Tomorrow I am scheduled to see my psychiatrist. I usually meet with him every three months to evaluate my state of mind. During the last four years, there has been a lot of experimentation with different medicines in order to find the most effective combination for my depression and anxiety.
I commit to do whatever it takes to stabilize my mood. The most important part of realizing my goal is to be honest, open, and vulnerable with my doctor. What is most helpful to the Doctor is revealing how I am feeling by tracking my progress in writing. I have a notepad on my desk that I use to assess my daily mood. I use a scale from 1-10, 1 is the worst, and 10 is the best. I will also write down a few words to describe my mental state.
Under the supervision of my psychiatrist, I increased one of my medications on July 23, 2023. At that time I felt I was close to where I thought I should be. Upon increasing my one medication I have noticed an average of 8. I have a couple of 6s, lasting no more than 1 day.
With my progress, I notice being less agitated, not grumpy, and less anxious which improves my problem-solving capabilities, and less sadness which tends to linger inside of me. I realize medication is a piece of my treatment plan and there are other tools I use. These tools include; therapy, attending 2 support groups each week, exercise, clean eating, prayer/meditation, and connecting with friends/family.
If you are taking medication a couple of things to think about:
- How is your relationship with your doctor?
- What can you do to improve your communication with him/her?
- What other tools do you use to support your Recovery?
- What can you do to add more tools to your Recovery plan?
This will be my last blog for the week. Due to seeing my psychiatrist and feeling I need to recharge my battery, I will be back on Monday, October 16, 2023, with more thoughts/reflections/and other sage advice.
Peace
Larry
email:ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website: https:/superhumanbeing.net/