Trading addictions

[lovemysons]

Nancy, I agree that an addict will always be in recovery. But I don't think it has to consume your life either. I haven't been to an AA meeting in around 5 yrs now (since my psychotic breakdown). But I have my books, my notes, and you all to remind me of all that I learned.

I also agree about pain medications and falling back into addiction.
I had a pretty serious infection a yr or so ago and was prescribed Hydrocodeine (I think it was)...in any event it DID make me high and once I was over the initial pain I gave the pills to my mother as I don't completely trust myself if it's right in front of me. Funny, I don't feel that way about alcohol...I have no cravings for it now.

TL, Yes I remember you talking about the pain medications and your back situation as my young difficult child had a "back condition" for awhile there too...??? Though I now believe that he would have found ANYTHING wrong with his body in order to get ahold of pain medications!

I think it would be wonderful to meet you too, TL. I think we all would have alot of fun...Maybe one of these days we can plan a get-to-gether! But...I have to get my hair and nails done first! lol

InsaneCdn,
Yes, both husband and I miss that "edge" so to speak. I once was a pretty good writer and often wrote "letters to the editor" regarding everyday experiences that taught me life lessons. I was also highly passionate about politics and you could even find me listening to talk shows and calling in with my deeply thought out opinion's!!! lol
When I was a teenager I loved to draw and was in fine arts as well as commercial art program in high school. All of that is gone now. I just don't have the desire to search every knook and cranny for "the answers" as I once did...or express it like I once did. And maybe too...it's that I found so many of "the answers" I was searching for in the program of AA/Al Anon.

husband gets upset that psychiatry is not an exact science. He gets upset that we often treat symptoms with a "blanket approach". He told me just this morning in discussion that It's like someone has a broken arm so the Dr's just put a sling on it and give the person pain medications and send them on their way. Not addressing how they got the broken arm to begin with or "setting it exactly" to heal properly. I think that's how he described it.
He is a Network engineer and for him, while he trouble shoots all day, there is always a cause and effect and he say's "you don't want to fix one thing and break another".
LOL...He has been to a few of my psychiatrist appmnts with me, boy does he ever let the doctor know how disturbed he is that this is so much of a "guessing game and not an EXACT science".

However many things about myself that I have "lost", Neither husband nor I want to try something else as we are afraid of further consequences. I have gone manic before on antidepressants.

LMS

 

[BusynMember]

I was very ashamed of myself when I first had to start taking antidepressants and, in my case, it was life or death. I was suicidal 24/7, yet I was still ashamed to need medication, which at least lifted me out of the dark fog and allowed me to want to live. Yet if I had had diabetes, I would not have hesitated to take insulin. If I had had epilepsy I would not have hesitated to take anti-seizure medications. And nobody would have told me not to.

None of the medications worked 100% at first and I felt like a druggies, which shamed me again because I was both anti-drug use and anti-alcohol use (for myself). Yet here I was, living a functional life because of my magic pill. I went to this great psychiatrist at the University of Chicago finally and begged him for electroshock therapy. Yes, you read it right. I thought maybe I wouldn't need medication then and the medication didn't work, as I've said, 100%. He gave me a funny look and told me to try paroxatene first. The rest is history. For me, paraoxatene and clonazapine are magic pills that make me normal. They helped me at least 95%...it's been well over twenty years now that I've felt really good. I'm so grateful that something made me not give up and that the psychiatrist did not give into my desire for ECT. I'm convinced that without my medications I would no longer know my grandson.

I am really not happy with the pressure not to take life saving medication for brain disorders. But at least I got over it. Sadly, I think a lot of people think "I am weak" if they need medications for things like depression. That's too bad.