How would you survive without psych meds?

I have bipolar disorder and I have to take medication to help stabilize my moods. I was wondering what would happen if the medication becomes no more or very hard to get? How would someone who has mental instability be able to survive? I know some people have very mild forms of disorders and may actually be okay without medication, but what about those who go off the deep end?

 

I think that in the wilderness, there is little you can do about it in terms of medication. However, I have read studies that link meditation to helping with bipolar disorder. So, I guess you could meditate for a while when you feel your mood swing?

 

Well, I have anxiety disorder, but the medication I have is not something that is taken daily, but only as needed. I used to take medication daily for this, but have managed the condition to the point where I now only have to take something when an episode arises. This is usually only once or maybe twice a week. There have been times when I have been somewhere and simply haven't had my pills on me and I am to the point where I just manage. However, that being said, I know quite a few people with serious psych conditions that cannot under any circumstances be without their medication. People with severe schizophrenia are sometimes asymptomatic and completely functional on their medications. Without their medicine, they hear voices, have hallucinations, and other terrible things that actually cause them to be a danger to themselves and others. I am not entirely sure what the best course of action would be for someone with such a severe condition in that type of situation.

 

I also have Bipolar disorder and have thought about this before-what if I didn't have access to my meds? I think the answer is that you would just have to survive, unless you could get into a pharmacy somehow and stock up but even then they would run out eventually. I think if I knew my meds supply was limited I would start to reduce my dose slowly do avoid a full on withdrawal nightmare and then just hope for the best.

 

Before there was medication for this type of disorders it was harder for people suffering from them to survive but it was definitely not impossible. Also, alternative medicine preps, based on various herbs and plants, have been used for a long time in improving mental health and treating certain psychical problems, especially in Asian culture such as bacopa, mucuna (velvet beans), rhodiola etc.

 

From a health professional point of view, I would like to say that from watching people with mental disorders, sometimes the medical situation is not as bad as it appears. Unless a patient is a danger to themselves and those around them then maybe alternatives to medication must be necessary, but from experience, I have watched patients given placebos and they were fine with no signs of potential danger. I saw one who completely healed herself and the issue was all in her head, she is now very well.

 

I think very few people are sincerely and terribly without a chance without medicine. Like, take the schizophrenia-afflicted patients. I'm sure most of them have fairly short periods of alienation from reality (maybe about a month or so) and, assuming they aren't catatonic, most can work decently even without a strong connection to the real world. They might need a little more help and patience from the rest of us, but chances are they'll be fine.

 

I would suggest asking your doctor to give you additional refills and/or a 90-day supply. I don't know are there any restrictions for psyche meds as far as a limit to how much a person can actually obtain in a month. But I would talk to my doctor and tell him the reason why I want an extra supply.

 

Well this would be difficult. It's not impossible to do this , because there are natural cures for everything. A lot of times in the society we live in natural cures are not looked into because there's more money behind the medication than the cure. Having a Alkaline diet is known to keep your mood more stable, I don't know if it would stop a bipolar disorder , but you never know . Living off of plants could cure a lot of ailments. You should do research on natural cures for bipolar disorder. I'm sure there are natural cures for this. In a survival situation when these medications aren't available natural cures would be your only option.

 

Becoming less dependant on them before hand (and any other addictive substance) is the foremost thing that you should do. Some stresses such as paying rent etc will dissipate after a major SHTF scenario, and you likely won't have employment to attend to. You'll soon have a much simpler life and will probably need it less. Otherwise you could stock up on neurotransmitter precursors.

 

Hmm, in your case it might not be a very aggressive disadvantage for when you're in the wild, but for many others it probably is. There really is no way you can obtain medication on the wild, and I suppose that's the way it is.You could try and stock on medication for when a disaster comes, but it will be harder and very expensive.

 

Hello,
I have a similar thought process on this issue. If you take meds daily for mental health concerns, ultimately it would be ideal if you had a way to stock up on your regular medications. Most pharmacies will fill a prescription 3-5 days before it is all gone. Filling it as soon as they will allow you to is one way to get a few extra every month in order to start a small stock. It is a good idea to keep herbal remedies on hand. Herbs such as Saint John's wart, black cohosh, and Ginko Biloba are just a few. You can buy these in capsule form at health food stores or online. These are always good to keep on hand even if you are not bi-polar. That way when stressful days and crisis suddenly comes during a time when pharmacies are closed, there could still be some relief. I wish you the best in your efforts to prepare and take care of yourself.

 

Now would be a perfect time for you to start learning about the power of your mind and the effect it has in illnesses and healing. Have you ever wondered about the effects that doctors get from placebos? It all comes down to beliefs. I manifested a healthy body after doctors had told me that I was going to die, all from learning the power of the mind.

 

I take medication for depression and anxiety disorder. I am 36 and have been taking this type of medication since I was 19. I often wonder what would happen if the supply ran out or in times of crises where I could not get anymore. It is kind of scary to think about, but I honestly feel that if anything should happen that medication will be the least think on our minds. I think our survival instincts will kick in and our brains will focus solely on survival and how to get the things needed to do so. Your question is very good though and does really make one wonder.

 

Well, I have Borderline Personality Disorder and I currently take Lexapro. I don't think I would be able to survive in a scary situation without them. I don't think there's something you can do to replace these meds in the wilderness, so always have at least 3 more bottles with you, just in case. In times of panic, if I really did not have the medication, I'd probably try finding some passion fruit and making some tea with it, it is known to cause sleepiness and help anxiety.

 

As a (now retired) health professional I spent a large part of my professional life working in mental health. May I suggest that now would be a good time for people to question whether they actualy need
all the medication they are currently taking. Medication is only one tool in a very large tool box(a usefull one addmitted) but by no means the only one there are many others which just need to be explored.
In the meantime a usefull book to read covering many common ailments is THE GREEN PHARMACY by Dr James A Duke available from panmacmillan.com