Flipswitch

Hey everyone, it’s Ryan!

I feel like it has been a while since I have posted something up here, but it’s only been about a week or two. Anyway, I was in my Neuroscience Seminar class (where different speakers from biology and medical departments come to discuss their research), and we had a very interesting topic brought up about pain and the different nerves and cells that are involved with certain pathways.

So not to get to deep into it, but the researcher discussed why we feel pain (physical) and how we can manage it with certain drugs and how those certain drugs act. Well, as he was going through specific drugs, like morphine, vicodine and what not, he showed a very interesting chart. The chart had the different drugs plotted on them and the two axis’s had been labeled with the severity of pain (low to high) and side effects (mild to harsh). After he showed this, he also commented on how morphine and other strong painkillers don’t really prevent the pain’s effects, but act on the brain so as the person doesn’t care and is in a certain “utopia.”

Anyway, this got me thinking about the individuals who struggle with Bipolar disorder and how their medications work. Mainly, I was thinking about how painkillers give the patient a certain type of feeling that often relates to them feeling “out of it” or not really apart of what’s going on. I have also heard similar complaints from a lot of individuals who use psychotropic drugs. That they do not feel like themselves, or that they are somehow detached from life.

You may think I am going to preach on how that doesn’t matter and you need to listen to your doctor and remain on your medication (which is still strongly encouraged), but I would much rather give the floor over to you guys to help educate me. I am curious to understand what/how you might be feeling with regards to being on medication. Does it make you feel detached? Are there side effects that make you really angry? Or perhaps it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Either way, I want to know, so leave your responses here.

Peace,