Posted by med_empowered on December 7, 2005, at 2:36:34
In reply to Re: Vicodin » Phillipa, posted by Phillipa on December 6, 2005, at 23:39:03
opiates used to be pretty standard treatment for depression, anxiety, insomnia...pretty much any "mental health" problem you can imagine, including psychosis. For a long time, these drugs have been considered too "addictive" for emotional issues, but there's lately been a move towards researching possible uses of opiates in treating mood disorders. I think given all the problems with benzos, SSRIs, antipsychotics, etc. it would make sense to use opiates more--they can induce *dependence*, but withdrawal is never life threatening, and the drugs themselves don't damage any major organ (there's no damage to the liver, brain, etc.). So, no, when you feel a lift in mood from an opiate, it isn't your imagination; opiates really are pretty effective at handling mental health problems. Apparently, there's even some positive effect in schizophrenia--that just shows how intensely these drugs can improve one's mental state.
poster:med_empowered
thread:586113
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051203/msgs/586358.html