Tired

[alex44]

Of all the crap that is coming down the road at us. First it was doctors, with the DEA scaring them and other questionable tactics, This in addition to Pharmacists, who have screwed me up more then once, deciding what the appropriate dose - "As In - that's too high a dose - I won't fill that - Esp. in a hospital - ALWAYS have a caregiver or wife, S/O, etc. ready to advocate for you or bring you your meds from home. I know some people may go - "oh no -then the hospital won't know what is going on" well, if they are under medicating you, they don't have a clue anyway so what's the difference. If I EVER consent to surgery, which I doubt, I have a DNR in place and my S/O has DPOA and health surrogate status and a lawyer to back her up. If my requests are not met and they try to cut my dose, I WILL go AMA to somewhere else or home where they will take proper care. The same applies to my S/O. Thank god I am on Medicaid - here, there is a clinic pharmacy right in the center where I see the doc. It's all one clinic. My Dad was a Hospital administrator so I have been around hospitals all my life in addition to having Medicine as an avocation and training just short of an EMT. I have researched all my problems, I know that any one of the chronic illness's will get me someday, but that is up to Spirit. - I am NOT fatalistic, I simply believe when Spirit calls me home, I will be glad to go. As my title suggests, I am tired. I am a senior (thank god) and plan for hospice to come in at the right time so I will move on at HOME and not full of tubes and IV's. Sorry if I am ranting, but I get SO frustrated with the system, deal with the addicts, they are sick but put them into a LOCKDOWN rehab for a year or so, I have seen the 30 day programs, helped friends thru them - not one stayed clean- these are my friends, I will stand by them but be buddy-buddy, NO. - I am a compassionate man, a minister even, but I am tired of seeing everything flushed down the tubes regarding progress in Pain Management where doc's were starting to get on board except bad apples - doc's and patients alike screw it up for the truly needy. I will help people, I will counsel people, everything I can do but caring and support but enabeling them or giving them sympathy - NO. Nor will I enable people if I find some in my circle of friends is using, I will do my best to help them IF they want it. If not, I tend to drift away from them until they are ready. No, I am not Judge, Jury, and executioner but I will not be sucked down to their level. Thank ya'll for listening.

Blessings
Alex44
Skypilot

[Pharmacist.steve]

This is something that another Pharmacist posted on my website : It puts "addiction" in a proper perspective
Any substance or activity that has a short term feeling of euphoria/fullfilment by the user can have a tendency towards causing full fledged addiction. There are the common ones we are taught to identify such as nicotine, alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines (particularly short acting ones, ie Xanax), other sedatives, methamphetamine, cocaine , etc. As easily as a person can be addicted to a substance, they can also be addicted to an activity that brings them pleasure. There are shopaholics, workaholics, chronic masturbators, sex addicts, greed addicts, power addicts, internet addicts, food addicts, etc. The difference is not in the underlying causal mechanism, which I liken to being primarily in a state of unhappiness or dissatisfaction with your current state of being and wanting to escape; but instead it is defined as addiction based on society’s belief structure. To illustrate this point lets loosely define addiction as an act/substance which the addict compulsively engages in to the exclusion of other normal activities even though the addict is aware that their relationship with the act/substance is causing physical/emotional/mental harm to himself or others and they have an unwillingness or inability to stop. So lets say Steve is addicted to methamphetamine. Steve will eventually get caught using by the authorities and get sent to treatment (or god forbid prison), or overdose and die. On the other hand Tom is addicted to work and power, he works day and night for the corporation to the exclusion of everything else in his life. Tom eventually becomes CEO of the corporation and impresses his addiction upon his employees expecting total obiediance of his underlings to maximize profits even though his actions and expectations are destroying personal relationships, harming the environment, destroying mental/physical health of his employees, etc. the difference between Steve and Tom is that society acknowledges Steve’s addiction while denying that Tom has any problem at all. In fact it is likely that Tom will be given several rewards, huge compensation, and praise from most people even as he systematically destroys his life and his workers lives through his addiction. Addiction is a MENTAL state of being compounded by a physical craving for a substance. Modern medicine focuses almost exclusively on the physical aspects of addiction while focusing solely on abstinence as the only form of mental treatment. Well it’s no wonder why almost all addicts “use” again! The causal mechanism of unhappiness, unfulfillment, dissatisfaction and disequalibrium have not been addressed! What I believe we need to address is either:
1) Acknowledging the blocked/negative emotions, feelings, and diet of the addict that have lead to the disequalibrium and tendency toward addiction.

AND/OR

2) Provide/teach another healthy activity (like yoga, meditation, etc.) that causes more long lasting fulfillment or joy than the destructive relationship with the act or substance so the addict chooses the less destructive activity by default.

