Question:
I am new here and am not sure how thing work. I am a 42 year old
female. I am Bi-Polar, have arithrits, a throid disfunction, have
server nigranes and back and neck pain. I also am an addict/alcoholic
in recovery for 3 years. I take what seems to be a lot of medication.
Counting my daily vitimin I take 11.5 pills a day. My question is how
much is too much? I do want to go from one addiction to the next, Is
it time to say No to those Dr.s who continually try to shove vicodine
on me? I would appreiciate your feedback. Thanks Teri2802

Answer:
Hey Teri2802, how are you doing?

Unfortunately there are no quick cures for alcohol or other drug problems. However, treatment is
available for people whose lives are negatively affected by drugs.

Early intervention can help you avoid the harmful affects of long-term alcohol or other drug use.

Best wishes,


Answer:
Teri, Congratulations first of all, for taking responsibility for
your life, by asking questions about these drugs. You are right to
trust your gut instinct in questioning what is going on. I have
mountains of info, but in the interest of this forum, I will keep it
simple and direct. I would implore you to get to the book store and
read a book written by Dr. Peter Breggin. It is called "Toxic
Psychiatry" and was written some years ago. ISBN: 0-00-637803-x. It is
a volumnous book, but youre worth it. Not much has changed since then,
except the names of the drugs. The theme, of course, is in the title.
He has written extensively on this subject, he has successfully
testified against doctors who abuse patients, etc. He is a
psychiatrist from Harvard, so he knows what he is talking about. his
websight will put you in touch with contacts in your area for further
help. Be sure you never stop taking these drugs suddenly. Bipolar and
alcoholism go hand in hand, so maybe it could be helpful if you
approach these two dynamic issues from the same view. They are
definitely the two horns on the same bull. I am a third year clinical
psychology major, and have been very much involved in the area of
pharmaceutical abuses in bipolar disorders. Its not a mental illness.
You canot cure a spiritual disorder with a pill. You can only mask it,
with severe effects. There are no genetic links, no clinical proof of
anything scientific about what causes any of these emotional
disorders. Its all in the tiny, small print on the laboratory
findings. Words like "suggest" and "may" are replacing words like
"proof" and "definite link". Nobody can cite one study to demonstrate
the links, becasue there is not one study anywhere. Every study has
failed. So, there is no proof. So why are people taking all these
drugs? There is nothing mentally ill about bipolar. ITs what the
pharmaceutical industry would want us to believe. Bipolar is hugely
deep, profound emotional, spiritual pain. read Dr.PeterBreggin's
materials Or go to his website. Remember, never stop taking these
drugs, even though you already know you are taking too many. Cessation
of these drugs is not the answer. You will really do damage if you
just stop taking the drugs. Rather, you must find a therpist in your
community who understands this position, and accepts it. From there,
over the course of time, you can integrate good therapy with the slow
reduction, milligram by milligram off these diabling drugs. You must
be prepared to shift your attitude to one of learning, soul searching,
but most of all, one of total truth and of clarity. Its really about
accepting the truth and forgiveness for those who have hurt you. It
will not be an easy road, but it is at least a better road than the
drugged one you are on. Nothing worth having is ever easy, so be
prepared for hard work to find the answers that you are looking for.
There is a lot of light at the end of the tunnel, and its not a
freight train! In the end, hopefully you will be inspired to help
others, and pass it forward one soul at a time. Good luck. God Bless.

Answer:
Teri, Although some doctors are more willing to prescribe medications
than others, any good doctor will not try to "shove" medications on
you. Any good doctor will try every other option before opting to
prescribe anything. I can tell you that the LAST thing a doctor would
want to do is to prescribe Vicodin to an addict. If anything, a decent
doctor will look for ways to NOT prescribe such medication for fear of
feeding your habit and getting sued. It is a red flag when a physician
repeatedly prescribes certain meds for specific people - they are
monitored and questioned. We don't know your history here, all of your
medications nor all of the reasons that you take them. Therefore, it's
difficult to give you good advice other than.... you might want to see
another doctor for a second opinion. Ask around and find a good,
reputable one.