people too quick to medicate

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being under the UK mental capacity act, its extremely difficult to get medicated for anything;whether pain,epilepsy, neurological or mental stuff,and it takes a lot of time to get the reasons for needing medications understood as those of us on the spectrum who also have ID have a lot more communication and understanding barriers on top.

the ex ID-pyschiatrist of mine had removed an anti anxiety med last september which made self even worse to an extreme level as it made the severe paranoid pyschosis worse and resulted in spending four months in hospital [ie,smashed up a residential home,tried to make a basic chemical bomb,attacked a lot of people including police,put head through double glazing window etc]
he was supposed to have replaced it with another anti anxiety med whilst removing the old one but decided to play a wait and see game,he did this with all meds of mine but thankfuly he had the respect to ask if he coud remove things and woud honor it if said no.

have always been made to exhaust every possible coping method before they even start to think of medicating, and they always start with the smallest dose first.

the doctors of mine had wrongly added the label addict to records because they didnt understand how the sensory and information overload of autism can cause severe headaches every day and needed co codamol and as a result am unable to get any medication that has addiction risks, am on diazepam already and after that label was given they reduced it to a point it doesnt work at all for self [six mg a day],so have had a few big incidents due to being under medicated and theyve decided to start the slow process of removing diazepam and increasing the halperidol.

yes, personaly believe doctors in the mainstream community are to quick to hand out medications instead of supporting people to work on coping skills and how to change poor routines,but its also a personal responsibility as well, people need to remember there arent any quick fixes,and it is so much better to change something without meds as to avoid becoming dependant on them.

Here's some books about psyotropic drugs: efficacy, side effects, financial incentives to prescribe:

Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker
The Emperor’s New Drugs by Irving Kirsch
Myth of the Chemical Cure by Joanna Moncrieff
Your Drug May Be Your Problem by Peter Broggin
Rethinking Psychiatric Drugs: A Guide for Informed Consent by Grace E. Jackson

Hi KoR - I was wondering this - I have a pretty good scientific background, but sometimes I have a trouble understanding issues with medical care and which is the right medicine and or procedure. I know how to research things, but there's always so much hype, and studies that conflict each other. Medicine is by far to me the most confusing science. I'm wondering, if you get times when you are confused, do you have somebody that decides for you, or do they let you decide at all times? (Except I guess when you are being held by force, they wouldn't give you much input). Do your carers ever decide this, or is it always doctors?

Most "doctors" that see patients for mental and emotional problems are all about diagnosing what would be a good drug for this person before me, who is presenting x, y, and z, problems.

I am responding to you all at the same time because my response is the same for all: depression is not a life choice, it is an illness. I find the above remarks patronizing and somewhat insulting. I am not lazy; I have fought hard to stay alive and I'll use whatever tools I have to. For those of you who think that I can talk to someone about my life and somehow this will magically fix my brain chemistry; I find this naive.

some medications seem to actually have worse side effects than the thing its meant to do, then some can also be addictive, that's what I worry about most, the idea of being addicted to a medication

Last edited by franknfurter on 07 Apr 2014, 11:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

yes and that's why in a case such as yours and others medication is absolutely the right thing to do, but it should be seen as something that if alternatives are not found then medication is a good idea. when I say medication I am talking more about medication that commonly cause quite severe side effects such as mental numbness.

I think everyone here understands that depression is not a choice, no one is suggesting that everything can be sorted without medication, I agree that view would be naïve

In fact I myself take medication for anxiety sometimes, and I am very thankful that I am able to have medication.

I often wonder if I will ever be able to stop taking medication. Maybe one day when things are going really well, I'll give it a try - slowly. Ironically since the depression has lifted I find my mind wanders to old things as if trying to work them out.

I believe that mental health, traditional medicine, and substance abuse treatment need to be integrated. GP's are learning about psychiatric problems out of necessity in the U.S. because there aren't enough psychiatrists in rural areas. Also, most people are resistant to the idea that they might be mentally ill and need treatment, so they don't seek out the help of a psychiatrist. However, a GP is never going to be as good as a psychiatrist, because they do not specialize in psychiatric disorders. They don't have the clinical experience to understand the nuances of mental illness.

