Posted by hiba on August 18, 2002, at 0:41:47
In reply to To Canadian Pharmaceutical Association - thank you, posted by Squiggles on August 17, 2002, at 12:57:59
Congrats for getting your klonopin prescription refilled. Now let us look at the factsheet.
There are mainly Four kind of medications used in psychiatric practice in our modern era. Antidepressants, Minor tranquilizers, Major tranquilizers and Mood stabilizers. None of these medications, actually cure or eradicate a mental illness, rather they act only as a temporary fix. No matter what your physician or drug companies say, there is no proven cure for a mental illness. What medicines do is temporarily altering some chemicals in our brain to ease the pain of symptoms. Unfortunately if you are affected with a mental illness with a chronic nature, there is no way to get off the medicines you take. You will have to make a choice. Suffer the awful symptoms of the illness or take a medication to fix it. I had my first depressive episode more than ten years ago. But I am still on an antidepressant, because I belong to the category of unlucky chronic depressives. It was very hard for me to admit the fact at first, that I should be on a chemical substance for my entire life. But now I am used to the reality. I have desperately tried to get off antidepressants and benzos I take, but only to succumb. In this fast paced world, it is not easy to conceal anxiety (which is more than excess) and depression. It is not easy to keep going without an aid. So there is no shame in having an aid in ourselves, rather than depending our friends and relatives and telling them our story of pain and monopolizing their time.
Psychotropic medicines are good enough if you use them rationally. The term "rationally" must sound a lot. If your illness or symptoms (anxiety is often regarded as a symptom and not an illness) are of a chronic nature, don't expect a short term therapy and fixation. You will have to use the drug as long as you need it.
Long before, when I was on xanax, my doc advised me not to keep myself on xanax because of the fear of addicton. What it means? Addiction? It means you will have to take this drug for your entire life and will never be able to get off it. Now my doc says don't try to get off antidepressants and I must be on it for my entire life. Isn't it laughable?
So best of luck squiggles, Please keep on the effectiveness of the medication you take, rather than bothering how to get off it.
HIBA
poster:hiba
thread:116708
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020814/msgs/116769.html