I Don't Like Relying on Anti-Anxiety Meds
BrianHost replied: I can help with this question...;)
First let me start out with a story and that may shed some light on perception. We had this one very nice girl around the age of 15 who kept showing up at our hospital because she kept going off her Adderall, which most of us know is a controlled medication. This girl was as classic ADHD as they come and was a totally different person on her medication; it's safe to say this medication gave her back her life.
So after the third ER visit ... I was asked to sit in on the consult with her parents to see if we could figure out how we could keep this girl medication compliant. Well, to make a long story short, we ended up finding out it was the mother the kept making the girl go off her Adderall because the first time she went to pick up her daughter's Rx she saw the pharmacist go to the back of the pharmacy with a key and unlock a glass cabinet to get the medication. When asked why the medication was kept locked up the pharmacist told the mother that Adderall is often used as a street drug.
Yeah, that was the right response. The mother felt her daughter was going to turn into a drug addict because she was using this medication. Once I took the time to explain what Adderall actually does and that her daughter has a D4 Dopamine receptor in the frontal cortex of her brain that is not functioning correctly, it was like I opened a window that was locked shut.
I explained to the mother that we are stimulating a receptor that helps slow down her daughter's brain fuction. We are not hyping her up on speed.
DO NOT allow yourself to suffer due to stigma or fear that you're taking something "BAD" for you, or that you are somehow weak because you need a medication.
Patients with true anxiety disorders rarely if ever abuse their medications - in fact it's often hard to get them to take enough to control the symptoms. The fact that you are going to a therapist tells me that you are trying to learn coping skills for your anxiety. Over time those skill will get better and you may require less medication. The pharmaceutical industry often falls very short on cures. You can take my word on this one. So, when there is something that can truly help you, then you should take advantage of that technology.
By taking a medication that is available to you and can correct a disorder doesn't make you weak - it makes you smart. Suffering for no reason is not brave.
Hope I've helped.
Hugs ... Brian
Comments
Thank you for sharing your experience. As a child and adolescent (family) psychologist I find it hard to explain to the parents the importance of the medication treatment. They are stunned with fear from all the misinformation that they grasp for the media.
Hi
I read the response concerning Adderall. You are setting yourself up for not being factual. “D4″ dopamine defiency? What about the 100’s of additional dopamine receptor sites? Why is amphetamine illegal? What about the dopamine receptors in the cardiovascular region.
I remain amazed by the lies the industry pays you people to put out.
Larry G
The Prescription Addiction Radio Show
http://www.prescriptionaddictionradio.com
To set the record straight, it is not a D4 dopamine deficiency but the fact that the child’s D4 dopamine receptors are not normal due to a variant in a gene. A six-year study of 208 children, half with ADHD and half without, was done to examine this issue. Read about the study.
~Marcia
I have seen my friends taking their Doctor prescribed meds for anxiety, for depression, and for insomnia. They go to therapy, and the therapists agree with the Medical Doctor. And I lose my friends to these drugs. Nothing bothers them anymore. They stop trying. They let life happen. They hurt their marriages, their kids. I have never seen a positive outcome, only increased dosage, increased denial regarding reliance, and increased emotional outbursts when the drug supply is weaned. Throw a glass of wine in there, and some of my friends have become downright “call the security guards” crazy. I don’t know why we are such dependent, trusting children when it comes to our mental and physical health. I see a holistic doctor who’s first question is about what I am eating and how my bowels have been moving and how my urine & blood (liver & kidneys and adrenal function)look. I nave NEVER met a medical doctor who asks me about my diet. They push artificial sweenteners and all kinds of garbage, but have no clue how to guide their patients because they are ignorant themselves. I have HAD it with western medicine, except for injury accidents and major surgery. Preventive medicine is where it is at for overall body health, and, unfortunately, our medical system still thinks that anti-depressants are the answer.
I think it’s all about learning skills, the meds in the long run, do nothing, but compound miserable side effects. People can learn, and develop skills. Why don’t we focus on that area? Oh, because it is longer, and more costly than just thowing a pill at it.