Strongly Against Medication

Title may be a bit misleading, but I couldn't think of a succinct way to describe this topic.

A friend of mine once told me that she had anxiety problems, especially in public. She would sometimes freak out and just feel really bad and worried. But, she explained, she would never take medication for it (antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds), because she didn't want to "change who she was." To her, taking such pills would basically be saying, "I don't like who I am, and other people don't like me the way I am either." My brother feels similarly, being strongly against any sort of medication for mental health problems (for himself, at least).

Maybe it's because I'm a student of psychology, or maybe it's because I'd be willing to take a pill if it made me not be depressed (and have done so in the past), but I cannot understand this at all. A lot of mental health problems are caused by chemical imbalances and whatnot; the pills try to correct these problems. They don't change who you are - they help you to let your true self be shown. They only change you as much as a cast on your broken leg changes you. You wouldn't let a broken bone be untreated because it's "who you are," would you?

Is there anybody that agrees with my friend and brother? Would you refuse medication, even if it could help rid you of some emotional problems? Do you know anybody that would? What would be some alternatives that you would try?

Anti-depressants aren't a medication I'm thoroughly against. Though there are medications that I don't like, and I won't take unless I'm suffering enough to take it (which I've maybe done twice since I've moved to Georgia)

Medications that I am against first and foremost are pain killers. I hate pain killers and I hate their stupid ads. Pain medication makes me annoyed because it does absolutely nothing for your body except stop your receptors from telling you that something is hurting. Basically just shutting off the signal saying 'hey, you have a headache.' The reason that bothers me is the fact, have you ever noticed people who do keep pain killers in their bags, or around them all the time have a lot of headaches, or various other pains?

Naturally the endorphins are supposed to kick in and help relieve any pain you have. However if you're taking pain medication then you're basically doing the endorphins job and then you find your body not kicking endorphins in as well as they should be. You could even find yourself in a situation where you do hurt yourself severely such as breaking a limb. Anyone whose had a bone fracture can find themselves not in pain, but as soon as you panic then the pain starts milking its way in. That's why whenever you call an ambulance they tell you to keep the person calm, because endorphins really are a powerful natural pain killer.

So it annoys me, especially growing up watching my mom have chronic pain in her legs, her back, her whole body. You'll go to a doctor and they'll just hand you a stronger form of pain medication. Doesn't anyone ever ask themselves why they're in pain? What's causing the pain? How to fix what's causing the pain?

Because that's what pain is, a symptom.

I feel the same way about most antidepressants. they seem to gloss over the fact that there is usualy a cause to depession. i believe that figureing out the root of the depression and dealing with it would be more effective than just taking a pill.

i have also had experiance with anti depresants. a friend of mine was perscribed prozac, but he stopped taking it because he said they made him feel like a different person. he gave me some and i took them at the perscribed rate, to see what he meant. it was far more bizzar than any illegal drug i ever took. i was unnaturaly happy all the time. nothing made me mad, even when people were jerks to me, "tra la la la la, go ahead rob cheat or hurt me, i don't mind, :)". i could see that it was horribly wrong, but i just couldn't make myself care.

another time, there was a woman i worked with. she was a bit on the hyper side, but she was always on task. i realy liked working with her because she always got the job done(i hate slackers). then some doctor decided she needed ridalin. she became a totaly differant person. didn't want to work, talk, or even move. all she did was sit there. she stopped taking it and was back to normal, but still, just thinking about it makes me sad.

Im not questioning the effectivity of such pills, coz they do work at times. But I disagree with these, for I see it as a temporary fix to deal with a lingering problem that can get worse and neglected coz the person would think everything is OK, coz of the pills. Your feeling like shit coz youve no friends, its easier to just take a pill coz the doc said youre suffering from depression - its not friends, your just sick.

Medicine isnt about charity, its a multi billion dollar industry, and the pharma side of it is jesus christ... you have to admit, as long as it doesnt kill you and clinically proven to be 'safe', theyll push for drugs for the profit

Id rather face the music and deal with it than to depend on pills to feel better about myself.

next time you see a comercial on TV for any new drug, pay extra attention to the "possible side affects" warning. even death has become an exceptable side effect.

