Some quack doctor prescribed my mother a strong anti-depressant. It’s beyond ludicrous because even according to the theory that fans of anti-depressants uphold, she can’t possibly have any chemical imbalances in the brain. Her grief began on the day her husband of 47 years died. She’s not sick. She would be if she didn’t grieve such a loss.
It’s normal to suffer terribly when the people you love die. This shouldn’t be treated like an illness. It’s the definition of human normalcy.
I’d find it an insult to my grief if people started treating it like a disease.
Clarissa's Blog 
I was offered antidepressants when my sister died. Before we even had the funeral. I declined… but still. WTF? I don’t want to feel numb! I LOVED her. I wanted to fling mud and scream– pour ashes on my head and rend my clothes. This is one thing my friends in VN have so much better than middle-class white people in the US: they can grieve loudly, ululate and throw themselves on the coffin, sing and wail as they walk to the graveyard. What we do here– sit quietly in the pews and dab our eyes while a stranger misrepresents the beloved dead… ugh. In America, everything’s just an excuse to take more medication.
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The over medication is ridiculous. Two examples
1) 28 yo Hispanic male notes some anxiety when he sits quietly. Also has some nightmares. Asks me, “should I get some pills for this?”
2) 60+ yo Hispanic female hasn’t been to her MD in a year and a half. Takes Synthroid. MD stops sending refills so she goes in. Tells her tests run at last appt show HTN and osteoporosis. Gives her a new pill for the latter. Quick google search shows synthroid can cause osteoporosis. Also asthma sx. She has asthma. i’m trying to get a list of meds. She’s on psychotropics also.
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My mom’s been through multiple rounds of this. Doc will put her on some shiny new medication, she’ll develop some horrible side-effect from it, doc prescribes more meds for the side-effect… fortunately, she’s pretty good at doing the research and figuring it out, and then she quits all the offending meds and goes back and reads her doc the riot act about it, and they find something that works better. Either the doc is listening, or, like everybody else he’s getting steamrolled by my mother and giving her what she wants so she’ll go away and leave him alone. It’s a formidable skillset: she gets what she wants!
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The over medication is ridiculous. Two examples
1) 28 yo Hispanic male notes some anxiety when he sits quietly. Also has some nightmares. Asks me, “should I get some pills for this?”
2) 60+ yo Hispanic female hasn’t been to her MD in a year and a half. Takes Synthroid. MD stops sending refills so she goes in. Tells her tests run at last appt show HTN and osteoporosis. Gives her a new pill for the latter. Quick google search shows synthroid can cause osteoporosis. Also asthma sx. She has asthma. i’m trying to get a list of meds. She’s on psychotropics also.
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I know it’s true but I’m still shocked when I see it happen in such obvious cases. We could debate chemical brain imbalances but in my mother’s case, it’s beyond clear why she’s devastated and it’s nothing remotely chemical.
I’m insulted on behalf of everybody who has grieved a loved one. Of course, it’s terrible, terrible pain. But it’s not a disorder.
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God, grief counseling would be better than that, and my own experiences with grief counseling are pretty sucky.
Sometimes meds can be helpful for grief, but only for helping take a person off a cliff, not for actual processing of the situation. Meds won’t solve anything then. Dear god. I hope she said no.
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She speaks no English or French and has no idea what’s she’s been given or why.
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oof!
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What the fuck.
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Oh, look, it’s toxic positivity visiting again!
Isn’t that so wonderful!
We’re just so happy to see toxic positivity!
(no we’re not, we’re just saying that because toxic positivity has some people we have to live with by the balls)
Aren’t you so very glad toxic positivity dropped in today!
Wait, you’re not positive about something?
You must need Pillz! Dispense at once! Dispense at once! Pillz for your Illz!
[Greek chorus appears] SOMA! SOMA! SOMA!
Here you go! PRN for having The Feelz, and enjoy your improved Statez of Being!
(who is this advert pinhead, what do we have to pay him to go away, and why do words suddenly appear capitalised with Zed endings, weird innit)
Also I hope she sells those “Pillz” to a local druglord for a net profit, so there’s that.
BUT THAT’S ILLEGAL, CRACKPOT
So? 🙂
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