Posted by Greg on March 15, 2002, at 18:16:47
In reply to Why do we feel guilty for taking meds?, posted by beardedlady on March 15, 2002, at 17:12:37
beardy,
I feel no guilt over taking my meds. They allow me to maintain some level of normalcy in my life. Now if I was to knowing not take them and allow my disease to run rampant knowing the effects it has on my friends and family and most importantly on myself, then I would feel guilty.
Stigma be damned! If we don't take responsibility for our own well-being, who's going to? Some of the greatest minds of our time had and have depression. We have nothing to be ashamed of or feel guilty about, we're just people doing the best we can with what we've got to work with.
Greg
> Since I started meds for anxiety-induced insomnia, it's been my goal to get off. No one WANTS to be on meds, after all. But why do we often beat ourselves up for being on them? Stigma?
>
> My girlfriend takes Prozac because she has social phobia and depression, stemming from childhood abuse by her stepfather. She feels so much better when she's on it, but she berates herself for having to take it.
>
> My sister is severly asthmatic and has terrible allergies. She doesn't beat herself up for taking a daily inhaler.
> My mother has arthritis and takes Vioxx every day. She doesn't beat herself up.
> My friends eat asprin like candy because they have stress headaches. They don't beat themselves up.
>
> And that's what they tell you when you complain; they say, "But I take this...."
>
> No one is looking at us like we're freaks because we take Prozac or Serzone or Wellbutrin or Zoloft or any other drug, for that matter. (The general public doesn't know what Zyprexa or other anti-psychotics are for, which is why I didn't include them.) In fact, ADs are as popular as Advil now.
>
> So why do WE do it to OURSELVES, especially when it's working?
>
> Just wondering.
>
> beardy : )>
poster:Greg
thread:98191
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020313/msgs/98202.html