Posted by hiba on August 20, 2002, at 10:11:37
In reply to Re: To...Addiction vs. Medical dependence » hiba, posted by Squiggles on August 20, 2002, at 7:51:26
"You ask me what other thing can be done, but
to give addictive or habituating drugs for
certain serious afflictions; 'should we give
opium and antidepressants for anxiety' for
example."First of all opium is not a tranquilizer, it is a pain killer, which some docs still hesitate to give terminally ill patients, because of the fear "They will get addicted" A terminally sick patient getting addicted. What sense does it make?
Secondly prescribing antidepressants to anxious patients. Your question should be directed to docs and not to me. All I was trying all this time is questioning this practice. When safer anxiolytics are available why should a doc prefer to put his patient on hard antidepressants?
Anxiety can have devastating effects in one's life. It can cause loss of jobs, loss of friends or relationships, and if it is more than excess, patients try or commit suicide. Virginia Woolf commit suicide and many psychiatrists believe she was suffering from severe panic attacks which led her into suicide. Now tell me what is better? Living a hellish life or keep going well on a drug?
This is an era where we can buy once daily antibiotics. So don't expect any more cures for diseases. Great Alexander Fleming invented penicillin and it was a cure. It cured infections. But now pharmaceutical companies want to put us on once daily antibiotics. They have their justification. Treatment resistant infections. There is no scarcity for justifications.
poster:hiba
thread:116708
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020814/msgs/117087.html