For some reason, in the U.S., psychologists, psychiatrists, and medical doctors seem to rely on substance abuse therapists to deal with addiction problems. They are not well-versed in understanding addiction. It is not something that is taught to everybody, just a specialty. Because of this, doctors create addicts all the time. Addiction to prescription painkillers is an epidemic in the U.S. which is leading to an increase in heroin addiction when legislatures cut access to the legally prescribed opiates to cut down on crime. At the same time, it is legal to get people hooked on methadone or suboxone (opiate replacements) when there is no medical reason why a person should be prescribed opiates indefinitely for reasons other than severe pain. I have seen psychiatrists prescribe large dosages of addictive medicines to recovering drug addicts not even considering the possibility of addiction to said medicines or a return to illegal drug use. People are dying because of this. If doctors talked to the substance abuse treatment industry, they would understand addiction better and not make people into addicts. If mental health treatment were more closely integrated with traditional medicine, people with mental health problems would have better outcomes. If substance abuse wasn't separated from every other psychiatric disorder and turned over to non-professional pseudo-religious groups, substance abuse treatment would be better. You wouldn't have ex-addicts with no psychological training trying to indoctrinate everybody into AA or calling mental illness a character defect. People with multiple problems wouldn't be treated by several people who see their problems in a very limited way and often prescribe conflicting treatments. They work separately in individual tunnels when they should be talking to each other.

My career goal is to contribute to the integration of healthcare in the U.S. and the spread of mental healthcare services to rural areas via the internet. This is because I have been working in the mental health field for a while and see the inadequacies in our healthcare system.

Yes, doctors are sometimes too quick to prescribe medication, and yes, some people need medication. Better training helps doctors be able to know when medicine is needed and when it is not needed. Unfortunately, a lack of qualified psychiatrists necessitates less qualified people prescribing psychiatric medication.

One thing to know about psychiatrists is that they are looking for a pill to treat the external symptoms you present. That is their job. If you go to a psychiatrist expecting something other than medication, you have unrealistic expectations. They are not looking for the underlying psychological issues.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp5868501 ... 8501.Those reading here might like to look this one page thread thread over.... I left one message and was then too busy to continue, for which I have regret. Of course doctors over medicate...many doctors do, and there is a realm of literature on this....a lot of them are pill pushers....and of course some people are debilitated to the extent that medication is their only recourse, but many more who do not need it are given medication and then not only have great difficulty getting off it, but it can seriously damage their bodies. The man I love (but am probably not going to end up being with) did not as far as I know experience liver damage and permanent tremors, but in less then a year his front teeth eroded because of the medication and now he is missing at least two teeth. I did a lot of research for this other thread but then never went forward with the next message, Maybe if I look in my bookmarks I can find some of it, and I have done research on this subject previously...Ann, you are a strong character sticking up for taking your medication, meaning by this that you have the character to do what you feel you need to do to live. Some comments inserted in bold, but first must make the point that all of these quotes are not equivalent as you must obviously be aware of. I like your message, though, and I think it could be helpful.

Environmental factors can also cause depression, and it's not entirely due to a chemical imbalance. I don't suffer with depression, but I've definitely had it. The loss of appetite, the intense anxiousness, the emotional turmoil, not wanting to do anything - all the symptoms of depression, and mine was caused by environmental factors. And certain thought patterns can also increase my depression.

I think that's what those posters were addressing.

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Okay so where are the real problems? And what are they? And does it matter? Once the damage has been done to the brain chemistry how else can you correct it but with medications?

