tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555487744976580528.post4358211288283019248..comments2023-11-02T07:44:36.283-07:00Comments on Orthodoxy and Recovery: Medications and the BrainUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555487744976580528.post-54765785977300085052012-07-23T20:57:54.135-07:002012-07-23T20:57:54.135-07:00Thanks for these insights, Ioan!Thanks for these insights, Ioan!Fr. Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01377360010219230919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555487744976580528.post-19231692314087485832012-07-23T08:43:12.955-07:002012-07-23T08:43:12.955-07:00So, it's all about the meds; if the patient is...So, it's all about the meds; if the patient is on a med, they feel it's good enough, doesn't matter what med and who prescribed it, the patient or the doctor. :)Ioanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661789901773565662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555487744976580528.post-42210720566354075612012-07-23T08:40:08.460-07:002012-07-23T08:40:08.460-07:00The reason they didn't change my med was that ...The reason they didn't change my med was that they weren't really taking me very seriously when I was telling them that the meds were hurting me. This actually caused me to not be very open about the illness out of fear and as a personal precaution. It took a long time to basically force them to change it, which again, is another bad thing they do -- if the patient is fed up and brave enough they basically end up telling the doctors what med to give them. (not blaming it on the doctors, but on the system).Ioanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661789901773565662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555487744976580528.post-81576586613174529992012-07-23T08:28:41.938-07:002012-07-23T08:28:41.938-07:00As one who has a mental illness I can tell you tha...As one who has a mental illness I can tell you that in the past I was put on meds that were really hurting me in ways I cannot explain (must be something my body can't handle). It was hard for me to get the doctors to change my medication. Once I got off it by myself and the illness relapsed (not saying it's the only reason it relapsed). The result over the years has been my body being thrashed by bad medication, add to it multiple meds being tried until finding one that actually is accepted by my body, but still with strange side effects. <br /><br />For a number of years now, I've been fine as far as bad episodes, and I notice that people seem to place a lot on the meds I am taking. But, I actually have a different story to tell: <br /><br />Meds do not heal mental illnesses (in fact, I don't think one can "heal" from say, schizophrenia, because it's a brain chemistry problem). Meds may help a lot in stabilizing a patient and removing symptoms, maybe certain causes, but you do not want to put all your trust in the med, not at all. Medically speaking, the most important thing is counseling. You need to get the patient to admit the truth about the illness, to understand it as much as they can, and to be determined to overcome it. I think this should be a procedure, but the system simply doesn't go about it in such a way. They are usually happy if the patient doesn't display symptoms anymore, but the depth of the illness is not all that explored. Even worse, doctors sometimes have little time to deal with each problem, and so they rely a lot on the med and not so much on counseling, but I find this unacceptable and dangerous, both for the patient and the world. The happiest because of these things are, of course, the companies that make all the profit.<br /><br />Most importantly, I tell people that God has kept me the way I am over the last years. Meds and counseling help, but if you really want to heal the causes you need to deal with your passions, and ask God for His help.Ioanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661789901773565662noreply@blogger.com