In conclusion, no substance or activity in itself is “addictive” to everybody. It depends upon how your brain is wired and the state of your mental/emotional well being. Also we need to broaden our scope of what we call addiction. I would think that most people have an addictive relationship with at least 1 activity or substance. Treatment should not focus solely on abstinence but should include psychotherapy to identify and come to terms with the negative thoughts/emotions that promote addiction. Also addicts should be given the tools to find a new pursuit that brings them even greater pleasure/joy!
Thanks for reading

[alex44]

Thank You P. Steve

This is something that another Pharmacist posted on my website : It puts "addiction" in a proper perspective
Any substance or activity that has a short term feeling of euphoria/fullfilment by the user can have a tendency towards causing full fledged addiction. There are the common ones we are taught to identify such as nicotine, alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines (particularly short acting ones, ie Xanax), other sedatives, methamphetamine, cocaine , etc. As easily as a person can be addicted to a substance, they can also be addicted to an activity that brings them pleasure. There are shopaholics, workaholics, chronic masturbators, sex addicts, greed addicts, power addicts, internet addicts, food addicts, etc. The difference is not in the underlying causal mechanism, which I liken to being primarily in a state of unhappiness or dissatisfaction with your current state of being and wanting to escape; but instead it is defined as addiction based on society’s belief structure. To illustrate this point lets loosely define addiction as an act/substance which the addict compulsively engages in to the exclusion of other normal activities even though the addict is aware that their relationship with the act/substance is causing physical/emotional/mental harm to himself or others and they have an unwillingness or inability to stop. So lets say Steve is addicted to methamphetamine. Steve will eventually get caught using by the authorities and get sent to treatment (or god forbid prison), or overdose and die. On the other hand Tom is addicted to work and power, he works day and night for the corporation to the exclusion of everything else in his life. Tom eventually becomes CEO of the corporation and impresses his addiction upon his employees expecting total obiediance of his underlings to maximize profits even though his actions and expectations are destroying personal relationships, harming the environment, destroying mental/physical health of his employees, etc. the difference between Steve and Tom is that society acknowledges Steve’s addiction while denying that Tom has any problem at all. In fact it is likely that Tom will be given several rewards, huge compensation, and praise from most people even as he systematically destroys his life and his workers lives through his addiction. Addiction is a MENTAL state of being compounded by a physical craving for a substance. Modern medicine focuses almost exclusively on the physical aspects of addiction while focusing solely on abstinence as the only form of mental treatment. Well it’s no wonder why almost all addicts “use” again! The causal mechanism of unhappiness, unfulfillment, dissatisfaction and disequalibrium have not been addressed! What I believe we need to address is either:
1) Acknowledging the blocked/negative emotions, feelings, and diet of the addict that have lead to the disequalibrium and tendency toward addiction.

AND/OR

2) Provide/teach another healthy activity (like yoga, meditation, etc.) that causes more long lasting fulfillment or joy than the destructive relationship with the act or substance so the addict chooses the less destructive activity by default.

In conclusion, no substance or activity in itself is “addictive” to everybody. It depends upon how your brain is wired and the state of your mental/emotional well being. Also we need to broaden our scope of what we call addiction. I would think that most people have an addictive relationship with at least 1 activity or substance. Treatment should not focus solely on abstinence but should include psychotherapy to identify and come to terms with the negative thoughts/emotions that promote addiction. Also addicts should be given the tools to find a new pursuit that brings them even greater pleasure/joy!
Thanks for reading

Alex44 - All of the above is true. However, while our upbringing, and other factors are also in play. Alcohol addiction has been shown to be a genetic trait that can be passed down to the next generation and so on and so on. I wonder if the same could be said of any or all drugs, esp. opiates. I totally agree with you on treatment, but as I stated in my post, thirty days does not do the job - esp. if one can leave anytime they want. I have personally lost several friends not only to prescribed drugs but "street" drugs as well. I totally agree that meditation, yoga, can help, but ONLY if the person wants to get rid of an addiction to whatever. I have a degree in Metaphysical Arts and Healing. in addition to the pills I take, Meditation plays a big part in keeping my mind right. even though I deal with the pain monster every day, I work on getting one or two things done every day to take care of the house, etc. I also work on the fun stuff, my art, I do pencils and acycrilic paints, and it may sound corny, but I Love to sing Kareoke ( I rarely drink but I order a coke so no one try's to push alcohol on me. between that and taking care of my S/O I have a full plate. Which brings me to my other point - (I have worked as a counselor -Volunteer) People in crisis, like drug Addiction, need structure in their lives - that is why I am an advocatre of programs that require you to stay so you can learn structure,
the government scares me. It seem like they are totally determined to take all opiates off the table - maybe for cancer patients and I have known several that were brainwashed into believing that all hospice wanted to do was to make people die faster. this by their OWN doctors, who by the way, did not want to prescribe powerful enough drugs to keep terminally ill patients out of pain.
I guess the bottom line here is I personally belive that people should not have to suffer, and it should not be close to impossible (it gets harder every day) for legitimate patients the help they need - I will go out of my way to help anyone - if they want it.
Blessings
Alex44
Skypilot

[Mark N]

Alex. I understand the tired in your title as people that want to look out for others do more harm than good. As a result those of us that need our medication to have any semblance of a life get caught in the restrictions they get passed into regulation or law. It is a shame the focus isn't on the people that scam the system or abuse the medication but it is harder to deal with issues on a one by one perspective than it is to make a blanket restriction.