(no subject)

[novapsyche]

I ran across this post.

I have a lot of friends who take meds, and I work with someone who does, too. I have other friends who should take their meds, but went off of them intentionally. My sister, in fact, is bipolar, but doesn't take her meds. As someone who isn't on meds, I can't speak to what they do or how they affect you.

But I was struck by his reason: my taking medication is for the benefit of others not for myself. Do you agree with that line of reasoning?

Comments

[zendifferential.livejournal.com]

I think it's a cost/benefit analysis issue. If the meds are painful to one, physically or emotionally, but help modulate behaviours that bother others, that is a hard trade-off to make. Is the treatment worse than the disease, basically.

I just started meds, for myself, but also to help me keep behaviours in check that harm relationships I'm in. So while it is primarily so I can feel more stable, it's also so I can be an easier person to deal with, for those I care about.

I don't think doing anything that should be self-improving for others is a healthy outlook - it's a good way to get motivated, but if you never find the desire or benefit within and to yourself to make whatever changes are needed, there's no real benefit, in the long term.