As a 46 year old male business executive, I found myself in a situation that I never thought could possibly happen to me. I had spent the majority of my professional career in the health care field. After several promotions, I found myself at the top of the career ladder. I was a CEO. After approximately two years in the role, I found it increasingly more difficult to handle stressful situations and to speak in public. These were things that I had done for years and was always able to handle with little difficulty. Hesitantly, I mentioned these difficulties to my primary care physician. It was recommended that I try an SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor) to see if it would help. I was prescribed two or three different medications until I found one that did not cause me nausea. I remained on the medication for a year or so. I began to feel tired and did not believe the medication was of much help. I was tapered off of the medication with few side effects.
Approximately two years later, I found that I was again having difficulty and felt ‘down.’ Again, I was prescribed an antidepressant. I took the medication for about 17 months. I began to find it increasingly difficult to wake up in the morning, even after a full 8 hours of sleep. I decided to discontinue the medication. Over a three to four week period, I was fully titrated off of the medication. This was followed by a period of unclear thinking and just not ‘feeling right.’ After two months had passed, I began having what I thought were panic attacks. I had never experienced a panic attack in the past. I could not explain why I was suddenly having panic attacks. The episodes were soon followed by feelings that were very difficult to describe. I began having feelings of unreality, heart palpitations, a tingling sensation in my head, and severe nausea. Once again, I was prescribed a medication for anxiety and a new antidepressant. Over a period of one week, these medications brought no relief of my symptoms. After receiving no help from my physician, I had a family member take me to the emergency department. After evaluation, I was admitted to a mental health facility. I remained there for four days during which time an antipsychotic medication was prescribed. The medication gave me temporary relief, but at the cost of feeling mentally dull, depressed, and chronically fatigued.
The next two years of my life and the condition of my health can only be described as pure misery. Again, I was experiencing unpleasant side effects from the medications and tried to discontinue them. I found that it became impossible to stop the medication. Each attempt was accompanied by feelings of panic, fear, a tingling sensation in my head, and severe nausea. My doctor’s only intervention was to prescribe yet another medication. I had tried numerous medications and soon none brought relief of my symptoms. My life was literally falling apart. I found it very difficult to continue my daily routine. Work became increasingly difficult, and I had to quit my job. I didn’t enjoy time with my family, nor did my family enjoy spending time with me. Again, I was hospitalized and yet another medication was prescribed. I was so miserable that I did not want to continue living. When I attempted to gradually lower the antipsychotic on my own, I became very stiff, to the point that I could hardly move. I literally had no quality of life, and I saw no way out.
After almost giving up hope I began searching the internet for help. Traditional medicine only provided me with yet another medication which was damaging to my health. I finally found information about withdrawal side effects. For the first time, I found information that closely matched my experiences. Finally I was able to feel some level of hope for my future. I had to find the best way to discontinue the medications, and do so in a way that did not cause me further harm. By my good fortune, I found Dr. Alice Lee-Bloem. Through working with Dr. Lee-Bloem, I was able to successfully discontinue the medication and resume my life, though the journey was not easy. Although I continued to struggle with some withdrawal side effects, they were lessened enough with the additional nutritional supplements and energy medicine that I was able to persevere with my goal of coming off the antipsychotic medication completely and to remain off. As time progressed, and I followed Dr. Lee-Bloem’s advice, I gradually began to feel relief. Initially, I had brief periods of ‘clearing.’ I was suddenly beginning to feel like myself once again.
It has now been one year since I stopped taking my antipsychotic medication under Dr. Lee-Bloem’s care (9/2008 was the last dosage of medication noted in my records). I am working now as an Executive Director of a company and can testify that through natural, wholesome supplementation, energy medicine, accompanied with lots of patience, hope and persistence, a complete and full recovery is possible.
K.B.