Posted by lifetime on February 16, 2006, at 11:19:00
In reply to Re: Suicide on Effexor, posted by Devastated Mother on February 16, 2006, at 7:04:01
To those who have lost loved ones to mood disorders,
I happened upon this thread and read through with much interest. Although “Devastated Mother” stated, “I wish people would just stop saying how sorry they are. It is so irrelevant” I can state from my own opinion that nothing could be worse in my mind than to have any loved child predecease a parent.
As a very long-time support person, caregiver, health care advocate to my spouse and activist I would like to suggest some positive approaches to some very tradgic situations. The first and most important approach which I advocate for is the education of the patient and his/her support person(s) to make informed and un-coerced medical decisions in collaboration with one’s trusted, caring, compassionate, knowledgeable and licensed health care practitioner(s). While I often state when a physician hangs out their shingle to practice it does not state whether he/she graduated first or last in the class and the fact there are doctors, good doctors and better doctors.
The point I wish to make without necessarily offending anyone reading this posting is that the onus of responsibility, in my opinion, still remains with the patient and/or his/her support persons to be reasonably educated before embarking upon any medical ventures and/or the ingesting of any chemicals (medications, vitamins, minerals etc) or the utilization of any therapies and/or treatments.
The so called science of the brain is in its infancy and from my research and readings there are numerous theories as opposed to definitive answers from the professional community as it relates to the various mood disorders. I am dismayed by some of the postings for there thoughtlessness to the fact that many individuals are being helped utilizing the very same medications and/or treatments abhored by others. My spouse at one time benefitted from the use of Effexor XR. In fact at one point she was utilizing a daily megadose of 900 mg per day but the refractory syndrome reoccured and we went on to research and utilize other treatment options. The point which I want to make here is that we were reasonably knowledgeable and informed before making any decision to preceed and I being a reasonably knowledgeable support person carefully monitored and observed her mood state as I have done through these many years. Mood disorders in and of itself are potentially life threatening without any kind of intervention so to just throw out and condemn a treatment option that may very well be beneficial for someone else is unconscionable to me. In fact, I am an advocate for all treatment options for the use in mood disorders providing one is educated before hand to the side-effects and potential risks. There is also an old adage which I shall paraphrase, “Ignorance in the eyes of the law is no excuse.”
To those family members having lost a loved one to any of these disorders you have my sincere and heartfelt condolences while I continue in my efforts to keep my spouse alive knowing that one cannot prevent a determined individual from committing suicide and also maintaining my advocacy and activism. So while the choices to treat these illnesses are somewhat limited they are the best we have at the moment also knowing the fact that no two individuals respond exactly the same to medications, treatments, therapies, surgeries etc what one can do is to advocate for education as opposed to condemnation.
Warmly,
Herb
VNSdepression.com.
poster:lifetime
thread:601406
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060212/msgs/610217.html