Posted by Cherry Carver on February 17, 2010, at 19:22:19
In reply to Re: Opioids for Depression, posted by slw2 on February 17, 2010, at 10:59:55
What I'm going to say may sound controversial, but I think the concept of "addiction" is becoming really overblown. It is, after all, a multi-million dollar industry.
Everybody here who takes ADs is addicted to their medication. We have no other choice, and if we stop taking these meds, most of us will suffer lengthy, nightmarish withdrawal and then return to the miserable way we were before we were medicated.
My heart goes out to you and your son. Opiates obviously do help alleviate depression. The fact that no doctor will prescribe them (in the USA at least; I am not familiar with international law) is because of unbelievably stringent DEA regulations. This is a country where some doctors deny morphine to terminal cancer patients because they fear the patients will become addicted!!!
Needless to say, I think the law ought to be changed where psychiatric disorders are concerned. Opiates work as well as any of the garbage I've been on for severe panic. However, the US government seems more and more prone to offer medication with side effects as extreme as "death events."
So, I'm in full agreement with you. Opiates used to be prescribed for depression and anxiety, and I think they should be considered for that purpose again. I don't think their side effect of "addiction" should worry people any more than it does with medications like the one I'm taking.
> i'm new -- i posted over in alternative's because i thought opiates for mental issues would be alternative.
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> should i post here too? it was long, i hate eat space like that.
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> opiates are the only thing that worked for my son -- he's like a completely normal person on them. without them, he can't function because of the depression & anxiety -- none of the meds he's taken have really helped get to the core problem.
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> he developed an addiction and is now on suboxone -- it's great for the cravings & withdrawels. some days it even helps the depression/anxiety, but some days it doesn't.
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> his psychiatrist won't even discuss opiates as an option with him.
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> does anyone actually treat with opiates?
> i'm still reading through the above posts -- so forgive me if the info is there.
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> addiction scares me -- but i also don't want to automatically eliminate what might be his best hope of a normal life because of moral issues and other peoples opinions.
poster:Cherry Carver
thread:935598
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100216/msgs/937270.html