How responsible medication use can help

Hello @paul65,

I read with interest your post above titled, "Got Drugs?" I hesitate to think that you would consider all drugs to have the same dangers of opioids. As we all know, that is simply not true. While the opioid crisis did give the medical community, and our society, a moment of pause to reflect on what happened. It is undoubtedly unfair to classify all drugs as being dangerous and/or addictive.

I certainly understand the importance of holistic approaches to health issues (both physical and emotional) but certain drugs, such as anti-depressants can provide a depressed or anxious person with a bit of energy and give them a leg-up to help with their thought processes. For many people, an antidepressant drug helps them to sleep better and thereby have more energy to adopt a healthier lifestyle and to be able to participate more effectively with insight-oriented therapy.

The tragedy of opiods was not development of a drug that was beneficial for many. It was the over-prescribing, over-use and over-dependence on the drug to be the solution for every pain that ails you. Same with psychotrophics. The drugs themselves are a force for good, but handing them out like candy so that people have to deal with the nasty task of getting unhooked is the problem. Go back and read the posts about the difficulty these folks have kicking the habit. Even a tiny dose causes some to have a life-long battle to get free. I maintainn it's not worth it. I wonder how many of these people who get hooked were ever asked by a doctor, "do you have an addictive personality?" or explored that possibility before prescribing. And how many share that yes this drug will give you a bit of energy and help you sleep, but one day you're going to have to kick the habit and it's going to be the toughest thing you ever do.

The flip side of your observation is that there are many of us who suffer with very real, debilitating medical problems, such as severe intractable chronic pain or major depression or organ failures/transplant, and the list goes on, whose lives are made even slightly more bearable because of medication.

My own experience with various medications is fairly complicated, and I'm grateful for my doctors who always take my history into account, and begin any course of treatment as conservative as possible.

20 years ago I found myself spiraling downward into what seemed to become a deeper and deeper dark hole of depression and suicide. After spending 3 weeks in a suicide watch, with some good therapy, I was discharged, but far from being safe. The psychiatrist I saw prescribed Clonazepam at .5mg, and had me continue taking Wellbutrin.

Clonazepam will probably wave a big red flag in your face, but it has treated more than anxiety for me. It's also very helpful with my RLS. I tapered off it last fall, but I needed to restart it this week because I had spontaneous bilateral Achilles tendon ruptures caused by Levofloxacin, an antibiotic that I was given after surgery. Because of RLS, the tendons haven't healed after six weeks - my feet, ankles and legs are always moving - so I'm trying to calm them so I can heal.

Yet another health issue I face is CIDP, with severe burning pain beginning in my feet and moving upward. I have tried many, many medications over the past ten years and almost nothing has helped relieve the pain, except for a few that had bad side effects. The only medication that has helped is MS Contin. I took it for a number of years, then stopped to try 3 new medications (which didn't help at all), so my only option is to return to an opioid. And don't think for a minute that I haven't tried alternatives - pain therapy, spinal cord stimulator, cognitive and dialectical therapy, and ongoing mental health therapy weekly.

For many people, an opioid is the only treatment for their severe chronic pain. Every other option has failed. Now, those people are being demonized because of a medication which they take as prescribed, never abusing, never selling, only finding relief from the pain that could otherwise kill them, or at the least, pain that would cause all kinds of torture. Not having any pain medication on board right now leaves me in tears and is causing an increasing level of anxiety and depression.

My experience has been that every one of my doctors prescribes as conservatively as they can when they begin the process of finding a treatment. Every doctor takes opioids very seriously, and patients have to sign paperwork, prescriptions can only be given every 30 days, and doctors recite the scariest case scenario before they begin prescribing.

It has become a nightmare for those who legitimately need an opioid for intractable long term chronic pain, and that is a crime against innocent, responsible people.

I agree that many people are prescribed medication they don't really need. Not only do we live in a litigious society, but also a drug crazy one. I read articles every day about the huge quantities of meth, cocaine and fentanyl that are seized. Unfortunately much more makes its way to our streets. And another unfortunate effect of cutting people's appropriate prescriptions of opioids is that many people resort to finding it on those streets.

It's not a pretty picture.

Jim

Thank you, Teresa, for standing up for me.

Jim

Depression, true depression - can bring on destructive disabling if not a crippling disease where people could lose the fight to want to live and think there is no way out, no repair, no answers.

Often faced with all to real insurmountable obstacles where they feel there is no way out, backed into a corner and hopeless. Making them desperate to the point they want to end their lives.

Many people get help, and many do not. Getting it where healthcare professionals work to the best of their ability to provide life saving, preserving treatments. That includes medications, therapy be it talk, cbt, dbt and more.

Those who don’t clearly suffer through it unnecessarily for reasons some make sense but to deny oneself treatment is dangerous where they are left to their own devices.

Some self medicate. Some in denial there is a problem…

When you don’t hear about the casualties of depression, it is impossible to render a verdict in deciding treatment.

Some think there is no way out and tragically commit suicide.

For me, it took a LOT of trial and error to find the right balance of medications and other therapies to get me well. All of it improved and saved my life…it was over time. There is no such thing as a quick fix. If someone thinks they can come out of severe depression with no therapeutic remedies, they are not seeing the big picture or reality. It is dangerous to offput meaningful treatment because we are talking quality of life and distortion of thought.

