Welcome

This site was created by Nicholl McGuire, Inspirational Speaker and Author. Feel free to comment, share links and subscribe. If you have a business or would like to guest post feel free to contact. Check out topics on this blog and select what interests you. They are found at the bottom of this page. Peace and Love.

Wednesday

Pills to Help Cope with Personal Challenges - My Experience

2019 would be the last time that I felt completely like myself.  It wouldn't be until early 2022, that I would feel like my old self.  What happened?
 
When my personal, as well as professional challenges, were increasingly becoming more demanding and I didn't seem to feel any better with on and off again illnesses, I visited a doctor in February 2020.  I found out that I had needed a hysterotomy and learned around the same time that many of my coworkers had covid symptoms.  
 
I suspected I had covid too back when we called covid symptoms "a bug" or "flu," our staff didn't know what the illness was that gave us a variety of symptoms including loss of smell and taste during December 2019 January 2020.  Meanwhile, as parents were told that our children were to remain at home for the rest of the school year.  Of course, most students began to perform poorly.  As if that wasn't enough, at my former apartment management job around that time, I received visits from parents who wondered what local colleges and universities were going to do if covid cases increased, because they didn't want to be responsible for apartment lease contracts if the schools were going to close and send their children home.
 
I as well as others I knew seemed to be feeling out of sorts, not ourselves.  Our minds were confused at times, forgetful.  We were unhappy at times more than happy.  Our futures were uncertain.  Then people started dying.

 

In 2019 according to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, 6.5 million African Americans had a mental illness and/or substance use disorder (SUD), an increase of 10.1% over 2018 composed of increases in SUD and mental illness. 

There was only so much that I could take into my mind.  I felt like I was sinking fast at the time.  However, as more people began to talk about what they were going through in media, gradually I saw some positive changes in some people including myself. 
Since 2020, it has been a breath of fresh air to see that life coaches, doctors, counselors, psychologists, ministers, and others are doing more to support people specifically the African American and Latin communities who suffer with things like anxiety, and emotional instability, nervousness, and fear.  However, the Band-Aid fixes using prescription medicines, well depending on the person, don't always have the benefits that outweigh the risks.  
 
As my own personal and professional challenges began to mount during 2020 going into 2021, one of the doctors I visited, prescribed “magic pills," an antidepressant, and an estrogen supplement back in February 2020.  A dentist prescribed more pills that same year for infection and painkillers until I could get an appointment for my root canal (a previous dentist drilled too deep in my mouth to fix a cavity).  Yes, the pain, the pain!  All of which I got taken care of that year.
 
I remained on the antidepressant for about eight months (from February to September 2020).  The other pills about a month.  Three times a day taking an antidepressant to get through the day and all the rest to help manage pain and infection, I was having an out-of-body experience most days.  
 
I must admit I was not who I had been prior to taking all those medicines.  The antidepressant had brought on its share of mania including trouble sleeping, excessive happiness, and racing thoughts.  It also gave me unusual behaviors like believing I was someone else and feeling confused at times when people spoke to me and what I was supposed to do next.  It also brought about more vision problems to the point that now I wear glasses. There was also one very important thing that the antidepressant did, it caused me to no longer write like this.  A simple sentence was okay, but a blog post, article, a report, a poem, a song...no way!  It was too much effort to sit and concentrate on creative tasks.  I recall spending way too long trying to fill out a template for a creative flier even with the words present to copy.  
 
Creativity is no more when you are medicated.  You also don't have much feeling for others.  I was pretty much ready to delete everything that I created while on the medicine.  In 2021, I began withdrawal, I had fought with all sorts of emotions including paranoia and unusually grand ideas that I couldn't recall weeks later.  In addition, while taking the medicine, I learned that I had high blood pressure, and heart palpitations every now and again and felt tired more so after eating initially, because something was happening with my blood sugar that hadn't occurred prior to taking the medicine.  There was no off button prescribed as to when I was done taking the medicine.  The comment from the doctor was, “Why were you ever off any of it, to begin with?”  
 
Years ago, I was given different types of antidepressants, and each gave me similar side effects.  One was so bad that all I ever wanted to do was sleep and I had no sex drive and no orgasm while on that medicine.  One doctor thought it was necessary to prescribe it because I was going through postpartum like behaviors for months after the babies had been born.  I never understood why they thought just one week of highs and lows and I, or any mother, would just be fine afterward so they had sent me home with babies and no medicine until I showed back up with a lot on my mind, read When Mothers Cry. 
 
Anyway, I took the pills--for how long I don't remember exactly (less than a year), but what helped me more so was getting away from the babies for months to collect myself and manage my own mind, body, and soul so I could return to care for them.  Fast forward to February 2020, almost two decades later, there I was told to take pills again with no cutoff date.
 
What I have learned is that pills, like counselors, have their place for a time in your life (if you are willing to accept) depending on one's condition, but they are not meant to be used often, in excess, or for most people, for the rest of their lives.  There are aids for a season in your life, but once a person has demonstrated that they are perfectly capable of caring for themselves, there are healthy alternatives that don't involve pills and controlling people.  
 
All pills and caretakers don't fit all.  When you can manage your life, you are also able to make the kind of decisions that are most beneficial for yourself such as having faith, and a support system that is more concerned about your health and not so much about your money or service. 
 
Your peace of mind and the free time to think apart from others is most important, so take care of yourself when you can!  
 
