This Is What 12 Weeks of Pills Looks Like

This Is What 12 Weeks of Pills Looks Like

What I’m holding in this photo is more than a mound of pills.
It’s proof that something is very broken.

Over the course of just 12 weeks, I was prescribed more medications than some people take in a year.

Medications for pain.
For anxiety.
For sleep.
For digestion.
For symptoms that kept popping up—but never a solution that got to the root.

Each pill represented a new attempt to patch over what I was feeling inside.
Each one a chemical compound with the power to shift my state… but not to heal me.

I landed in the ER with a whirlwind of symptoms—my body was screaming for help, and I didn’t know where else to turn.

I did what most people do.
I trusted the doctors.
I trusted the system.
I trusted that because I don’t have a degree in medicine, they must know best.

But what happened next was my wake-up call.

One doctor prescribed me a medication.
A few days later, he prescribed another—without checking or mentioning any interactions.

I specifically asked, “Do any of these have adverse effects if mixed together?”
His answer?

“There’s no real way to tell until you take them.”

That statement had me up at night

When I went to the pharmacy to pick up the second prescription, the pharmacist paused.
She looked at me and asked, “Are you still taking the first one?”
I said yes.
Her face changed.

She told me there was a red flag in their system.
That for around 30% of patients, taking these two together could lead to serious heart rhythm issues—palpitations, arrhythmias, and the need for emergency intervention.

Let that sink in.
The pharmacist caught something the doctor didn’t.
Or worse… the doctor knew and didn’t say a word.

Yes, I was offered a third medication that "didn’t have the same risks"—but it came with a new list of side effects: insomnia, mood swings, digestive problems, and more.

That was the moment I decided:
I’m done.

Done being a patient who blindly obeys.
Done numbing my body’s signals.
Done outsourcing my health to a system that treats symptoms but forgets the soul.

I didn’t just stop cold turkey.
I did the work.
I slowly weaned myself off the meds.
I researched everything I could—holistic alternatives, nutrition, supplementation, nervous system regulation.
I listened—really listened—to my body for the first time in a long time.

And now?
I’m down to one medication.
I’m not fully there yet, but I feel clearer. Cleaner. Stronger. More alive.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

➡️ The way you feel on all those pills? That’s not normal.
➡️ We’ve been trained to ignore the messages our bodies send us.
➡️ There are other ways to heal—ways that don’t involve heavy metals, synthetic chemicals, and side effects that create more problems than they solve.

Let me be clear: I’m not fully anti-medication. I’m not anti-doctor.

There’s a time and place for both.
But meds should never be a life sentence.
They’re meant to help us cope temporarily while we do the deeper work to heal.

Men—it’s Men’s Mental Health Month.

And I want to say this with all the strength I have:
We need to wake up.

We need to stop pretending that feeling “off” is just part of being a man, or that anxiety, disconnection, and fatigue are normal.

They’re not.
Your body knows what’s wrong.
You just haven’t been taught to listen.

If this story triggers something in you—I hope it does.
Not to shame you. Not to scare you. But to make you pause.

To make you think.

To make you ask:
“What is my body trying to say that I’ve been ignoring?”

You don’t have to walk this alone.
But you do have to take back the pen.
Write your own story of healing. On your terms.

Because real strength isn’t pretending, you're fine.
Real strength is facing the truth—and doing something about it.

It’s time for a change!
Mike

Danvers Wellness Center is open to individuals of all backgrounds seeking holistic health, deep healing, and personal evolution. Whether you're working through stress, relationship challenges, physical fitness imbalances, or spiritual disconnection, the center offers an integrative path forward.

Location:
Danvers Wellness Center by Soul Warrior
85 Constitution Lane, Unit 200F
Danvers, MA 01923

Contact:
📧 info@soulwarriorconsulting.com
🌐 https://www.danverswellnesscenter.com