.Being.Us

Earlier this week, I started on the medication  Seroquel . I'm on 100 (milligrams, I think) and will gradually increase to the therapeutic dose of 250, if all goes as planned. I just wanted to give a quick update on my experience so far. Issues It is Intended to Treat Insomnia Paranoia Delusions Benefits so Far Mood stabilization - My mood fluctuates a lot less throughout the day. I did not realize that the amount that my mood changed independent of external circumstances was unusual, but it stays steady more now.  Insomnia Drastically Reduced - I fall asleep without trouble and only wake up 1-2 times per night. I have NEVER experienced that before. At first, it made me sleepy during the day, too, but melatonin and a little caffeine sorted out my sleep schedule well. Increased Focus Side Effects so Far Drowsiness - It puts me to sleep about 1-2 hours after I take it, and it's hard to wake up in the morning without caffeine. Nausea - I experience nausea ...

Content warnings: Venting, Medical Records, SSI, Psychiatry Content in this blog represents my own personal opinions and experiences. So, story time: I need SSI paperwork completed by my psychiatrist's office immediately, or it could add a whole year to my wait. It's the only office that hasn't turned in the SSI paperwork, yet. They emailed me today and said that they will not do it because I "haven't seen my current psychiatrist 4-6 times," and it is department policy that I do so before paperwork is completed. I've been with my psychiatrist's office for around 2 years. It's part of a major hospital network in my city, and they've had some turnover in the department during my time with them. My first psychiatrist,  Dr. Vaka , was okay. He didn't really get  autism, but he worked with me until we found meds that helped me. He also listened to me, even though I had a lot more trouble communicating when I started to see him than I d...

      Sleep is a difficult thing to come by, and it's not just me. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have categorized insufficient sleep as a "public health problem" due to its prevalence and consequences. Among those consequences are difficulty concentrating, remembering, participating in hobbies, driving or taking public transportation, managing finances, and/or working. [ Source ] Problems with sleep are even more common in people, like me, who are autistic, mentally ill, chronically ill, or trauma survivors. This is especially frustrating since many of us already struggle with concentration, memory, travel, finances, work, etc. Sometimes, pain, cluster headaches, or asthma keep me from sleeping at night. Here's what cluster headaches look like: They feel a lot like migraines for me but are accompanied by restlessness. Other times, it's flashbacks, nightmares, paranoia or delusions that get in the way. I'm also a really light sleep...