And I totally agree about the way mental health is handled by society. The police and addictions counselors end up on the front lines with no expertise in dealing with such situations.

wth...where in mine or in any of those other quotes does it imply depression being a life choice?
am actualy a sufferer of severe major depressive disorder just like many other people on the spectrum,so theres no need to act like the rest of us havent got a clue and directly targeting by calling us naive for having innocent differing opinions is disrespectful,rude and against the WP rules.

of course severe depression and any other severe mental health condition needs medication to help someone access other coping skills when in a better state,or continued medication therapy if needed,but medication has been proven to be over used as a therapy where other therapies, routine changes and coping skills woud work so there is no denying it.
sleeping medications are the worst; theyre handed out far to easily when they are not very effective on people who have always had poor 'sleep hygeine',they might make us feel drowsy but they dont stop us doing the same stuff we do as part of routine.


wozeree,
its the doctors,intelectual disability team and support staff to a lesser level who make the decision on meds; its called a 'best interest decision' they do this on behalf because am under the mental capacity act.

am currently having a best interest decision over the sedative theyre going to use for an MRI scan on spine,hoping its midazolam but knowing them theyll just suggest yet another bloody useless vallium.

I know I'm not the only one who suffers from depression. I just take issue with the idea that those who use medication to deal with it are avoiding the problem. I really don't see how routine changes and coping skills will improve depression and I fear that people who need medication will not take it because they worry that doing so is showing a lack of character.

In my case, it was my doctor who stopped my mom from trying to medicate me. Right when I got diagnosed with Asperger's, my mom inquired about any medication that could treat or cure it. My mom wasn't thrilled when my doctor told her that there wasn't any medication that would make me less autistic, or better yet in her world, not autistic at all.

My situation was kind of unusual, as I was in the right place at the right time to receive the right kind of help, and even with all of this it is a miracle I was able to turn it all around. The thing that pulled me through was religion and the fortune to be able to touch the hem of the robes of great masters, but I had almost good enough mothering. My mother always said that almost doesn't count. I get what she was trying to say, but the way she put it doesn't quite make sense. You have to strive to make it count. Almost is about time. The mind is not the brain. Plus when I was a child I had the fairy tales. I really believed that if you were a good person things would turn out okay in the end. In the fairy tales these good things never just happened. The protagonist had to make some kind of inner connection to the outside from what was already inside of himself. The little creatures of the forest or the good witch disguised as an old beggar woman helped him because he took the time to be kind to them. He placed their well being before his own self. Only the youngest son, Hans, the simpleton, ultimately won the hand of the princess, because his heart was pure. he was actually quite naive in his approach, much like an autistic person, actually, but clever in his own way....clever Hans:-). But the thing is, you have to be in the right place at the right time, and if someone comes to help, it is necessary to be able to recognize they are giving help. I think these helpers are very rare, and yet if your heart is open and you have faith, they will appear as if by magic, even everywhere.

The way out is to understand ones own suffering can be transcended by right thinking and right action, and then to strive to develop to ones greatest capacity for the sake of ones brother who is suffering so very deeply. But first you have to help yourself. Imo, generally speaking, taking a pill that will most likely damage your body and encourage you to not develop muscle by making certain efforts is not really the best way to do that. Some will be in the right time and place to be able to understand this and others will not. This is why there are two societies. As it is said, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and this is sad.

To anyone reading who is confused and/or depressed, especially any young person--because when you are young you have a much better chance to get your thinking straight, as the brain is more flexible-- if you really care about helping other people, the first step is to help yourself by learning how to harness your own horse, and build up muscle and so intentionally make a relationship between yourself and your horse in this area. This horse, which is the body of you, including the brain, so your natural self, hungers deep within to have a relationship with a human being. Superficially it does not want to, yet in its deepest heart it does want to be harnessed and steered. Too much unproductive thinking stirring up all kinds of feelings and making confusion in your mind? That is your horse, because he is not being harnessed and just being let to run wild. You are your natural self and yet you are (k)not because wrong thinking is keeping you from making certain connections. In short, you are not seeing the light. The key to the reorganization of a confused mind into a mind of great clarity is to harness your horse, not just for the sake of yourself but also for the sake of your brother. Then you will be able to go where you need to go, and many things will begin to make sense.