4 ms·

I've often been confused by reports like the OP that the person refuses meds then proceeds to descend into some sort of pure madness. How can that madness be b

I've often been confused by reports like the OP that the person refuses meds then proceeds to descend into some sort of pure madness. How can that madness be better than the meds? Why do you think they prefer the madness? You seem to resist it do you know any reason why? I've known three people one directly and two indirectly that were lunatic level if they were off meds and all refused meds consistantly. 1. Was a guy I worked in the same dept during an early job. His thing was to start telling people that government agents were in the elevator to control your mind or something and ending out emails about it and corning people to warn them. Funny thing was it was a government job so there were government agents in the elevator pretty much anytime someone was in the elevator. He resisted because he didn't like the meds. 2. My friends brother in his 30's would not take his meds and his parents had to sneak them in his food. If he missed enough doses he would eventually go raving mad into the woods and eventually be found passed out somewhere by emergency responders usually naked and injured. He resisted because he didn't like the meds. 3. My brother in laws brother was paralyzed and brain damaged from a car wreck. Yet when off meds he would run off in his wheelchair into dangerous traffic or be found passed out(and injured) from exhaustion of crawling because he went somewhere a wheelchair couldn't go and just crawled for miles. Again he didn't like the drugs.

themanmaran 4y ago
For all of these, I assume it's a lack of awareness of the manic state. By it's definition, the individual is going to be less cognizant/aware of their surroundings. Likely they don't have the best memory of these lapses either. I doubt in each of these cases people are making the rational choice to ditch the meds in favor of a state of "pure madness". Instead they probably get fed up with side effects, and decide that "this time won't be as bad", or "I'll just stop taking them for a day".
dsego 4y ago
You can get intramuscular depot injections monthly nowadays.
kayodelycaon 4y ago
For some people, the medication does more than just wreck their body, it takes away their identity or removes all of the color from their world. I had to learn to be a different person. (Discussed in another comment.) This is an extreme example, but imagine smashing into an artist’s home, breaking their tools, and telling them they’ll be working in a warehouse for the rest of their life. Maybe they’ll be happier working in a warehouse, but they don’t know that. Change is hard. It’s not as simple as they didn’t like the drugs. I’m fortunate to have kept my creativity. If I had lost that, I’d prefer being crazy, even knowing it would end badly.
- sieabahlpark 4y ago
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petesergeant 4y ago
> How can that madness be better than the meds? Why do you think they prefer the madness? Lots of people voluntarily take substances that make them think much less clearly but also make them feel good: it's just a matter of scale

themanmaran 4y ago

For all of these, I assume it's a lack of awareness of the manic state. By it's definition, the individual is going to be less cognizant/aware of their surroundings. Likely they don't have the best memory of these lapses either. I doubt in each of these cases people are making the rational choice to ditch the meds in favor of a state of "pure madness". Instead they probably get fed up with side effects, and decide that "this time won't be as bad", or "I'll just stop taking them for a day".

dsego 4y ago

You can get intramuscular depot injections monthly nowadays.

kayodelycaon 4y ago

For some people, the medication does more than just wreck their body, it takes away their identity or removes all of the color from their world. I had to learn to be a different person. (Discussed in another comment.) This is an extreme example, but imagine smashing into an artist’s home, breaking their tools, and telling them they’ll be working in a warehouse for the rest of their life. Maybe they’ll be happier working in a warehouse, but they don’t know that. Change is hard. It’s not as simple as they didn’t like the drugs. I’m fortunate to have kept my creativity. If I had lost that, I’d prefer being crazy, even knowing it would end badly.

sieabahlpark 4y ago
[dead]

petesergeant 4y ago

> How can that madness be better than the meds? Why do you think they prefer the madness? Lots of people voluntarily take substances that make them think much less clearly but also make them feel good: it's just a matter of scale