Originally Posted by
Freepath 
Katie,
You’re right, I’m not a doctor.
Warren Buffett has a saying: Never ask the barber if you need a haircut.
I like that, and not surprised at all you are quoting Warren Buffet.
So, the skeptic in me looks at the intensive outpatient recovery program you are in (they get paid), the psychiatrist you are seeing (he gets paid), and the pills you are taking (a product for sale, and you are buying it.)
Yes, except they have their money in full now (treatment program) so I think at this point they are just interested in CTA (a twist on CYA for Dee
). My Dr. does get paid too, but has told me he does want to practice good medicine (so I don't think he is entirely motivated by greed
)
Your psychiatrist has a conflict of interest. The more problems you have, the longer they continue, the more the money just rolls on in. It’s like an auto mechanic who might be motivated to cause more problems than he fixes so you will keep coming back.
You’re right, I’m not a doctor, but I’ll bet if you asked your doctor if you should be smoking and drinking while using “two anti-psychotics, an anti-depressant, a mood stablizer, and anti anxiety agent” I know what his answer would be.
Yes, been together over five years now. I *should* be fixed by now. And you are absolutely correct - no, he would be livid. If I were to tell him about the house being in smoke the other night, he'd dump me in a heartbeat.
Humans have lived on this planet for what is presumed to be millions of years, and somehow, as a species, we have managed to survive without alcohol, cigarettes, Prozac, Wellbutrin, Lithium, cocaine, meth, or whatever other chemicals we thoughtlessly ingest in the name of filtering out all of our pesky feelings.
Wow, so true. Maybe this is due to our "modern age," which ain't all that hot. I think we've evolved to a point where we have our fancy cars and lots of TVs in our houses, but little else. If you look at things in the big picture, we've done miserably (but I won't get started on US politics here or my blood pressure will shoot up. All I can say and to digress just a
teeny bit, my blood pressure has gone down since November). Relieved sigh.
What if our emotions weren’t meant to be filtered? What if they are a survival mechanism? What if they evolved as an inner voice?
I think you are dead on. My ex used to say "feelings are our friends." He was a brilliant guy and I never quite got it then. So why do we (and speaking for me mostly) feel the need to anesthsetize (sp - it's 3:40 a.m.) them? I don't know. There again, maybe a function of the "modern age" and the fact that we aren't running away from tigers and bears on a regular basis. Maybe we'd be better off doing so.
Are you angry? Are you sad? Are you anxious? Do you have an attention deficit? Do you obsess about things?
Yes, yes, yes and I've thought yes, and yes!
Perhaps the answer is not to get so jacked up on pills that you can’t remember your middle name.
Yeah, from Mother's Little Helper to the age of psychotropic drugs in mass quantity. Don't get me wrong. No doubt this has saved lives, but I do wonder just what the long term effects are. So much uncharted territory.
Maybe you need to ask yourself “self, why am I feeling this way?” Maybe the answer is a map, a plan, a path. Maybe our feelings are fuel. Energy. Motivation.
YES! I moved here when I was slipping (and I mean in terms of mental health) and have regretted it ever since. No amount of pills can fix this. I know. Only energy and motivation will fix this.
When you are angry, whom are you looking out for?
Have you ever been depressed and decided to give yourself permission to make yourself happy?
Has anxiety ever inspired you to get out of a situation? Did it make your life better or worse?
Have you ever had times where being distracted seemed to make you more aware of extremely complex events going on around you? Should hunters remain vigilant of new distractions?
Have you ever obsessed about a topic or field of interest, hygiene, fitness, or cleanliness of your home, and found that said obsession made your life much better?
I’m not a doctor, but doctors don’t know everything. Mutual admiration isn’t the only thing that sets us apart from the animals.
All excellent points. We've forgotten our hunter ways, I am afraid. Well, as always, thanks for such thoughtful comments. I'd really like off the drugs completely (and this includes alcohol and sleeping pills), but at this point I am not sure what that would mean after so many years of being medicated.