How I improved
I can say with robust honesty that Prozac truly helped me to feel more energized, alert, and alive! Whereas prior to taking the medication I would hardly leave my apartment and was experiencing a lot of difficulties concentrating, as well as experiencing frequent panic attacks, now I'm going on long walks in the evening, exploring the downtown area, and cranking out projects a lot more often! I'm more optimistic about the future and I generally feel more capable as a woman of achieving all of my goals. I'm sleeping far better. I exercise at least once a day most days a week. I understand my body and what it's trying to communicate a lot better. Really, my health has improved vastly!
How I've regressed
There are no areas where I've dramatically gone downhill. However, I'd say that while taking Prozac my filter has been knocked down a few notches. I'm an INTJ. That's superstitious speak for saying I'm immensely creative and free-thinking, but I like to keep to myself for the most part and I value knowledge and practicality over most everything else. So, when I see a lot of impractical, prejudiced, or poorly thought out things it irks me. Normally, I scroll through social media and keep my peace. However, lately, I find myself really wanting to bulldoze all of the prejudiced people I see in my feed. I don't know if that's directly related to the Prozac or if I've just reached my limit with humans, but the fact remains my ability to stay silent is slowly dissolving.
What's Changed and Do I Still Take it?
I absolutely feel like Prozac was the liberating key to helping me get to a place of health and peace within myself. I don't think I'd have made it through the semester without it. I don't know that I'd have made so many healthy changes (like starting to exercise more often, going vegan, etc.) or that I would even still be Beth without having introduced this medication to my life.
That said, I stated at the beginning of this post that your intuition must be considered and respected. In the middle of this journey, I found out that I have hashimoto's (not lupus, thank goodness) and I have been working closely with my doctor to keep it in check. I've adapted my diet according to my doctor's counsel, continuing to stay vegan, and also leaving out gluten and peanuts, and making sure my cruciferous vegetables are always cooked! After making these corrections, I felt I had even more energy and focus. Every bit of my health feels more balanced and normalized.
Something in me started to question whether or not I still needed to be taking this medication. Near the end of my first bottle of Prozac, I made a deal with myself. I'd go a week without getting a refill and see how I feel. If I continued to feel good and was able to stay on top of my responsibilities, I'd stay off of it until I felt I needed to do otherwise. If I noticed any sort of decline, I'd stay on them.
Since discontinuing my medication, I've continued to feel improvements within myself. I keep a close eye on my mood and my productivity, and I really feel that as I respect my thyroid, my mental health does far better. If I start to decline again at all despite my best efforts, I will be going back to the medication.
My Beliefs About Medication
I don't believe that your average person needs to be on prescription medication long-term. I believe it's our duty to take care of ourselves and not accept developing preventable diseases. Western medicine is wonderful, and truly very useful for those of us who find ourselves extremely sick or in emergencies. Regardless, a strong, healthy diet backed with ample research and laying a strong foundation for your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being will carry you a long way. I have complete faith in my body and its ability to heal, create, and perform as long as I am responsible with it. It is my belief that our bodies were designed to remain in a state of health and return to that state of health when properly cared for. I believe that I have everything I need already inside of me, and medications just help us to get back up on our feet every once in a while.
Bottomline
You and your doctor are the only ones who can figure out what's best for you. If you find yourself not agreeing with your doctor or questioning if they are a good match for you, I fully support looking to another one for a second opinion! Remember to use common sense, and learn a healthy balance between trusting your intuition and trusting the professionals. I've had some "professionals" in my life get it very wrong and I've had others get it right on the mark! You'll know what's right when you see it.
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