Anxiety..mostly about u friend to much stress,Stress can attack anyone at anytime and if the person does not deal with their stress in the correct way then they could be looking at problems for themselves.

i think there is way to cure this mental health problems,pill yes it work but it has it side effect the best way to deal this kinda mental health problems give time to that person to have his time give him time to relax to clear his mind u know my father have this kinda problem i accompany him to his medical doctor so i copy a word from that doctor

I havent watched anything on TV for 4 years now... I dont have a TV at the moment too. But thats interesting, death = acceptable, thats pretty funny if its a joke - well a pity if its not. Maybe its not a surprise nowadays.

I'm strongly against medication for a few reasons.

I know someone who took pain killers for his back. Everyday he would take some, and over time he took more and more. Eventually they stopped working so he would buy more. He is now near homeless and will probably die very soon. He is around 56 years old.

I'm against sleeping pills because they just seem stupid. If I ever have a rough night sleep I just forget what ever I'm stressing about and I sleep fine.

As for anti-depressants like sleeping pills, They just seem stupid.
It's as simple as letting your problems go. Fix whats making you depressed. Hate your job? Find a new one if its making you depressed.
That's how I see it anyway.

Any thing people say "I need it" are addicts. Unless of course they really do need it.

I think that it is important to remember that medication is (at least it should be) usually a temporary solution. Someone once explained to me that medication used against pain or depression is like crutches; you use it to help you to function when you aren't quite capable to do it on your own, and throw away when you are healthy again.

I think that is the point of it; being able to function. You have to go to work and such in order to not go completely down the gutter.

But in less serious cases, I think it may be unnecessary. But still... at least I would prefer the easy route and take the meds.

What people seem to think is that antidepressants are used to mask the symptoms of a problem -- there's a problem in your life, you feel sad, take antidepressants.

Antidepressants do not work this way. Antidepressants address a specific problems, a chemical imbalance in the brain. You take antidepresants when you're feeling down AND there's no reason for feeling down. If there's a reason you're feeling sad, then antidepressant won't really help.

And for those who _do_ have a chemical imbalance, no, it won't go away. Most people think that the clinically depressed simply need to "straighten their shit out". No, they _can't_ straighten their shit out, no more than they can scoop out the problematic chemicals in their head with their bare hands.

So, no I'm not against medication. I _am_ against over prescription, which is a problem with drugs like these for numerous reason. But to be completely against them (or worse, thinking that those who need to take them are just "weak-minded") is just plain ignorance.

Fun facts[size=10][1][/h]:

* TEN PER CENT of Americans are regular SSRI users, the highest per-capita quota in the world.

* only five per cent of Americans are afflicted with depression, the other five percent of regular SSRI users taking the medication as a life-style drug, to combat sleepiness, back aches, etc.

[size=10]1: Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005[/h]

These facts speak for themselves. Psychotropics are some of the most terrifying weapons in the medical arsenal, and the gross and widespread abuse of them is nothing short of sickening. They were designed for a specific use, a fact completely forgotten - or conveniently ignored - by both patients, medical staff and big pharma. What's more, they often serve as a cheap and convenient alternative to therapy ("hosing down" the patient saves man hours up the wazoo) and thereby serve to compound the enormous problems of contemporary psychiatry and psychotherapy.

I'm not an enemy of medication when used right, but very much opposed to their contemporary, abusive application.

I completely understand the way your friend and brother are thinking; to me, if I would take medication against depression or any emotional problem, I would feel like if I had lost. If I am not strong enough to get through it myself, by my own power, it might be better if I do not get through it at all.

Ofc, medication against physical problems and pains is another thing, I'm not against the want of curing a sickness like cancer or taking painkillers cause of headaches or worse. But as I said, to me, that is a different thing.

I can feel empathetic as to how your friend and your brother are feeling, but I can understand your viewpoint as well. While I agree with you that the pills just cure chemical imbalances, you have to look at the situation through their eyes.

This is how they were born naturally, and they want to accept themselves for who they are. Assuming their religious, they may believe that this is how god created them, therefore this is how they should be.

