“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes
Many of us with mental health issues take regular medication. Whether that’s to treat ADHD, depression, anxiety or any other of the myriads of disorders out there.
We don’t just have to deal with the difficulty of staying on top of our prescriptions but also with the immense stigma that often comes with taking meds.
When I first started to take medication I was reluctant, I felt like I should be able to deal with my symptoms without them and had internalised the thought that I was somehow weak or was “cheating” in some way by taking them. My doctor at the time just looked at me and said, “What if you were diagnosed with diabetes? Would you feel the same about taking insulin?” The answer was of course “no” but still somehow it felt wrong. It was only after I started taking my medication and realised how much it helped me that I started questioning these internalised thoughts.
Treatment with medication isn’t everyone's path but if it helps you, there is nothing wrong with it.
When it comes to ADHD medication it can work wonders in terms of making our day to day easier. It doesn't get rid of the symptoms but rather makes them just this little bit more manageable. When I took my first pill it felt like putting on glasses, things suddenly became clearer and I could actually focus on the tasks at hand.
It’s like when you put something down to come back to later and when you come back it’s actually still there! Like fucking magic!!
Usually, I put things down and the next second it has fallen into the abyss of my brain mess never to be found again.
I once spent a solid 30 minutes in my bed, unable to get up because my brain somehow couldn’t put the steps it would take me to get dressed into the correct order.
I knew where I was, and I knew where I needed to be but somehow I just, for the life of me, couldn’t figure out what to do first. So I just sat there, getting more and more frustrated with myself while my brain was buffering like Netflix desperately searching for an internet connection.
Since I’m on medication these kinds of things don’t happen nearly as much even though they still do occasionally especially later in the day when the pills start to wear off.
With medication however, comes the dreaded task of getting my prescription filled each month. A task which sounds easy enough but can turn out to be herculean.
If I’m being honest, most month I run out before I get the chance to refill them which then means I don’t have meds, which means getting my prescription gets even harder, because I need to remember to call my doctor, and then to go pick up the actual prescription, and then to call the pharmacy, and then to actually pick up the pills.
Not to mention the fact that even if I have them, I have to remember taking them each morning.
If I don’t I usually end up sitting at my desk at work trying to complete the tasks assigned to me while fighting through the fog of my brain and wondering what the hell is going on.
Which brings me to the actual point of this post; What, the ever loving fuck, are we supposed to do when going on a prolonged trip??
First off, I am NOT a mental health professional and you should always check your course of action with your doctor! I am just talking about my own experiences and plans and what does or doesn’t work for me.
I only started on my ADHD meds after I returned from my South East Asia trip but I did take other regular medications beforehand which I would’ve had to worry about getting my hands on. I didn’t want to risk abruptly having to get off those meds because I was unable to get them for some reason so I essentially had three options.
Number one was to try and get 6 months worth of medication in one go so I could take them with me for the duration of my trip. Option number two was to get the prescriptions and then somehow figure out how and where I can pick them up in the various places across SEA
Or option number three; get off them slowly, in a controlled setting under supervision of my doctor and just not take my pills while traveling.
After option number one turned out to be a very difficult affair I eventually opted to stop my medication.
I still had a batch of emergency pills stashed in my backpack but I didn’t take them daily.
And you know what - it worked out great! I dipped into my emergency meds once or twice but all in all I didn't feel like I needed the support my meds offer me in day to day life while traveling.
I mentioned elsewhere the effects that traveling can have on our mental health and I stand firmly by what I said. When traveling I was calmer, more centered and truly the best version of myself. A version that I miss dearly and am trying to bring back into my daily life.
The next big trip coming up for me will take me through the American wilderness for up to 6 months and I have to decide how to go about dealing with my medication this time round.
The thought of dealing with the American healthcare system and of trying to get my hands on a controlled substance such as my ADHD medication is daunting to say the least.
Therefore I have decided to take the same route I took last time.
I’m going to, with constant support from my doctor, get off my medication before my trip and carry some sort of emergency stash of meds if things turn out to go south.
I will, of course, have travel insurance should I need medical assistance but if I’m honest - I don’t think I will.
I am confident that the simplicity of being out in nature every day will soothe my symptoms and, seeing as I’ve been dealing with this my entire life, I am by now quite good at catching the warning signs early. I have strategies and systems in place to deal with my fluctuating mood, should anything happen and am versed enough in applying them that I am not too worried.
Again this is not me saying that this is the best option for you!
You can work out the ideal way to deal with this in cooperation with your doctor. Furthermore if you are thinking of stopping your meds, do it with your health professional.
I have made the mistake of doing that on my own too many times and it's a very bad idea.
So listen to your doctor, set up a plan, but don’t let your mental health get in the way of getting out there! Who knows, maybe you’ll surprise yourself! You are a lot stronger than you know and the power of nature is as well. You will see, it can do wonders!!!
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