husband and prescription pills
 

My husband recently went to a psychiatrist he has seen in the past. She prescribed him paxel, ativan and serequel for depression and bad anxiety. I'm not sure if these are addicting or not? I would like to believe that the psychiatrist could see through if he was lying about his history? I managed to make my therapy appointment and was told that I need to eventually prepare for the worst. My husband gave my son a lecture about the dangers of drug use. My son has little respect for his dad throughout the years so I'm sure it went in one ear and out the other.

Any prescription medication can be abused. If you husband has an addiction problem, chances are good that he will abuse these drugs just as he does alcohol. Again, just like the drinking, you cannot control that. It's up to you how much of this you are willing to live with.

Based on my general, non-medical knowledge of psychiatric drugs, of the three your AH was prescribed, Ativan (often used to treat anxiety attacks as they happen) is the most likely to be habit-forming. I know for years, the makers of Paxil advertised it as "non-habit forming," and a judge ultimately ruled they couldn't say that. Like Suki says...any medication can be abused and misused, even if it is "non-habit forming." Just set your boundaries, and be aware of behavior that violates them. He will do what he wants to do. If he wants to abuse prescription meds, he will find a way to do so. There is not a single thing you can do to prevent or stop it.

I am so glad you saw the therapist! Did you make another appointment?

My AH abused Seroquel. It works as a sedative, and he'd take it and check out of life. It was worse when he drank with it too. I suspect he abused most of his meds.

If an addict wants to abuse substances, they will.

Having been through this, I was glad I stuck with therapy. It gave me a solid ground to stand on whether or not my STBXAH found recovery. Mine ultimately didn't and I had to remove him from the home or continue to risk my safety and my kids' safety.

Do something kind for yourself.

I agree with everything said above, including what your own therapist told you. My theory was always prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Glad you are getting support!

Do you think your son would go to therapy if you set it up?

It's understandable he wouldn't have respect for his dad and my heart goes out to him and to you.

I guess he must hear his dad lecturing him about drug use as a case of "do as I say, not as I do" huh?

As far as the psychiatric seeing through your H... I think the ownice is on your H to be honest if he is going to get help and my experience is that in the throws of active addiction honesty isn't possible.

Sounds like the best plan is to focus on you and see your own T as you are and maybe see if your kids might want to see a T too.

I didn't give my kids a choice (but they're younger) and it's been a godsend for them and me for them to talk to a trained pro with experience dealing w kids of addicts.

Seroquel is pretty serious stuff. Is your ah bi-polar? Has he been diagnosed ever? The reason I ask this is because bi-polar A's are a whole breed of their own. They have a very hard time ever maintaining sobriety or balance.

I know plenty of folks that are sober with bi-polar.

And, actually, it's quite common to be misdiagnosed bi-polar while an active alcoholic and/or addict.

In the past, the only times my hubby has managed to stay sober is while on medication. Although, one time he ran out of the adivan and flipped out because the insurance wouldn't pay for it. But I assume the doctor knows best. I've been told that mental problems usually exist under all the drinking.

I've heard the same.

Also I've heard that the underlying mental health issues can't be well treated when there is active addiction but also that the addiction acts as a self medicating for the mental health issues making it that much harder to stop.

Kind of a catch 22 isn't it.

I feel for you very much.

Seroquel hmmm. Bi polar?

BP can stay sober. Just takes right meds a working a program like anyone else.

it would be a great disservice to minimize the greater difficulty bipolar and schizophrenic A's have. not to mention some of the craziness that ensues when someone drinks on a drug like seroquel. it really is a different beast in some ways.

yes, anyone can choose to put down the bottle at any time, but the reality with those combos of A's are not the same.

I have bipolar (manic-depression). That is a similar med cocktail as I am on. They really, really do not mix well with alcohol. Seroquel and ativan are widely abused drugs. The paxil will take around 8 weeks to really kick in and start working. Withdrawal symptoms are typical with paxil and ativan.
somehow I suspect your husband was not honest about his drinking.
It really is dangerous to mix some of them with alcohol abuse, ativan especially.
With proper treatment, compliance and discipline, bi-polar can be stabilized but it requires a commitment and patience.
I am afraid things are going to get messy in your household.
Wishing you and kids all the best,
Live

I would never assume Drs know best. No way!!

Ativan, a benzo, is very addicting and often abused.

He has been diagnosed as being schzo-affective disorder. It is a great challenge for him to admit he is mentally ill. He would prefer to drink beer all day than take medication.

Was he diagnosed long ago or recently? I just wonder how much the addiction plays a role in that diagnosis.

Is it the alcohol or drugs that are mimicking a mental health diagnosis do you think?

Gosh I feel awful for you bc it certainly sounds like he has many many issues and it must be worrysome to live not knowing what to expect from your H from one day to the next

He had his first mental health breakdown in his early 20's long before he picked up his drinking habit.

Maggie,

Some of the crazy things your have written about your ah (10+ rehabs, 5 DUIs, etc...)are consistent with someone who has a mental illness like what your ah has and is drinking. They are simply out of control.

Just to relate, my exA had 4 DUIs in 8 years (that I know of) and I think 6 before those. The stories always changed and no one knew everything. He admitted nothing with any consistency. As his disease progressed (he too was rxed Ativan and abused it with alcohol along with Ambien, Unisom and Tylenol PM) and eventually started getting crazy with his guns. He shot them off in the house. Murdered a beautiful Subzero refrigerator and a portrait of his father. (Oh yeah, if your ah has guns, they need to be under lock and key or better yet, not in the home with him.) Called people drunk and after abusing the rxed meds and scarred the hell out of people and embarrassed me. Threatened suicide if I left him and lied to everyone. I dutifully stayed with him, but went to grad school
93 miles away. Eventually, he got lonely or whatever, cheated and left me for her. Never to be heard from again. But, he stalks occasionally.

If he starts abusing the meds and drinking again, please get you, your kids and the dog away from him or get him removed. That enters dangerous territory real fast.

Missfixit, I would never allow any guns in the home. He is a convicted felon and has been to a mental institution so he cannot legally own one, thank God. This may sound strange but I think his doctor has enabled him on occasion. When he knew he would have a bad detox, he would simply call her and she would phone in a prescription. The court system also has tended to be lenient with him as his lawyer always bring up the mental illness.

Ativan is horribly horribly addictive. It's basically booze in a pill, and can cause awful physical withdrawal symptoms including death if stopped cold turkey.