One of the greatest lines from the novel written by Ken Kesey, and the movie that starred Jack Nicholson: "One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest".
Tuesday was Therapy Day for me with "J", she's great and I'm very fortunate to have found her locally (well, 40 minutes drive time from home). One of the topics of conversation was the idea that the normally wonderful Ms 'C' thought that it was essential that I go on 'medication', to improve my mood, there's something wrong with me and lots of people are on 'meds'. Well, I have had a lot of experience on psychotropic meds, they almost killed me back in 1997 (I was 46 at the time-do the math to see how old I'm not); I had a massive heart attack (also know as a Myocardial Infraction) in part, by the heavy psychotropic meds that I was taking to make me feel 'good'. In short, it wasn't the drugs, but a genetic 'thing'; but it got me to thinking that medication is good for some things but not always good for others. The medication didn't make my life better, it was a situational thing; I was in a really bad romance (think Lady Gaga) and the only cure was to divorce my wife. Had I not, I wouldn't have lived long, my daughters would have been fatherless. I took the expensive and painful approach and went thru with divorce so that I could live. My mood improved and I fell in love yet again-though with a bit more caution this time, I think moving to The Sunshine State (Florida-USA) also helped. Medication is not always the answer, in my case I 'passed' the test this past Tuesday; I'm not a candidate for referral to a psychiatrist for medication-at this time.
Those of us that have been gifted with being transgender need to realize this wonderful gift that we have been given is an outlook on life that is different from others; we can see both sides-I am Man and I am Woman! Wow! Fluid gender identity, two-spirit, and bi-gendered; it all works for me to describe how I feel about myself. Now, I just need to have others accept it, like Ms C...
Hugs, Elly
2 comments:
Two spirit is a concept that really does not fit into any of the convenient pigeon holes people carry around for friends and family. As a theoretical construct, in an historical article in National Geographic, about some mostly extinct aboriginal population, it is just fine.
Having an outlook is fine, but what we actually "do" might not be so fine for others.
When someone wants us to 'medicate' it shows that our behavior has reached a point where they are afraid we might embarrass them or ourselves I think.
It is our job to first teach ourselves how to be this person with pride and confidence. Only then can we know how to introduce it to others without being seen as a sideshow freak. Fun job that; NOT.
I have no experience with therapy or any of the regularly discussed psychotropic drugs but I have heard stories both pro and con.
Back in November I took Chantix for a month to help me quit smoking. I believe that this was a mind altering drug in that the concept is that the medication blocks those areas of the brain that are stimulated by nicotine so that the smoker does not feel a benefit or get any satisfaction from smoking. I also think that the medication provides some dopamine or other positive stimulators.
One warned of side effect was the potential for vivid dreams. Wow...they were not kidding. For about two months I had dreams that were incredibly detailed and intensely focused. Interestingly, these full scale, techicolor, dreams with sounds, music and words tended to have me dressed.
So far I have not had a smoke in 4 months.
Pat
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