BEYOND IMAGININGS

Prescription Drug Use/Addiction

(Long article – set aside time to read)

TV and the media bombard viewers with a new drug for every ailment imaginable. They say “talk to your doctor” and go on to mention all of the side effects of each drug. As each year passes, more drugs that used to be available by prescription only, now have become over-the-counter (OTC) – and therefore very accessible. The message? If you’ve got a physical problem, and even an emotional one – drugs are easy to obtain and are no longer closely monitored by your doctor; and rather than put any effort into eating better, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of fluids, and finding more natural methods for preventing disease, and if we do indeed contract an illness, for repairing our bodies – we search out a pill to fix all of our ills.

In a recent doctor’s visit, my doctor recommended that I take a common anti-inflammatory medication for the pain of tendonitis in my wrist and for osteoarthritis in my joints. At the end of the visit, due to a head and chest congestion and a spec of blood found in my urine, I was prescribed an antibiotic. It stated in the paperwork that accompanied this antibiotic that it should not be taken with any anti-inflammatory medication. Luckily and wisely, I read these scripts so that I am as informed as I can be. That doesn’t always help. It doesn’t help those who trust their doctors and who don’t read a document that could prevent other problems, and could potentially save their lives.

Our doctors do not know as much as we think they should. I’d asked my doctor about a couple of TV-advertised medications, and the response was “Well, what would you like me to do?” She was leaving the decision up to me. She did not take the time to look into my chart, my history, to determine if I might be a good candidate for one of these meds. She had her trusty laptop in front of her, but her time with me was drawing near, so she had to hurry up and close the visit. It is this rushing through the day’s patients that can skew test results and misinform our medical personnel into making inaccurate diagnoses. With the advent of physician’s assistants, more and more personnel are responsible for entering our information into our charts, and now into our computer-generated electronic charts. On a standard pulmonary function test included in a recent physical, I was entered into the computer as a male. The normal/abnormal value ranges for men and women differ. The diagnosis? I may possibly have COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). I am a female. I’m so glad I asked questions. I forgot to find out if the COPD entry was taken out, unfortunately. I’ve since changed doctor’s offices.

We must take a proactive approach to our health. It is no longer safe to attribute our health and well-being solely to our doctors. In my opinion, and my opinion only within the context of this article, many of our doctors are pill-pushers. The pharmaceutical companies ply doctor’s offices with their wares…. huge, huge business. In order to be eligible for this or that government subsidy, or to continue to accept this or that HMO or PPO coverage, doctor’s offices must function within the mainstream of pharmaceutical offerings. It is a very sad state of affairs.

Two people close to me have been and are prescription drug addicts. Their initial health issue required pain medication, and they were prescribed narcotics. This started them on a vicious cycle that ultimately destroyed one individual, and is destroying the other.

As with any addiction, more of the substance is desired, and then is required. The habit becomes expensive, but the addict will find any way possible to acquire the substance. Personal items will be hawked or sold. Bills will go unpaid. Then they turn into thieves… stealing from family and friends. When they aren’t obtaining drugs, some resort to street gambling to make more money. They obtain their drugs from a number of doctors, all unknowing and unwitting of each other. Family life is dramatically affected – zombie-like behavior one day, anxious sometimes violent behavior the next. Frequent visits to the ER or Urgent Care facilities occur. Medical bills begin to pile up.

One day you might return home from work to find police cruiser and ambulance with lights flaring in front of your home. You run inside and find them surrounding your family member lying on the floor, his eyes rolled up back in the head, and you feel such relief when they resuscitate him.

If there are small children in the family, the effects of witnessing such things are far-reaching. Not to mention that once the addiction has progressed far enough, the addict will turn on them. They must be protected. One home we lived in quite possibly still has two bullet holes in the bedroom wall.

Prescription drug addiction is a fast-growing problem in our country, and a very expensive one. Detox and rehab programs are available, but many medical insurances do not cover them. Many addicts end up in jail and/or prison. Then it becomes the taxpayer’s problem.

Those of us who have had the misfortune of living with an addict developed our own form of PTSD. We become battle-weary and inevitably withdrawn from our lives. We begin to mistrust our own self-reliance, self-esteem, and self-confidence. And we learn to mistrust our medical personnel and the good benefits of many essential prescription drugs.

In my situation, I worked two jobs for over 7 years to recover from the daily grind and drain from our lives and finances. And I literally burned myself out. All I did was sleep, drive, and work. I didn’t have time to think of how I worried and was constantly anxious. Now, today… the deep well of strength that I drew upon to maintain my sanity during my husband’s addiction… has all but disappeared. The smallest issue puts me in tears. My attention span, my short-term memory, my ability to recognize and assimilate totally obvious details – have all diminished. A seemingly insignificant day-to-day challenge to one is an insurmountable problem for me.

My addict husband has since passed away. But lately, though I’ve not been diagnosed as such, I’ve come to realize that I’m in a depressed state. I can’t seem to muster the motivation to do much of anything at all. Oh, I have good days. I work in my yard. I get online and read e-mails and surf the net. I go to and conduct my part-time job. But I can’t seem to build any enthusiasm for anything. I must force myself to cook a meal, or water the plants. If my new husband, the love of my life, didn’t help me monitor my own prescription drug regimen (high cholesterol and blood pressure, and thyroid replacement therapy), I’d probably be in the hospital myself. I just hate pills. And I hate hospitals too. I truly, down deep, respect the need for both, and for our police and emergency personnel…. but when I am confronted with any of them in any way, I become uncontrollably anxious.

I have many hobbies. I have created wonderful things. Even they do not excite me nearly as much anymore. I keep apologizing to my daughter about my ‘downer’ e-mails to her. Yet, I can’t seem to prevent myself from hitting the ‘send’ button. I’ve got to talk to someone.

That’s where this website has at times been my saviour. I’ve found that in this small way, I can reach out… and maybe help someone else with a little information. Isn’t that what the internet is all about?

It is true…. serving others is one of the best therapies around. Sharing, supporting, reaching out to others… are some of those more natural, and totally human methods for repairing our bodies, and our minds and hearts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Spring and warmer weather are just around the corner.  It is time to get outdoors and emerge from semi-dormant activity inside... and partake in gardening, nature viewing, hiking or biking day trips, and the myriad of other fun outdoor activities to be enjoyed.

The days get longer, and our minds and bodies crave inspiration, motivation, regeneration - renewed energy and power to fulfill the spirit.

It is time to plan family and/or life-changing events...  barbecues, reunions, Easter-egg hunts(!), weddings.

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Many of us will eat better, lose weight, and feel healthier.

Some of us may remodel a room, get that tax refund, or grow an herb garden!

We may find love, start a new job, move to another state, or learn a new hobby.

Whatever the desire or need (and there is a vast difference between them), research and planning is essential.  Never jump into anything blindly.  Use caution, patience, and persistence.  Set goals.

But above all, enjoy.  Fall in love with life.

 

 

 

"The most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed." And another ... "Don't take your life too seriously, you'll never get out of it alive...

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Holistic - sometimes spelled wholistic, it targets the whole person - mind, body, and spirit. Holistic medicine considers not only physical health but also the emotional, spiritual, social, and mental well-being of the person.

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