SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information - View Single Post

03-13-2009, 09:12 PM

# 12 (permalink)

Mattcake

member

Join Date: Feb 2008

Posts: 2,433

Hi IamLucy, welcome to SR

The general consensus it that it's unwise to diagnose potential mental health conditions before the person has achieved a full two months of continued sobriety. Like Carol mentioned, a lot of people find that their symptoms ease up a lot during recovery. Though the harshest drug/alcohol withdrawal symptoms peak within a week after quitting, our bodies need more time to adjust to the not so subtle changes they are undergoing. Cravings are normal during this time.

There are two schoold of thought here. Some pdocs prefer to wait for some time before medicating their patients, hopefully watching for any potential problems that may arise during initial sobriety by assessing their progress at regular intervals.

Other doctors prefer to prescribe meds, if warrented, as soon as their patients commit to sobriety. This holds special true in patients who have struggled with mental disorders in the past. In controlled studies certain antidepressants, such as mirtazapine (Remeron), have been found to significantly improve relapse rates among depressed alcoholics during early sobriety. This is a more conservative and preventive approach.

Either way, it's very important to regard medications as tools. They are certainly not a cure-all. The decision to take medication is a big one, and it's essential to communicate honestly and fluidly with your health care provider. Being informed, setting treatment goals and knowing what to expect are big factors.

And of course it's ultimately up to you to decide whether you want to take these drugs or not.

Good luck