Off to the doctor, Time to get honest.

[Pat1956100]

I am so tired of doctoring myself.  I have managed to achieve feeling so sick, depressed and lots of anxiety so I guess it's time to listen to my doctor.
First time I am going not seeking opiates.  Hopefully I took my last today.
Had to take something just to get out of bed and be able to go to the doctor.
Day 1 will begin again tomorrow, no matter what.
Really, really sick and tired of all of this.
Rock bottom?  Yeah I think so.

[Pat1956100]

My mother is 86 and has lost her husband and 2 children.  It amazes me how well she has handled it.  She doesn't drink and never takes anything stronger than a tylenol.  Even after surgeries she hates any pain medication because it makes her sick to her stomach.
She really is my hero.  
I know she was in so much pain and still is from losing my brother and then my sister but she has never turned to anything for help.
She does have a very strong faith and I think that is what has gotten her through.
I on the other hand didn't handle my grief well.  I couldn't take the pain.
I have always been extremely emotional even when I was really young.
I just think I was born this way and I have to learn to handle life without drugs.  
I have to stop the opiates and then get off the effexor when I am ready.
The opiates are what have caused all my problems so I have to concentrate on that right now.  Anything more is too overwhelming

Vicki, I will be very careful with the ativan.  He was going to prescribe 1mg but I asked for .5.   I do not want another addiction and I am glad I have read so much on this forum or it could have happened.

[YesLife4Me]

Whoops...meant what did people do "about" depression and anxiety before modern medicine?    

[YesLife4Me]

This is a great conversation and something I was actually wondering about this morning.   "What did people do before for depression and anxiety".    I was thinking about the fact that humans are always looking for some kind of escape from the pressures of life.   Some turn to activities while others turn to some kind of mind altering substances.   Is this just the Human condition??  

I remember being a child noticing all the older adults that have some kind of crutch and wondering why life was so hard until life happened to me.   Nobody is able to escape this thing called life without pain, injury and scars.   We all have our skeletons in the closet, but why is it so much harder for some people than others?      

[buddycrunch]

You know that guy that wrote the 'hockey pokey' song recently died and they credited his long long long life to actually doing the hokey pokey so much throughout his life.  So now i'm thinking way back, 600 years, life would have been tough.  The myans, aztecs, africans, american indians,  frequently smoked something and danced around the fire to drum beats.  Someone on here has a motto about circling around the fire, and if you drift away from the circle you are in darkness.  I think they were doing the hokey pokey way back then!

[vicki595]

Anxiety disorders can be traced back as far as the 1600's...
In the late 1800's, "nerves" we're treated with opium and alcohol and by the early 1900's came, my personal favorite, barbiturates...Self medication was popular then, as well...

So, Pat, you're in very good company but it's not good for you!  I hope for your sake this is the end. It's such a burden...
And be careful with the Ativan...

[Ben727]

That is a very good question that I often wonder about. How did people handle mental health issues in 1940? (for instance). I do not know. I would suggest reading "Catcher In The Rye" for a take on depression in 1940-1950. Anxiety is relatively new as a disorder and my suspicion is that it's directly related to the Information Age. Life was a lot slower in 1940. And let's not forget drinking and smoking at work. That had to cover up a lot...