for you in a real way. *laughs maniacally* But - the main thing I’m trying to say is that medication is all encompassing and broad and narrow at the same time…complicated, a puzzle, and unexplainably annoying. (yeah I mean basically me) Strap in I gotta lot to say.
Funnily enough, yesterday I had a terrible day! Why? MEDICATION. (more like the lack thereof) So y’all know me, I’m an open book - I got drunk Saturday night with my sis and bro, (SUE ME) got home, and forgot to take my medicine. NOW LISTEN. I’m not someone who forgets their medication simply because I know the repercussions. So this was something that hasn’t happened in a long time - like a year.
I take 150mg of Venlafaxine along with my BC (gtfo babies). Venlafaxine is a generic for Effexor #SaveThatMonayyyy - It’s used to treat depression and is what is known as an SNRI. It basically just helps restore the ~natural~ balance of serotonin. AKA - my happy pills. SO when I don’t take them, all hell breaks loose. Yesterday, I had a massive headache when I woke up. I figured I was dehydrated, drank some water, and thought nothing of it. Then - MASSIVE MOOD SWING. I was all excited about my new skin care routine (I woke up gLoWinG) and then all of the sudden, I picked a fight with Super Hot BF Joe (shoutout to my TCO fans) and we really don’t fight often- like ever. He sensed something was up, but I was on edge and just dismissed it. NEXT, I got dressed and got all emo about my weight. I was in the kitchen with my mom and had a full blown breakdown. I yelled at her, which is SO high school of me, and then I cried uncontrollably. This is when I started to think, “wtf Gab let’s lock it up.” Fast forward to dinner - I ate a full meal and had been hydrating all day, but still felt so light headed after that I thought I was going to collapse. That’s when I finally put the pieces together, went upstairs to check, and realized the mistake. My jaw literally dropped in awe. It scared me how much I spiraled without my medicine for LESS THAN 24 hours.
Now, I understand people are uncomfy talking about themselves in this way, that’s where I come in *insert wild smiley face here* let’s get rid of the stigma and have a GD conversation about this shit because ~news flash~ IT’S REAL. Anyways, it took me a pretty decent amount of time to really find a medicine that worked for me. My mind is finally starting to feel semi normal and positive without having to be positively stimulated - which is a HUGE victory. HOWEVER - now I’m running into the problem of weight gain. What some people don’t know is that a lot of depression medication come with a laundry list of side effects. The first few I took interacted negatively with my BC. Now, I’m finding that even with a healthy diet and working out frequently, I’m not able to lose weight - AND TRUST ME - I’m at a weight where I should be losing SOMETHING, even with minor changes. These are things that can almost always be changing throughout your medication journey. So, I may be back to the drawing board.
In addition to finding a good fit for your bod, there are so many different factors that go into finding what’s good for your situation. Some people take medication situationally. I used to take a pill when needed when I felt anxiety attacks coming on. With some therapy and time to learn more about myself, I rarely find myself reaching for that pill. A lot of people start taking medicine because their mental health changes during a traumatic or major life event and find that they stay on it temporarily, or in my case continuously. THE BOTTOM LINE is that medication is NOTHING to be embarrassed of ashamed of. More people than you think are utilizing it and are able to live healthier lives because of it!!
I rattled off a lot of stuff - like I said it’s #tricky and not as black and white as some think. I’ll leave y’all with this: I see medication as a gateway opportunity. It gives you the ability to positively take your mind back, but it doesn’t happen automatically. A healthy mind starts with the balance of chemicals, but it’s important to develop that through therapy, finding coping strategies, and practicing good mental health habits. This is how you optimize your medication and become an even better person from it! Ugh wow I feel like a straight up GHANDI right now. I hit on a few topics but I know there’s a lot I didn’t cover. If you guys want to hear me blab on about anything else in regards to this topic - give me a shout! Be happy, be healthy, be whole and take your damn meds kids.
p.s. “Some people around you will not understand your journey. They don’t need to, it’s not for them.” -Paulo Coelho
