well... i have hope for you my friend....im finding that getting over the fear and doubt that comes with wanting to take back my life through diet and exercise and just overall focusing on doing what is right is working for me ...
while i understand the complexity of the medical system ... i have lost faith to a large degree in the way they operate ...im doing much better on my own with out blindly trusting someone who is just doing what they have learned in school and medical journals... i dont like watching them say try this and we will see how it works for you ...the confidence that comes with making healthy choices along with the response of my body... helps me allot more than blind faith...

Arfie, I am proud of you that you are going to try this. Remember, it's just a trial. You aren't going to marry it. But I do believe that ACT and Mindfulness have things to teach us and even if we pick up the smallest part of it, it has worked. I am excited that you are going. Give Mindfulness a chance. It can be as easy as blowing bubbles or as hard as watching your breath. Let us know how it goes.

We're past the halfway mark. The mindfulness used to be called awareness. I've been practicing it since the 70s, if I may be so bold as to tie the new name to the older concept. Can't review too much. It is important stuff and has served me well. We are what we are, we gotta do what we gotta do. Being aware (or mindful) of it makes all the diff of how we navigate through it all.

Possibly the more important part for me is breaking isolation. It is a good group of folks.

im on your side .... rooting for you ...and hoping you share your insight with all of us if you like... and your progress of course...

This is good stuff. Go with your gut. I often feel as if I am getting "mixed" messages from the medical profession, particularly my psych team. Being mindful or aware and practicing those techniques that keep us where we need or want to be can and does make all the difference.

As far as "med" compliant........they near killed me and now are afraid to touch me....huh....kinda funny......push it down my throat, threaten to lock me up if I don't take it........then ooops...........since we just about killed you with our lack of knowledge and caring.......now we have no idea what to do with you....must be your fault....really?

So here I am on my own going thru withdrawal from psyche meds and no one wants to help now as they could be held liable. So who was liable when they were shoving the drugs down my throat in the first place? Who was liable when they threatened to lock me up if I did not take them? OH, yeah....that was my fault! GEEZ!

Sorry to rant, I am just so alone and so angry. If it weren't for coming here and reading the meditations, and doing the exercises and trying to put into practice these discussions I think I would be absolutely mad.

Med ethics. Are there any? Or does it all come down to greed? My trust in the medical profession has been completely broken. I feel I am doing better on my own with diet, exercise, mindfulness, meditation, and other means than any "medical" means.

Good luck and keep us updated. Sending hugs, love, and comfort.

Tonna

I was thinking "medication" when I wrote "med" butt I am slapping my forehead now. I guess it is also a logical abbr for meditation and medium. I'll have to med on that one for a while while I sip my med sized soft drink.

Meanwhile, Tonna, I am more than a little curious on how your withdrawal is going. Worried, too. I am running into ever more people (3 in the family) who are secretly going cold turkey off psyche meds because of everything you listed, plus the extreme expense of the dependency. It has had some horrific results. I sure am hungry for a more efficient way to handle it. It is an ugly, cruel mess.

It is making me, personally, more medical/medication resistant with every round.

I would hope that a Vietnam Vet would get a little better treatment than forced meds.I hope ACT works for you. My sister tried it after a bad car accident, as demanded by her insurance. She said it took her back to her psych degree in the 70's. So it has been around a long time, and maybe that is a good thing.

Feel better, soon.

Forced medication is getting to be more and more common. The VA never forced me, but the State of Texas did and it is not the best fertilizer for trust. Med compliance is listed as a requirement for more and more support groups. I was shocked the first time I saw that one while trying to help a young man through the system. I sometimes wonder if we will see mandatory pee tests to be sure we ARE on drugs.

Yes, it does remind me allot of my early therapy in the 70s, except for the name changes.

It has served me well. The reinforcement is refreshing. I get so tired of reinventing myself for the sake of understanding the current psycho slang.

Nobody is even discussing meds, but... Guess I'm just needing to get past the paranoia from having been forced by a court of law.