Nicholl McGuire has an online store of beautiful artwork and useful household products, Stillness Gifts.  She is also the owner and contributor of this blog.

at
Labels: , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Search This Blog

Labels

a abortion about this blog about us absent fathers abuse abusive men abusive women adopted black children affirmative action africa african american african american achievers african american art african american audio books african american authors african american beauty african american bloggers african american books african american bookstores african american brothers african american business african american celebrities african american children african american chinese african american christian women african american christians african american churches african american clothing styles african american communities african american community african american cuisine african american culture african american dating african american dating sites african american deceivers african american dining african american documentaries african american drama african american drug dealers african american education african american elite african american entertainment african american family african american fathers african american friendships african american gamers african american genealogy african american gifts african american girls african american gods african american grandparents african american grants african american hair loss african american haircare african american hairstyles african american health issues african american heritage african american heterosexuality african american history african american holidays african american home owners african american homosexuality african american idols african american inventors african american korea african american lawyers african american leaders african american lifestyle african american magazines african american marriages african american media african american men african american mental illness african american ministers african american models african american mothers african american movies african american museums african american music african american music videos african american natural hair african american news african american occult african american online surfing african american opinion african american paintings African American parade african american parents african american photographers african american photography african american poets african american police officers african american political prisoners african american preachers African American producers african american prostitution african american radio shows african american relationships african american religion african american researchers african american russia african american samoan african american scholarships african american self-hate african american sex african american singles african american skin care african american skincare african american soldiers african american sons african american speakers african american spirituality african american statistics african american studies african american television networks african american thinking african american thoughts african american tips african american toys african american transhumanists african american travel african american voters african american wealth african american weaves african american wigs african american women african american women groups African American women in science african american women inventors african american workers african american writers african americans african americans and africans african americans jail african americans respect african americans workers african americans workplace african art african consciousness african decor african food african history ai tools american holidays ancestry anger management angry angry black man angry black woman angry black women angry blacks atlanta aunt tammy banks Barack Obama be encouraged bible big girls biracial people birth control bisexual black men black alliance for just immigration black american ignorance black american quotations black american racism black art websites black athletes black attitudes black business black celebrities black celebrity children black celebrity masons black cinema black conscious community black conscious women black dating services black dolls black education black elite groups black English people black family black feminists black grandmothers black greek organizations black history black history month black inventors black love black men black men and white women black music black national anthem black nationalism black panthers party black people and summer time black people attitude black preachers black racists black radio stations black scholars black singles black sitcoms black skin black stereotypes black toys black women blacks with an attitude blessings and curses blog owner boule boxer brainwashed blacks celebrities and god cheating childhood childless women children activities chris brown chris rock christina milian civil rights civil war cold-blooded african americans colorism communication communication skills community assistance confrontation construction in haiti constructive criticism contract with black america controlling black folks controlling men controlling women counselors crazy blacks crisis dark skin dating dating violence death deceased black legends depression difficult people disorders diversity domestic violence down low celebrities dreaming eastern stars economics educated blacks education elderly black folks employment entrepreneur eugenics exes experiences faith family history family issues family secrets fat african americans fearful blacks fema camps financial assistance first black president food stamps fools fraternal organizations free stuff freemasons french african friendships funeral planning funny african americans funny black man funny black people funny black woman funny stuff gay black men generational curses ghetto gifted african americans going green good black men gospel music gossip government Haiti haiti earthquake haiti fault line happiness harlem haters helpful links hidden medical experiments high blood pressure highly sensitive blacks hip hop culture hip hop fashion homosexuals honest black folk housing assistance how to approach a black woman how to get exposure on this site human trafficking hurricane relief ignorant black people illuminati insecure women inspiration internet dating interracial relationships israel jaguar wright jamaicans jealous men jealous women jealousy jobs juneteenth keep it real kwanzaa laboring to love an abusive mate liars light skin lottery loud mouth blacks love lust lynching make money manhood manipulative media manmade earthquakes martin luther king barack obama medicine memorial day menopause mental issues michael jackson michael jackson children mother michelle obama mike tyson mike tyson daughter military mind control minority women scholarships misogyny modern day slavery money moors motivation multiracial celebrities music lyrics music videos narcissism natural disasters negro spirituals nelson mandela nicole richie nonblack not african american Obama obama campaign Obama sworn in obese black people offended blacks old school overweight african americans paranoid paranormal passing for white patience patti labelle paula abdul peace pedophilia perimenopause poems police poor african americans population control positivity post traumatic slave syndrome postpartum depression poverty prayers prejudice prescriptions president barack obama president elect barack obama prideful prostate cancer and black men protests racial problems racism racist republicans rappers rb music groups reality shows recycling reggae music relationships relatives religion revenge reverse discrimination rhianna rich african americans samples and trials SARS scammers scams scandalous pastors scary blacks schizophrenia secret societies self esteem self hate self righteous senator barack obama sex sexual harassment shopping siblings skin bleaching skull and bones slavery social issues social networking society sociopaths sometimey black folks soul food spiritual african americans spiritual warfare sports state of the union address strange black folks stubbornness superstition surveys terri seymore the man threats tired black man tired black woman toxic parents travel trends twitter uncle tom unemotional unemployment ungrateful black folks voter privacy war whistleblowers white american racism white people wisdom women friends work at home youtubers
Creative Commons License
African American Planet: Relationships, Education, Products & Lifestyle by Nicholl McGuire is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at africanamericanplanet.blogspot.com.

Translate