Horatio: Introduction, survived and thriving

[Horatio]

I’m 58, a man, married, who survived a hellish cocktail of psych drugs for 17 years, stemming from a misdiagnosis of PTSD/trauma as bipolar disorder.  
 

The drugs took away who I was.  I started taking antidepressants in 1998 after being wiretapped by my religious authorities (and my ex-wife siding with them against me) and when they did nothing, a doctor diagnosed me as bipolar.  I was in a cult at the time, which I had joined in my early 20’s in a vain attempt to find the “perfect” family, one nothing like the abusive, alcoholic family in which  I was raised.  
 

I took a variety of meds between 1998 and 2015, including Lithium at a level (2400 mg a day for 15 years) that should have killed me.  Two hospitalizations for lithium toxicity and the doctors put me right back on.  I took depakote, Seroquel, every SSRI under the sun, tricyclic anti-depressants, anti-convulsants - you name it.  Nothing relieved the misery.  
 

in 2010 I began to develop tremors and by 2012 I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.  I stopped working in 2013.  I became suicidally depressed.  My marriage had collapsed.  My ex-wife hit me.   I never hit back. 
 

But there’s a happy end.  I divorced, moved,  left the cult, and re-connected with and married my college sweetheart, who had been working in the medical field for over 20 years.  She had access to top specialists.  The neurologist told me the likely cause of the Parkinson’s was the lithium although I had a positive DaaT scan for Parkinson’s, which doesn’t show up when it’s drug-induced.  He sent me to a psychiatrist who helped me stop all meds.  The tremors of Parkinson’s went away over six months or so.  I was able to start working in 2016 and, because I couldn’t get an job or even an interview (I was 53 with this horrible medical history) my wife started a company for me doing video production and editing, which I seemed to have a knack for.  Since we started the company I’ve won two Emmys (2019 and 2020).  I finally started dealing with early trauma with support groups and therapists. 
 

I survived.  I thrive.  Life isn’t a bowl of cherries, and of course there are struggles and tears at times, but compared to how awful it was before it’s wonderful.  
 

 

Edited January 25, 2021 by manymoretodays
name to title, added to title

[Shep]

Hi, Horatio.

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants.

 

That's quite a story! Very glad you not only survived, but are indeed, as your title says, thriving. 

 

How long have you been off these drugs? 

 

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Do you feel you've completely recovered now? 

 

[SecondTime]

How did you taper off the depakote?