August 4, 2017 at 5:02 pm

International Reach

We received this note from a Chinese teenager. It is amazing and touching to see how our work at MISSD is reaching people all over the globe, and having an impact on so many. Thank you for your continued support! Printed with permission:

Dear MISSD,

Hello,

I am a Chinese girl. My English name is Barbara. I’m 18 years old this year. I’m a high school garden 12 student. Originally, I am going to take the college entrance examination this year, and I will be admitted to a university which is in line with my actual level. However, because of misdiagnosis as schizophrenia, after taking medicine, I was beginning to suffer from the akathisia.

When I first have akathisia, it’s time is 22 March this year. First of all, I feel chest pain, dizziness and nausea. Second days, the disease increased, I started to panic endlessly. Every time I tried to sit or lie down, an inner fear and an aching chest prompted me to stand up. However, this does not alleviate…over and over again, every second is suffering.

When I went to see a doctor, the doctor here didn’t know the disease, and told me that I was just stressed out and relaxed. But this feeling is completely out of the control of the brain. The tension is different with ordinary. During my illness, the uncomfortable description that I had whenever I went out made me want to be home as soon as possible. When I came home, however, the pain made me want to run out of the door at once…Then, my chest pain, legs itch, have a kind of unspeakable suffering brain, feeling the world is spinning. Only sleep can set me free. I can’t stop walking when I wake up. I can’t lie, I can’t sit, so, I thought of death, and I used my kitchen knife to pull my arm again and again. Want to jump of a building, but lack of courage.

Once, when I was in great pain, I said to my father, “Dad, I’m only eighteen. I don’t want to die!” The disease is a side effect of antipsychotic drugs. It is so rare in China that doctors don’t know it. My parents sometimes get impatient with my illness and get angry and ask me what witchcraft I have? I felt a double pain in my body and mind. When I was ill, I shouted again and again to ask her to give me the medicine, but she refused to give it to me!

I’m really scared. I think I might have to be human. I’m afraid the pain that I can’t describe is with me all my life……Until one day, a young doctor told me it might be an extrapyramidal reaction, and she told me to get rid of the glucose water.After three days of glucose and water, my disease was relieved, but no doctor could say exactly what was wrong with me. After that, the doctor asked me for a consultation and told me there was no mental illness, and my previous emotional instability was just a simple emotional disorder.

I was on the first day of discharge and knew about the akathisia disease online, and it was in perfect agreement with my symptoms. In China, only a few documents point out that the disease is often mistaken for increased schizophrenia, not only without effective treatment, but also aggravating akathisia.

Before seen several doctors, gave me some antidepressants, gave me some antipsychotic drugs, my disease not at all. For the first time I tried to despair, as if only suicide.

Fortunately, after over three months of struggle, the akathisia completely disappeared. I didn’t know how to treasure my normal life before, but akathisia told me how happy it was to sit down and do one thing in peace!

When I was ill, I had difficulty breathing, and I could hardly do anything. Now, my classmates have been admitted to their favorite university, and I have to answer because of illness.

When I’m well, I’ve been looking for information about akathisia, but our country has only a small number of medical papers, and there is little room for universal data.

I then browsed through foreign websites and found that there was a wealth of akathisia data and even popular video materials. I feel very happy, I think, it is the gospel of akathisia patients.

I’ve been trying to find a community about akathisia, and today I’m lucky to find MISSD. Just experienced this disaster, my desire is to hope more Chinese understand akathisia. Correct prevention and treatment.

I am glad to meet you, MISSD, I have a small wish here, I wish you the website Yuebanyuehao, recommendations can be translated into many languages, so that people around the world know more about akathisia, to avoid akathia torture.

Ciao,

A Chinese girl,Akathisia patient

Zhang Fengyi
July 28 2017MISSD谢谢你,遇见你是我们的幸运