Greetings ATS, from CerebrumMusica...

Hey guys, here's a synopsis of who I am, why I am here, and what I hope to achieve by finally becoming a member....

I am not positive when or where I was when I discovered ATS, but I do know that as soon as I stumbled upon this site, that I have been hooked, and I visit multiple times daily.

Growing up I was a standout student and athlete, had a tight knit family, not a whole lot to worry about, and overall a very comfortable life. That is, until I was 14, and I got the surprising news that my parents were divorcing. This was my first taste of heartbreak and suffering, something that changed me forever. I moved out of the house I lived in my whole life, my father's side of the family cut us off for the most part, and although I had an extremely loving and supportive mother, she was dealing with her own heartbreak, and I don't blame her for not being perfect. Long story short, I "didn't feel right" and after a doctor and psychologist visit, I was diagnosed with depression and put on Prozac. I'll get back to this.

I have to say that my depression was quite a double edged sword. While it affected me in many negative ways, it also opened up a new part of who I would become. I started to question everything. Life was not as I knew it anymore, and I realized how complex and mysterious the world is. This lead me to getting more in touch with myself spiritually. I dropped sports for music, sleepovers for books, and made many different friends. I had found a new identity. This got me back on my feet.

Now, let me fast forward to this past year, skipping a lot of important events, but I realize I am not writing you guys a novel. After years of more depression and severe anxiety (that I could not explain), I started to drink quite a lot, and pretty much hit rock bottom this past summer. I was in the hospital multiple times. The more and more I began to learn about the world, the more I didn't want to be a part of it. I felt like I didn't have a voice, and there was nothing I could do to change anything. I almost gave up.

Then something changed. I quit drinking. I started to eat well, began meditating, and I felt like a brand new person. There was still something that I wasn't comfortable with, that being that I was still on anti-depressants, and I no longer wanted any chems in my body. I was on a higher than normal dosage of Effexor XR, a drug I have learned the evils of and experienced first hand. Although it helped for a period of time with the anxiety attacks, I still never felt "myself". I also knew something was wrong when I would miss just one day of taking them and I would start to feel dizzy, nauseous, and got terrible headaches and what I can describe as "brain zaps". I recall my doctor telling me I could possibly be on them the rest of my life. When I reach the proper requirements I will most definitely be making a more in depth thread on my experience with being medicated.

My new years resolution was to get off the meds. Yes, I understand that you are supposed to wean, but after the research that I did about Effexor, a lesser dose is just as hard to get off of. So I quit cold turkey. This was the absolute, most insanely difficult suffering that I have ever gone through.

It has been a month now, and I am finally feeling alive again. Things taste better, the air smells better, sex is better, I smile more, laugh more, I'm more creative, I have an attention span again. It is a night and day difference. If anybody is interested in reading a few of the Effexor withdrawal stories, this is a good site, and I experienced each and every one of the side effects. www.medhelp.org... I'm sorry, I do not know how to link it yet, but I'll get there soon!

In conclusion, I have been here reading about things such as fluoride, aspartame, medications, "chemtrails",etc.. and all the other evils being forced upon us, and I have joined in hoping that maybe I can help even at least one person by sharing my experiences and insight on certain topics.

I hope this is a proper introduction. It is nice to meet you all, and feel free to ask me anything.

Hi CerebrumMusica and welcome to ATS!
You sound like a very interesting and intelligent person and I'm sure you will be a great addition to the membership.
After making 20 responses to threads you will be able to create your own.

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Got any questions send myself or any other staff member a u2u message and we''ll be there for you.
Have fun and enjoy meeting some of the other members. We have some really great people here and I think you will fit in just fine.

Cheers,
Asktheanimals

Great introduction btw

Thank you, I'm glad to be here. I have been lurking for quite awhile, so I am familiar with most of the rules, and how things work. But I will definitely glance over the links you provided to make sure I am up to date with everything. Thanks again!