This is actually what I take everyday, sans purikura jewels. I wish pills were safely sparkly. ;-;

Trying a new medication for the first time can be a terrifying process. Too often doctors will nonchalantly toss something to you, skipping right over the side effects, effectively saying, "This'll do the trick," while you're left feeling like Neo in the Matrix with only the blue pill.

Your red pill is the choice to wait and do your due diligence. Research. Read what other people say about it on forums, discover what the side effects are in the formal literature, (medical journals, or less formal, you can find a Rx's full info on drugs.com which isn't a bad resource,) and as you read, take everything with a grain of salt. (or the whole shaker)

What you read will be overwhelming. My advice, look out for the things that are relevant to your total situation or main complaints. Do you have a heart condition? Look for warnings for potential complications. Do you already have issues with water retention, and if you take one more thing that makes you retain water, it will be a serious issue? Look for that.  Every body is different. You could have no side effects at all. Keep a journal. Document your first month day by day.

Many times (bad or mediocre) doctors will try to discredit your symptoms and/or side effects as unlikely or coincidental, but if you can rule out any other causes (diet changes, environmental changes, et cetera,) and the intensity is increasing as your dosage is increasing, it could be due to the medication. Ask/search around to help build your evidence by finding out if other people experience the same things as well. You might find out you're not alone.

Then it's up for you to decide how "worth it" the side effects are compared to the effectiveness (which has nothing to do with efficacy) of the medication. I would give it at least a month and a half. At three weeks, it won't be fully in your system. If after six weeks, it's more harm than good, talk to your doctor and let them know you would like to go off of it or change. At this point, they will slowly taper you down.

You never want to "cold turkey" any med. It might sound noble, but it just feels terrible. Quickly stopping any medication you take regularly equals instant withdrawal which equals instant sick. Basically, you could feel anywhere from a little bit funky to very disoriented to full-blown stomach flu. (or worse, very serious thing you cannot predict)

The process of finding the right med could take a while or it might happen instantly. It also might take a bit to find your correct dosage once you have the correct med. It's a battle and a frustrating one, but it is worth it in the end. You'll be higher functioning and little by little the you that you've been missing. No day will be perfect, but there will be perfect moments. I am thankful that I have a good doctor who has worked with me for months to get me to this point so I can savor each one of them.

This article started as an answer to a "Stumble" (a discussion starter) on the fantastic new Journey App. It's a social network to bring together people with varying abilities so we can connect and share our stories. I think it will be a wonderful place. My favourite things are that they absolutely do not tolerate harassment or negativity towards others, and you have the option to make your profile private, so I feel like it is a safe place. They also allow family members and loved ones to join; it is an inclusive environment. I am frill-ability there if you would like to follow me. 

the opening screens when your begin your "Journey"

Extra, Less Relevant Chatter

I apologize for being absent for so long from the main blog! I've been having a hard time keeping up with a lot in life lately, as you may have noticed if you've been keeping up with me on Instagram. However, I'm getting back into the swing of things, and I have some exciting projects coming up, one of which you can find out about on the Events page! I'm trying to keep at least ~something~ going even when I'm at my worst which is why Snapchat is pretty great.

Snapchat is low effort, and it's a fascinating insight, potentially, into a person's life. I was pretty ~meh~ about it previously, but I am addicted now. I am also frill-ability there, but if you don't mind, please read my general guidelines here before adding me since it is more of a personal, direct way to connect. If you're not on IG, you're welcome to comment with your username here, in the comments! 

Speaking of which, if I haven't responded to your comments on the blog, I apologize! I don't get many, and I haven't gotten into the habit of checking. To be honest, the load of my comments happen on IG and my personal Facebook which is where I tend to be a lot. I know you all come here, I see it in my analytics, but I'm not sure how to boost better discussion. I've chatted with other bloggers about this, and hopefully, soon, I'll be doing better by you!

As always my sparkly friends, lots of love, healing, and I hope you make good with your ability today and everyday.

Sorel Estrada Volpe