For context Read:
5 Ways Medication Can Make You a Better Mom
Problem:
A record number of moms and dads are taking anti-anxiety medication and anti-depressants. Statistics show that One In Four women take some kind of prescribed ‘mental health medication’ whether that be an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication or both.
Almost 6 years ago, I was one of those moms. At the time I was prescribed 2 different kinds of anti-depressants, and had been on them for approximately 12 years. I was also regularly taking xanax – which I first began taking in 1988 shortly after my first ‘anxiety attack’. So, I know what it’s like to experience an anxiety attack and what it is to convince yourself that you have to have that little pill to pop in order to assist yourself to cope throughout the day. I know what it’s like to be a mom on meds and I’m very aware of the downhill cycle of fear, suppression, guilt and self-denial.
So let’s look closer at what is written within the article: 5 Ways Medication Can Make You a Better Mom. Where she lists the 5 ways that medication can make you a better mom:
She writes: “5 Ways Meds Can Make You a Better Mom:
1. Help make the oftentimes terrifying world seem like a less terrifying place to raise children.
2. Lessen out-of-control mommy guilt (which, left unchecked, can lead to/aggravate depression).
3. Make it easier to manage the stress of juggling more work/family/life responsibilities than human beings are meant to juggle at one time.
4. Help regulate sleep patterns/avoid crippling fatigue.
5. Help keep the everyday emotional ups-and-downs of your children in perspective.”
The five ways listed from my perspective are actually a list of fears, reasons and justifications. All of which I also used to justify to myself why it was OK for me to pop a pill and numb myself down into a feel good state of mind, and in doing so failed to face the truth of me, of who and how I was existing as in self-denial within a world/money system that is to failing the children of our world.
The fact is, our world is a scary and terrifying place to raise a child, what with the threat of hunger, poverty and war making it’s way to doorsteps of us all. We actually don’t have another moment to waste when it comes to becoming responsible enough to raise our children to become the kind of human being that will support our world according to what’s best for all – because as of now, that kind of human being has never actually existed and our World clearly reflects the truth of that.
When we talk about treating depression we have to look at the facts. My experience was that combining anti-depressant medication with anti-anxiety medication, the combination of the two, actually increased my depression. Anyone whose taken anti-anxiety medication for an extended period of time knows that one have to increase their dose over time to get any benefit and that long term use in itself causes more and more depression. It’s like putting a band-aid on a wound that will never heal. Initially, when I decided to stop taking anti-anxiety medication and anti-depressants, I did so under strict Doctor care because it is extremely dangerous to abruptly stop them, so please, seek medical assistance before doing so.
The first medication I stopped was Xanax. I beLIEved it was my savior in times when I would have extreme panic attacks – so bad that I would have to sit with my head between my legs while my husband would get a cold wash rag for the back of my neck because I would feel like I was going to pass out. The attacks would be triggered after I had spent much time in my head participating in thoughts over and over and then the fear would become overwhelming as I would accept the emotional baggage of guilt and remorse.
The physical withdrawals from stopping caused my entire body to feel like it was at times vibrating at a high speed. I also experienced a sort of mental-paranoia where I wanted to isolate myself from my world and everybody in it. I also experienced physical symptoms of fever and chills on and off for a couple of months. I also had extreme insomnia in the beginning days of stopping, followed by days where I had to push myself to get out of bed.
What I’ve realized, is that xanax changes your mind only for a moment, which is actually only suppressing the point, which does and will return for self to face.
When I stopped taking anti-depressants after being on them for 12 years, I did so by tapering off of them during a 3 month period. During that time I experienced anxiety in the daytime, insomnia at night, and the dreaded head symptoms, which vary individually – where one may experience vertigo, lightheadedness, difficulty with balance, blurred vision, tremors, restlessness and hallucinations, burning or tingling sensations in the skin, as well as flu like symptoms may be experienced for up to 3 months. I personally experienced some of all the above symptoms when I stopped.
The Most Important Part of my full recovery was/is walking the Desteni I Process and applying the tools they provide. Without it, I would have never seen myself through to the point of a full recovery. I was also able to stop the use of at least 12 prescription medicines as well as stopping my addiction to cigarette and marijuana smoking, and, I was also able to stop an addiction to gambling.
It’s very important that one educate and investigate for themself each and every drug that one is considering starting, to be able to completely understand the damage that using them imposes on the physical body. Because the decision to pop a pill, or smoke a joint, or even have that drink, should not be taken lightly. Desteni I Process is key because it assists one to understand and stop self-abusive patterns/behaviors.
One must understand that whatever we ‘think’ we’re avoiding by doing so – whether that reason be whether it be to ‘regulate sleep patters/avoid crippling fatigue’ and/or to ‘help keep the everyday emotional ups-and-downs of our children in perspective’ – whatever that justifying reason is, we must understand that the point will and does return. Depression is Not a disease, it is a conditioned pattern, a construct of our mind.
Thus whatever our means of avoiding self/distraction is – whether it be popping a pill or having that drink, (or even distracting ourself by way of entertainment) we are only prolonging the inevitability of the fact that we are here to face who we are and direct ourselves to redesign who we are to bring about a World according to what’s best for all.
Solution:
As a mom I know how moms think. And the truth is, as moms, we realize that popping a pill or drinking alcohol, or taking that illegal drug is not the solution for helping ourself raise our children. We see, realize and understand that the systems in place that make our world turn, like for instance the Education system and the Money System are Not providing the support we require in order to raise healthy mentally stable and responsible human beings.
One mom is quoted as saying that she has realized how “we’re just not wired’ to handle the demands of raising children”. I completely agree and this is so important…No one has ever taught us how to become responsible for ourself or our world. However, there is a course now available that assists the individual to begin to understand what’s really going on within their mind of thoughts, feelings and emotions – where one learns how to stabilize and direct themself, and, it’s FREE! . Suggest you check it out: DIP Lite
Many times before I tried to stop my addictive behaviors and when I couldn’t stop, I looked for someone to blame and existed in patterns of guilt. It was only with the tools offered through Desteni that I was able to completely stop. It’s been almost 6 years and I no longer have daily thoughts or desires to cope with the use of drugs, and, my panic attackes have completely stopped. DIP Lite can assist with Real Self-Change because we are taught to understand why and how we have specific thought patterns within our mind and how to stop them.
So, it’s time we asked ourselfes how our behavior is teaching our children to become increasingly dependent upon an already abusive world/money system? And, what are we missing when we’re not ‘here’ in full capacity as breath? Why is it that we keep failing our children in that we are Not prepared to lead by example in creating a world that protects and provides for them? Why is it that we take actions to make ourselves feel better instead of supporting a world/money system that will support All Life, according to what’s best for All?
Reward:
When we create a world where fear and the struggle to survive life is eliminated through a system that supports everybody according to what’s best for all - we’ll stop searching for a way to ‘cope’, a way to ‘feel better’ – because Life itself will become one of ‘Give as you’d like to Receive’ – which will bring about an end to the feeling of self-sacrifice.
