Olanzapine for mental health conditions
I was not happy about being required to take medications during my stay at a psychiatric hospital. Upon admission, I felt like I was treated as an ill person who needed forced treatments such as injections and pills. It wasn't until three days later that I understood why I had been admitted in the first place.
The medication made me feel disoriented, almost as if my head were floating inside a balloon. Despite this heavy regimen of psychiatric drugs, I didn't experience any improvement. After being discharged from what felt like an ordeal disguised as care, it took me nearly a year to recover and return to my new normal while on Olanzapine/Zyprexa.
In 2025, the highest-paid profession in California was psychiatry, with some earning over $200,000 annually through diagnoses and medication prescriptions. This business model thrives by treating mental illness as a chronic condition requiring lifelong management, thus ensuring doctors remain prosperous.
Since starting Olanzapine three years ago, I have experienced weight gain, slurred speech, and haven't fully regained my previous level of functionality. The hospital's recommendations for continued treatment leave me apprehensive about stopping the medication due to potential relapse risks reported by others or healthcare professionals who might intervene if they suspect unusual behavior.
The system has made me feel like a victim of medical abuse, stripping away my autonomy as an American citizen. I also struggle with being an ethnic minority and female in the U.S., having been raped before hospitalization without proper attention from emergency room staff.
If you are experiencing a mental crisis, I would advise considering outpatient programs where you maintain control over your healthcare decisions. Unlike me, who was involuntarily admitted under California's 51/50 law, removing my rights as an American citizen, I believe we need to reform how psychiatric care is provided in such situations.
Joining NAMI has been helpful because it connects me with others who share similar experiences and perspectives regarding the flaws within our current mental health system.
5 Replies
Hey, so 38 years ago when I was in the hospital after giving birth, I had super intense kidney pain and just felt utterly exhausted all the time. Slept a lot during the day but lay awake at night with ringing ears and my whole body shaking insde. My heart was beating way too fast.
My baby was takne care of by my mother-in-law, which really wsan't ideal, honestly. And when the doctors couldn't find anything wrnog medically, I got treated like I had a mental health issue, even though I definitely didn't have one. They put me on four atidepressants that made me feel way worse with all these awful side effects.
But then I saw this flying doctor who figured out it was probably ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) or CFS. After switching to a clean diet and taking mega doses of vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, and iron supplements, I started feeling better.
Then in 2013, I had another crash with over thirty symptoms that left me confused for months. This time, seventeen doctors-including seven specialists-had no clue whta was ging on until a fantastic integrative doctor stepped in. He diagnosed me right away with severe vitamin B12 and D deficiencies, which can cause anxiety, depression, even psychosis, heart issues, IBS, falls, anemia, memory problems, hearing loss, and vision loss.
So my suggestion is to rule out vitamin D, folate, and B12 deficiencies first. After about a year of getting weekly methyl B12 shots, taking folate, B-complex vitamins, magnesium, vitamin C, fish oil, zinc, and vitamin D supplements, I'm now drug-free again. A lot of things can deplete your body's stores of B12, so its' worth knowing that.
Check out Sally Pacholok's book "Could It Be B12?". There are a ton of cases where people get misdiagnosed, honestly. Fingers crossed this info helps you figure everything out and start feeling better soon!
Thank you very much. This makes a lot of sense based on my personal experience as well.
You could try seeing a nutritionist-they might give you some great info on vitamins, minerals, and maybe suuggest some diet tweks! (I've found that really helpful in the past.)
I hope everything goes well for you. You might find Marylyn's suggestion helpful based on her personal experience. Take care.
Thanks a lot! Your advice really means a lot to me