posted
Hi folks. A dear friend of mine has a friend who she is worried about, because her mom is not letting her get the medication and/or medical support she needs.
I'm going to copy & paste an AIM conversation we had because it explains it pretty well:
quote: <friend> (8:55:13 PM): I have a friend who REALLY needs a doctor to oversee her medication because her mom keeps putting her on and pulling her off these antidepressants and mood-alterers. <friend> (8:55:26 PM): And her mom is like, "oh, it's like heart medication, doctors woulddo this." <friend> (8:55:42 PM): And I know firsthand that mental medication, when used improperly, ****s you up. <friend> (8:57:19 PM): She's in Australia right now, and her family keeps getting perscriptions sent over from their doctor in Georgia, and it makes me really angry. She's gone from being very self-abusive and self-hating and really emotionally unstable to being strong and happy and able to like herself. <friend> (8:57:29 PM): And every time I talk to her she's going on or going off this medication. <friend> (8:57:37 PM): And makes me furious. xnera23 (9:00:21 PM): gah. that makes me furious, too. xnera23 (9:01:19 PM): If she's not a minor, then she can find a doctor herself and take care of her own prescriptions. She could probably do this even if she WAS a minor. xnera23 (9:01:32 PM): The issue becomes health insurance and the money to pay for visits <friend> (9:02:20 PM): No, she's a year younger than me. <friend> (9:02:52 PM): She'll be coming back to America sometime in the spring, and so she'll be actually around her doctor again. <friend> (9:03:19 PM): She keeps telling her mom that she needs a doctor, but her mom won't listen. xnera23 (9:03:55 PM): thank gods my parents listened to me when I told them I needed to see a therapist. I was either 14 or 15. <friend> (9:04:27 PM): She needs a therapist, definitely, but she also needs a psychiatrist.
So there's a few problems here. One is that her mom is interferring, and not letting her take the medication she needs. The other is that she's in a foreign country right now, and so can't really get help from her doctor.
So, what options does she have? I don't know anything about the Australian health care system, or if they have community programs or anything. I mean, one of the first pieces of advice I tell people is to check out their hometown's services, and see if they offer any counseling, because right now I get my counseling for free from my village. But I don't know if (a) they have similar programs in Australia, and (b) they would offer services to someone who is not from the country.
posted
We do have counselling and stuff available for children.
The ones that are free shouldn't be an issue.
Going to a doctor will cost her however - we have Medicare as a health system which means Australians can effectively receive free treatment but it doesn't extend to foreigners. Some countries (like France) have a reciprocal agreement with us, but I'm pretty sure the US doesn't.
The best place for your friend to start is Kids helpline : free and confidential telephone counselling service. Available nationwide, free phone number.
They should be able to give her advice, and local contacts.
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
That's really stinky. Has the publicity about Prozac and suicide not gotten there? It's when people are starting up on it and the body is adapting to it that really bad stuff can happen. Taking her on and off it is incredibly bad, though the Mom may not know that. She may just be trying to ration it or something.
Posts: 666 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Trisha, we're not a "heavily medicated" nation. Most people here have only heard of prozac from US TV.
Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
Props to the Australians then. I guess where the government is paying for the healthcare they won't let the drug companies manufacture demand for it. Not that I think this is what is going on in this case- I am speaking of the practice in America of a general practitioner, internist or gynecologist prescribing anti-depressants without therapy or psychiatric oversight. Well, maybe that is what is going on with this girl and now the girl is in need of a psychologist.
Anyway, the scandal only broke here in the last couple of months so maybe the mom hasn't heard. Though it has been known in the medical community in America since at least 1995.
[ January 08, 2005, 02:50 AM: Message edited by: Trisha the Severe Hottie ]
Posts: 666 | Registered: Dec 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
First of all, it's apparently a bad idea to go on and off antidepressants. Beside the suicide risk, this can lower the effectiveness of the drug, or so my psychologist told me. Someone needs to pick one or the other and stick with it.
The girl probably should see a therapist if she's on medication. It's good practice, even if she doesn't have any serious trauma (as opposed to depression caused solely by a chemical imbalance). If there are medication issues, though, perhaps a psychiatrist would be better.
Do you know why the mother is doing this to the girl? Is she aware that depression is an ongoing illness and you don't take antidepressants only when you're depressed like you take, say, OTC painkillers only when you are actually in pain?
I don't know how to deal with this situation, except to encourage the girl to have a serious chat with her mother and be firm about what she wants. She's not legally old enough to make decisions, but her parents and preferrably a doctor should be aware of her opinion.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
My guess would be that the mom is dangerously nutso whacko -- ala Munchausen by Proxy -- cuz there is absolutely no way that she wouldn't know that on/off cycling of anti-depressants is dangerous to her daughter, induces a worsening of her condition.
posted
I don't know...never attribute to malice what can easily be explained by stupidity. You'd be amazed at how oddly people can react to mental illness. And how little some people know about it.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
