…I felt a depressive episode coming and nothing could stop it. The tension in my muscles and pressure in my head would not go away. Feeling helpless, I turned to my friends online for suggestions on how to prevent a depressive episode without meds. To my surprise, dozens of people responded with great ideas and I literally did them all.
I went to yoga. I did 30 minutes of cardio and ate dark chocolate afterward to boost my endorphins. I listened to happy music. I listened to my own unreleased music. I listened to binaural beats while doing meditation. I took a double dose of 5htp. I ate a delicious meal. I watched a funny show. I talked to my friends. I did some pampering and primping. And that one day of extreme self-care helped me avoid a depressive episode without meds for the first time in five months.
For anyone who wants to get off psychiatric medication, there is hope. Don’t quit cold turkey. Talk to your doctor, make a plan, and do it the empowered way. And understand that you are gonna have bad days. You might need to go back on your meds at some point and start the process of quitting all over again. And that’s ok. Because, at the end of the day, the goal isn’t to be medication-free. The goal is to be better, by any means necessary.
Nikki Lynette is a rapper, singer, producer, songwriter, visual artist, blogger and on-air personality. And a goddess with real locs. Follow her on Twitter @NikkiLynette.