Starting down the medication path for mental illness is an endeavor. Over the last fifteen years I have tried twelve different medications. Everything from antidepressants to antipsychotics. I’ve been on the gold standard for mood stabilizers, Lamictal, for a decade now. It doesn’t eradicate my bipolar episodes but it helps lessen the severity of them.
When I first tried Saphris (a new to the market antipsychotic) back in 2014, my insurance company was refusing to help cover the cost. My doctor had to fill out a form stating that I’ve tried all the other antipsychotics available at that time. It was disheartening to know how many medications I have tried to help me in my daily mental battle.
Why so many different medications? The three main issues are side effects that aren’t fun, the drug made my mental state worse, and those that had no effect at all. It’s scary starting a new drug and not knowing what laid in store. However, I kept at finding the best combination of medication for me because I have a need to lead as normal as a life as possible. My current regiment of three antipsychotics and a mood stabilizer doesn’t prevent the episodes from ebbing and flowing throughout my life but I now have weeks instead of minutes of calm in my brain. Since the field of medications for mental illness keeps growing and better drugs are being formulated, I have hope that one day I’ll get to know peace in my mind for months rather than weeks.
Gently Dented 
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