the evils of lithium

today's flavor: H U N K Y - D O R Y  
anxiety : 0
agitation : 0

I'm not sure how long it's been since I last took "The Prescrption".  I think it's been a little over two years, probably three.  The other night I imagined having to answer people's questions as to why I stopped taking the meds, so I reviewed my possible answers.  I decided to write the answers I came up with, and surprisingly, I came up with more than I imagined I would.  

Did you know that "lithium carbonate" is an anagram of "evil incarnate".

Well, no, it really isn't, but it might as well be.

So anyway, here are my practical, rational reasons.


Why I've Ditched the Meds:

1. They don't really eliminate the episodes or the mood swings.  They merely make emotions a little less intense - which is pretty much useless.  
2. They kill my passion for anything I love or enjoy.
3. They interact with about a thousand or so other substances, including common medications like pain killers, and beverages like cola.
4. They make me gain weight.  I don't like that.
5. They make me stupid.  I hate that even more.
6. They have ruined my ability to retain information effortlessly.  Goodbye, formerly somewhat-photographic memory.
7. They make me uninterested in other people.
8. They make me feel disconnected from the rest of the world.
9. They make me feel disconnected from myself.
10. They make it hard for me to focus on God.
11. They take the flavor out of life - every day becomes  dull and insipid, even when I'm not depressed.
12. They worsen the depressions.
13. I rarely had normal, hunky-dory baseline days when I was on lithium; baseline days were more akin to depression.
14. Since they dull the emotions somewhat, they also dull the good emotions like love or joy.  That's ludicrous! What's the point of living if you can't feel anything?
15. They give me massive headaches.
16. They keep me in a constant state of nausea.
17. They cause tinnitus.
18. They're hard on the kidneys.  Considering that I've had a history of kidney infection, it's too risky.
19. Like most meds that will have to be taken daily, they'll eventually take their toll on my liver.
20. They're actually toxic, but no career-loving doctor will tell you that.
21. No matter what anyone says, drug dependency is shameful. 
22. They have more negative side effects than good indications.
23. They don't cure anything, but only treat the condition (supposedly).  This means I would have to take them daily for the rest of my life - and for what?
24. They're expensive.
25. Considering they do more harm than good, they're an utter waste of money.  
26. I don't really need them (refer to above items).
27. I'm much better now without them.

Contrast all that with:

Why I Should Take Them:

They're the go-to treatment for bipolarity.  And, ladies and gentlemen, "go-to" does not mean "dependable".

So there you have it.  No freaking contest.