Someone close to me was suffering with mental illness. Was hospitalized and medicated. This person fell through the cracks and now does not have anything to do with family because they offered tough love. The person dug heals in and it is a very sad state of affairs. This person had many demons is a lost, misguided person.

I’ve seen it, experienced it. The heading of the post strikes me. I looked at the post because of the group it belonged to. Surprised to read. It is flippant to denounce something that helps a great many souls from killing themselves.

Depression is a soul sucking dis-ease that can cripple a person and wreak havoc on family and friends from the fallout from no treatment or self medicating where people need to know, there is hope.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Never do something final for a temporary situation.

There is no quick fix but must include a dedication to self to want to get better and not deny there is something very wrong while in treatment. Must continue because it requires commitment to health and life.

I remember when I took a lot of meds to help. Over time many were tapered as I grew healthier. Eventually something clicked. There are a lot of people who will never know what ails or what fixes but I can say it’s taken an army of therapists over time to teach me skills to retrain the brain. It eventually worked. But that was because I never gave up. There were times I thought about it but knew it was not the thing to do.

Many lose hope. Once that happens, they need watching… All that said, medications are needed as are good qualified professionals. A team is needed. Can’t break the system. It’s a chain of events that helps and saves many.

It saved me.

Such thoughtful replies.

I have not yet found the answers to my cascading symptoms started by Covid. Many days I just want OUT. My family supports me, and I have seen what suicide does to the surviving family, so I will not do that to my family.

Feeling that there is NO TREATMENT for debilitating ailments is a hard place to be. I continue to seek help, and try to be hopeful that I will eventually find some answers and relief.
A small dose Klonopin helps me on my worst days. I am thankful I have a doctor that will prescribe it for me.

I’m so sorry for your pain D. It is good you have a doctor who is prescribing it.

I can relate to what you have said. Hold onto hope.faith and family. Sometimes I feel that is all that is saving me. Being that this is Lent, I’m paying particular attention to the suffering He endured…it helps me…

Relating to pain and it puts it in perspective to know there is always someone who is suffering more and I appreciate that it isn’t as bad as it could be.

There are times of course this is challenged with predictably unpredictable crippling pain. It happens and passes and repeats when I least expect it. The worst pains yet have been lasting longer. It is pure agony. I cry out. At those times there’s nothing I can think about except IT.

When I’m in pain, I embrace it in that I allow myself to feel all the feelings that come with pain BUT when it ends for a time I release all that angst. I try my hardest to keep myself in the positive.

I try to think and do the things that bring joy, comfort, contentment and practice the things I am passionate about when the body is willing. Do what I can when I can.

I’m where you are. I am trying to get a firm dx to get appropriate therapies, if they are out there. In the meantime I must (I have no choice) hold onto hope, that there is help out there. If it’s not found with one therapy, I will try and try again. What choice do we have? We can’t give up.

I hope you have relief and therapies that help you.

❤️

Just today it struck me that when I'm becoming more depressed, temptations are stronger. I think that my resistance is down because of depression, and to back up a further step, as my neuropathy pain worsens, my level of depression worsens. It all combines to feelings of sadness, discouragement, fatigue, wanting to disappear - so many ways these things affect us. Sometimes, with the best of care, life becomes difficult or unbearable. And in my own case, guilt and/or shame creep in, making things even harder. I'm fortunate to have good sleep. It gives me a nightly break.

Jim

Understood Jim.

Your intuitive. There is definitely a mind body connection.

I will share with you what my doctor had told me. She said because of my minds conditions, if I don’t change what I think about, it (the pain, the flares) will worsen. I’ve heard this before when I was under tremendous stress and in a depression over 20 years ago.

There is a link to what we think about and surround ourselves with and our physical health and conditions.

For example. I used to consume the news. We know the condition of the world. I worry about it and she pointed me in the right direction and instructed me to watch/listen to no more then 15-20 minutes a day. It has helped.

I have been and am responsible for uplifting myself to keep my soul and mind intact. It is not easy when agonizing. One feeds the other and vice versa.

You have an awareness that will aid you on your journey. You are not alone in your suffering.

Depression tries to creep in. But knowing how bad I could get having been there I do whatever I can to avoid it. The pitfalls. Combined with life stressors.

They tell me: do what brings you happiness. What you are passionate about. I’ve been doing that. Even if it is listening to music every day, watch comedy do what fills you up. I I push myself even if I’m initially not in the mood for it, after I’m laughing or smiling. We need to do more of this.

At our pace.

Onward and upward Jim.

Today I started knitting a scarf, and it's been relaxing, and keeps my thoughts focused on my work. I'm using a finer yarn than I've used before, Alpaca. The pattern requires some concentration, with a small cable on each side of a larger one. Such nice soft yarn!

I finished a sweater the other day. I used Patons wool. It's really warm! Being stuck at home in a wheelchair means I have more time for knitting and reading than I normally have. Usually I spend a good part of the day outside or in the shop.

I have a service dog who gives me a lot of support. She keeps a pretty close eye on me.