Saturday, 1:30 AM
Continuing on the chronotherapy experiment…
Thus ends the first sleep. It was supposed to be 7 hours but apparently, that was not to be. I went to bed at 6:oo PM as directed, but sleep would not come. I didn’t sleep any sleep medication as I felt that after 36 hours I would actually fall asleep on my own. Ah, have I learned nothing about my brain!?…
Read MoreFriday, 5:30 PM
Continuing on the chronotherapy experiment and just about to set down for my first sleep in 36 hours. I’m exhausted and tired and pretty much shocked that I survived 36 hours awake. Really, I don’t recommend it.
I’ve got increasing anxiety that when I actually do lay down in 30 minutes I won’t sleep. And then I’m scared that I won’t wake up again at 1:00 AM like I’m supposed to. I suppose if there’s nothing to worry about I’ll make sure there’s something to worry about. Sleep and stress. They are so tightly knit…
Read MoreFriday, 12:45 PM
Continuing on the chronotherapy experiment. Feeling much better. Almost felt like I was going to pass out a few times around 10 AM but I seem to have picked up a second, or third, or sixty-fourth wind or something.
The panic is gone and the anxiety has diminished. My friend is awake again after he napped off and on for 2.5 hours. He’s allowed to nap, I’m not.
I think I’ll be able to make it to 6:00 PM but I wish it would hurry up and get here already. This has been the longest day, ever…
Read MoreFriday, 9:00 AM
I’m still alive and ticking on the chronotherapy experiment. Still pretty tired. Dizzy. Nauseous. Feverish. Coffee’d. But still going. My friend is still here but he’s dozing in and out. It’s mostly Dexter keeping me company at the moment.
I had some moments of pretty high anxiety and panic but as long as I sit still and focus on the TV, the computer or my iPhone it seems to be OK. Quietly. The word of the moment.
I think I can stay awake until 6:00 PM. We’ll see. My brain is pretty scrambled…
Read MoreI’m still alive and ticking on the chronotherapy experiment. Pretty tired. Dizzy. Nauseous. Coffee’d. But still going. My friend is keeping me company and on-track. It’s early days, but so far so good…
Read MoreToday I read about a new therapy known as Triple Chronotherapy. Yes, it’s a big fancy word. Chronotherapy. Quite frankly, it sounds made up.
But it isn’t.
Chronotherapy is a combination of light therapy, prolonged wakefulness and sleep phase advance. It aims to reset the circadian rhythm to treat depression.
Read MoreWhen I tell people to see a mental health professional, I recommend they get someone who specializes in whatever mental illness the person has. This is just common sense. You don’t go to a neurologist when your foot hurts.
I also tell people to get a therapist who specializes in their disorder. Again, this makes sense. Honestly, if your therapist is used to hearing the woes of the Real Housewives of Some Rich Place then they may not be the best choice for a person with major depressive disorder.
I tell people to get a therapist for their mental illness because psychiatrists don’t do psychotherapy.
Read MoreI am very medication-reactive. Not so much with the positive effects, but I can almost guarantee you I’ll get all the side effects.I get every side effect for antidepressants, every side effect for antipsychotics and every side effect for pretty much anything else.
And sometimes, just for good measure, I’ll get side effects that doctors say “aren’t possible”. They are my favorite. And those overractions are often on the lowest known effective dose of the medication.
But if you add a low dose, lower than thought effective, of an antipsychotic, can this be helpful?
Read MoreThere is so much to know about Seroquel, and really, you’re so right to be afraid.
Over the last week-and-a-half I’ve been writing at HealthyPlace about the full prescribing information for Seroquel. I’ve done this to make a point – the full prescribing information for Seroquel or any drug is a treasure trove of knowledge. The full prescribing information really let’s you know what you’re getting into bed with and in the case of Seroquel, you’re getting into bed with a very dangerous substance. (That’s OK. I mean really, the only people worth getting into bed with are dangerous.) And whenever you take a (psychotropic, psychiatric) medication it’s worth knowing the risks. Seriously. Like, really worth it. And the risks of taking a medication are laid out in black and white in the prescribing information.
I discuss Seroquel prescribing information section by section:
Part I: Drug stats and Seroquel warnings, dosage and indications
Part II: Seroquel warnings and precautions
Part III: Seroquel side-effects (adverse reactions)
And just to be clear, I’m not attacking Seroquel here. Seroquel just happens to be the highest grossing psychotropic medication and that’s why I picked it. Prescribing information and all its nastiness is available for any drug. I do think though, particularly everyone on an antipsychotic should look at its full prescribing information. I’m not suggesting these are bad medications, but what I am suggesting is that they are very dangerous and you need to be made aware of it before you stay on them for years.
Read More
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