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2009.01.18 21:11:40
Bulldog
Lets Push Out the Pill Pushers

 The Bulldog is returning to somewhat tangentially familiar territory because the issue must be discussed until something is done -- people are literally dying out there.  A close friend of the Bulldog's (8 years sober) walked into a meeting looking like a zombie thanks to careless, clueless attentions of her local "pill pushing" shrink.  I cannot nor will not use the term mental health professional in conjunction with a psychiatrist who is operating a pill dispensary.
   How does the Dawg know this? Because my friend's husband -- suspicious after the third visit and umpteenth prescription -- started timing the patient visits. He watched 10 clients go in and out. Not one was with the "pill pusher" more than 7 minutes and every one walked out with a script. The saga of M (as I will call her) is an all too typical tale these days. About 3 months ago, she experienced severe depression and anxiety because her husband had suffered extreme reverses in the stock market. She visited the "pill pusher" informing him that she was a recovering alcoholic having a bout of severe depression.
   Then the saga began. He rewarded her honesty by playing psychotropic darts with her psyche. Lets start with this: oh that didn't work well why not this?  Oh you can't sleep too?  Well here's some addictive sleeping medication...and on it went...until the Dawg encountered an almost senseless M at the meeting.  Shocked, I referred her to an actual mental health professional who was stunned. She was on 10 times the normal therapeutic dose of anti depressants -- highly addictive benzos (that's tranqs) and sleeping medications. All the result of what any competent therapist would have assessed as temporary life style related depression and recommended CBT (talk therapy).  As I write this, M is on suicide watch being detoxed.
   This is happening every day. When are we going to demand that mental health professionals actually be professional and be trained in addiction? For that matter, GPS are prescribing psychotropics far more often than mental health experts. When are we going to make proper addiction studies (not just the current 1-3 days) a mandatory part of medical education?
   Folks there are 1000s of Ms out there. I dare say many of you know one...but did not want to ask.  If you are in recovery always ask any medical professional that you deal with if they have experience with addiction. If they don't, drop them.....

 



  
 

sjljcr
2009.01.19 16:31:44

As a mental health professional trained in addiction, I agree with what you are saying. Many of my female clients were prescribed Xanax for anxiety and became addicted and strung out on it. But I also work with doctors who are excellent with addicts. Some addicts would find it very difficult to stay sober if their mood disorder(which was there before they ever started drinking) wasnt treated. The chemical imbalance is very difficult to tolerate untreated. But I am lucky as a provider because I have people I trust to prescribe the correct mediation when it is needed.
 
 
Bulldog
2009.01.19 19:06:05

Dear Sir:

You are of course right there are many fine docs out there as well as mental health professionals too. However, I would feel a lot better if no one was allowed to write a psychotropic perscription unless they had been trained, and I don't mean some bogus internet course like they currently do for Bupenorphine. The issue here is to mandate training.

Best

Sober Bulldog
 
 
chris
2009.01.23 11:13:23

If you read the description of the behavior that describes manslaughter you may find that irresponsible prescription practices comes very close is cases where relapse leads to death in a patient. Maybe when someone is prosecuted we will get some change.

 
 
Bulldog
2009.01.23 14:13:22

Sadly I think it has already happened many times. Most of the big pharma companies have spent millions during the last few years making out of court payments related to inappropriate use or prescribing of psychotropics. These dwarf into insignificance when measured against annual sales which are in the billions. Particularly around suicide induced by anti depressant use or withdrawal. Until we start to make them pay a political price nothing will change. The Bulldog fears that we are too stigmatized a population to stand up for our own rights.
 
 


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