-The reason i use that example is because I once knew a boy who was very religious. He had ADHD, but refused to take medication because he believed god had his own intentions for giving him ADHD.-

Even if these arent their reasons, its just an example of how everyone has personal beliefs that they base their decisions on. They probably understand that logically, taking the medication would help them, just as you do. But, where your opinions and theirs differ is that they want to keep what they were naturally given, your friend's anxiety may represent a part of her individuality that she doesnt want to give up. This anxiety makes her who she is, its a part of her just as much the color of her eyes.

While you see it as a chemical imbalance that should be fixed, your brother may see it as facet of his own humanity. He may not want to give up that humanity just to conform with the rest of society, if would make his life better.

What Im saying is, everyone has their reasons...

Thank you very much for saying this. I was about to blow until I read your post.

It seems people misunderstood me. I'm not talking about the misuse of medication. I'm talking about refusing to use it when it could help, when there is a legitimate problem. Yes, there's no blood test for depression or bipolar, but it is possible to talk with a person and come to the conclusion that they have a mental illness, and be correct in your conclusion. What I meant with my question was, if a person has a legitimate mental illness and refuses to take medication for it, do you agree or disagree with that person's choice? What would you decide if in that situation?

For example, my dad is bipolar, probably with a few other things thrown in. He will often get extremely angry for no reason and shout as if everyone around him is crazy. During one particularly bad argument with my mother, he ran to a closet and grabbed a gun that we have there (protection purposes or whatever). I somehow wake up at that exact time and ran from my room and grabbed the gun away from him - he was going to blow his brains out, to prove some asinine point to my mother.

He's been that way for years, with periods of peace and periods of complete insanity. He should have been on medication since, well, since I've ever known him. Not to change who he is, but to allow him to be more balanced, the way he is a small percentage of the time. When I think of all the pain he's inflicted on us, and himself, due to his not taking any medication, and I think of someone else who suffers, and causes those around them to suffer, refusing to take medication, I just don't get it. Why wouldn't you try to fix the problem?



That is a very good point, and I can understand it, but I guess I just can't accept it. Perhaps it's a sort of "do it for yourself" or "do it for the group" sort of thing. I'd hurt myself to help a larger group of people, but not everyone feels that way.

Old thread is old, but interesting.

I personally am very strongly against anti-depressants. Years ago my mother took my to doctor for really bad panic attacks, doctor told us I have panic disorder. Without even a second thought he gave me some citalopram (SSRI) to be taken daily and some benzos for the worst panic attacks + some sleeping pills, but my mother said that 2 different drugs are enough. And without a doupt I took them and ate the SSRIs daily for years and I think I took like 5 benzos total during that time. Mostly because my mother warned me not to take them too often. I was young back then and didnt even think about side effects and such.
And I was like 15 or something back then and giving SSRIs to people under 18 isnt recommended. I didnt know about that either back then. Neither did I know (or even think about) that doctors dont really care about their patients that much. They just give you medication for some mental illnesses and send you away "alls right now". Without even thinking that the patient might need some therapy because there's something very wrong in his/her life because (s)he has panic attacks/depression/some other mental illness. Nope, drugs make all better, the patient is cured now!!!

But back to my story. I moved in with my bf and we had our share of financial problems. We didnt have money to pay our rent, were almost kicked out of our apartment. But guess what? I was still on SSRIs back then and I couldnt give a shit. The fact that we might lose our home didnt stress or depress me at all. I was all happy. My bf pointed that out and after giving it a thought I realized he was right. Stuff that is supposed to stress a normal person didnt stress me. So I quit the medication without even asking a doctor about it, because I knew they would be against it. I didnt even do it slowly, just straigth from the 40mg, I just quit. Surprisingly didnt get any withdrawals. Then slowly I started to feel again. My mood stopped being a straight line. Sometimes I was happy, sometimes sad and sometimes angry. And it felt fucking great!
And back when I still took my drugs I still got some panic attacks sometimes and what did I do when I got panic attacks? I tried to forget them every possible way. Nowdays when I get panic attacks I really start to think whats behind that one panic attack and whats behind my panic attacks for general. I dont just push it aside and think that all the bad things will go away if I shut my eyes and plug my ears.

