It’s… wow. I didn’t realize it had been nearly a month. I remember this time last year, when I was writing just about daily, and… Well. It’s not something I’m going to fix by not writing, I guess.
I’m adjusting to not being on meds for depression, after five years. I seem to be better, and I am very very glad about that. I’m not okay; there have been bad days. But they haven’t been as severe as they were before I had to start seeing my therapist and go onto meds. I know that depression can sometimes mellow as you age[1], and I’ve learnt better coping strategies, and I suppose it’s possible that now I can manage without medication. I don’t know yet.
One of the more common side-effects[2] of the meds I was on was what I’m going to loosely characterize as fuzzy-brain–absentmindedness, forgetfulness, confusion, some lack of interest or initiative. That quality was more or less present in my life for the last five years. But between five years on assorted medication and my untreated depression before that, I’m not entirely clear on how integral that quality is to me. So after consideration (and medical consultation), I’m trying life without psych meds and hopefully I can get a baseline on how I think and how my brain works when I am not either medicated or severely depressed.
I would like to be able to manage depression without medication; not because life without medication is better or purer or any other such bootstrapped nonsense, not because my life when I needed medication was less worthwhile. But life without medication is marginally more secure–I never need to worry about being on vacation and losing my meds, about not being able to pay for them, about losing them in a house fire, I never need to worry even theoretically about a bad batch (although I never did worry about that, but you take my point).
…well, hey. Managed to articulate something about my life at the moment, and to get something written as well. I will call that a double win, I guess.
—
[1] Presuming, of course, it lets you age. (Pardon, a touch of habromania.)
[2] There are no side-effects; there are only effects you would prefer not to dwell on.