I had a medication check-up recently. To celebrate, let’s talk about it.
Canyon Roads
I love the canyons around where I live. Provo Canyon has a special place in my heart. I have so many fond memories of driving up to Bridal Veil Falls, or Vivian Park, but especially to South Fork Park. When my oldest sister started driving, I would sometimes go with her to South Fork Park in her speedy little, silver Nissan. She would blast “The Celts” by Enya as and wouldn’t slow down for the turns. It felt like flying.
Switchbacks Have a Purpose
There is an obvious reason mountain roads have switchbacks. The direct path from point A to point B is too steep. Sometimes the terrain has bumps and bulges that need to be navigated around as well. Even with switchbacks, mountain roads often feel impossibly steep. But, when I look at an aerial view of that same road, It looks almost silly. Why can’t I just go from point A to point B?
The begining of a medication journey can be daunting, Especially if it’s a mental health medication journey. I’ve personally experienced it three times: once when I was misdiagnosed, once when I was correctly diagnosed with ADHD, and at the begining of the pandemic when my anxiety levels were making it hard to cope. Each time was scary. What would this medication do to my brain and relationships? What would NOT taking this medication do to my brain and relationships?
Sometimes I have chosen TO take a medication. That took courage. Sometimes I have chosen to NOT take a medication. That also took courage. I’ve watched family members and dear friends go thorugh it too. Some wanted desperately to find a medication that worked, but every medication failed or had too many adverse effects. Some tried medication only to see the problem worsen. Some chose to never medicate, but found alternate forms of treatment.
Alternate Forms of Treatment
Some alternate forms of treatment for ADHD (which is what I have) are meditation, exercise, and higher quality nutrition. Meditation and mindfulness exercises can be used to help with focus. (I liked this article.) Exercise has wide ranging effects including helping with Executive function. Nutirtion helps in two ways. One is that it can help correct for vitamin and mineral deficiencies that are common in the ADHD population (not sure which one causes which). Another way that has been reccomended is a high protien diet, with fewer simple carbohydrates.
Here’s the thing, I tried to start each of those things (and more) and failed. Guess what? I have a hard time following through with something no matter how very much I desire to do it.
I was finally successful at these holistic approaches after I stared stimulant medication. All of these very good ideas were simply out of my reach until I had medication. With medication, I was able to create systems that worked. And during the years, when I would go off medication and on again, I still had those systems in place.
When You Find Something That Works
The point is, I found something that really works for me. It’s not something that takes away what I have, it just makes the tricky stuff more manageable (“tricky” is a massive understatement). It took a few trials to find what works and what doesn’t work. But now, I have something that works, and I’ve sacrificed for it, and it helps me to improve my relationships, and be generally healthier. That is something worth repecting and honoring.
For those who have found things that work which include medication: YAY You made it!
For those who have found things that work which do not include medication: YAY You made it!
And for those who are struggling on that path: YAY look how far you’ve come! You are so Brave!