Wiping the problems under a carpet doesnt work! And thats exactly what anti-depressants do. And they do it with many nasty side effects. If you're interested in them read this for starters. I say that getting the problems out of sight isnt worth the side effects. Especially when some of the side effects stay even after quitting the medication. If a doctor gives you some drugs, you have the right to say "no, I want real help". I hate it how easily doctors give anti-depressants and I especially hate it how it seems to be kind of a trend to eat anti-depressants. Teenagers who feel normal sadness because their boyfriends dumped them goes to doctor whining about depression and without a second thought they get their SSRIs just after talking to the doc for 30mins. How wrong is that?

So, even tho OP doesnt seem to visit fakku anymore:
anti-depressants DO change who you are. yes they do have the possibility of putting your depression/anxiety to the background where you cant see them, but it does do other stuff too!

As for the pain killers. Yes they take your pain away. Pain is a feeling and if you dont feel it, its not there. But still I do agree that many people eat way too much pain killers, but at the same time there are people who cant really live their lives without them. And even tho pain killers are nasty, especially the stronger ones, in most cases they are the only (legal) option. but then again the medical industry is to blame on that one too. There is a good alternative for people who suffer from chronic pain, but its illegal because if it was made legal, drug companies would lose money. And as we all know, money is more important than health

And right now I rarely suffer from my panic disorder (mostly because I havent done anything or been to places that usually causes them), but when I do get the panic attacks, I can more or less deal with them especially if I'm with my bf. And believe or not weed helps with them too. Many times I've smoked a little (not to the point when I'm stoned as hell, but just to get a mild buzz) when I've started to feel a little bit of anxiety and its gone. With the side effects being: high, munchies and red eyes (and the smoke in my lungs, but that could be prevented by vaporizing or eating edibles)

[size=14]Now people, discuss![/h] I'm pretty sure this topic touches many of you here. No need to tell your personal stories like I did, but discuss!!!

Hello Rhubarb.

I was specifically brought back from prolonged absence by INTERESTED PARTIES only to reply to your post.

That's an honour that is!



Therapy is BAD, because:
1. It takes time. YOUR time. You have to spend years at it, whereas drugs make everything okay the minute you take them. Like, what are you gonna choose, right? Uncle doctor just made the right decision for you.

1.a. It doesn't yield its effect immediately. So, your afflictions might be more overtly visible to all the uncles and aunties in your neighbourhood than when you're being hosed down with psychotropics. That's bad, because then all the uncles and aunties will be very scared and upset. Uncle doctor just keeps you from making all those uncles and aunties upset and scared.

2. It takes money. Money that could be spent on, oh say, drugs instead. So uncle doctor would get a kickback at the end of the year for prescribing 1'000 packages of citalopram. Money that could be spent on uncle doctor's consultation fee. Uncle doctor is just helping you spend money wisely.




Do you also undergo therapy?
I should like to hope so.
While I'm not in favour of medicating people into zombies, I don't think panic attacks should be left to a person alone to think them down on their own.




And in Great Britain teenagers are being forcibly medicated for "anti-social" behaviour such as listening to loud music.

Welcome to the wonderful world of psycho-stimulants.



Painkillers, painkillers, painkillers...hmm, now what does that remind me of...?

Oh yeah, this little thing. Whoops.



Who doubts it?
S.S. Legge centottanta, ora pro nobis




RECOMMENDED READING.

The fact you have replaced one drug with another sort of makes your argument a bit flimsy.

I havent really replaced it. I just started smoking weed (after thinking about it for a long time, because everyone says weed makes panic disorder worse) and I realized it helps. And I dont smoke weed every time I feel a bit anxious, not even when I have weed. I only use it for that purpose when I get the worst panic attacks and thats when I'm alone at home for longer times (over night). And weed doesnt give me all those side effects that SSRIs do, so I dont think it makes my argument any more flimsy.
I'd like you to describe a bit more about in what way it makes my argument flimsy. Then maybe I'd understand you a bit more and I could tell you my point of view a bit better.


[size=10](also, the economy, I will reply to your post later when I have time and when my mind isnt full of other things, like atm pigs. Just watched a documentary of pigs, fascinating animals they are!) [/h]