Posted by 49er on September 6, 2009, at 11:58:14
In reply to Re: Suggestions re: Someone Who Refuses Medications, posted by SLS on September 6, 2009, at 11:35:47
<<I never said anything about not respecting the feelings of another human being. It is a difficult line to walk, though, when someone's judgment is affected by an illness of the brain and an alteration of the mind.>>
Agreed but a real attempt need to be made.
<<You just don't ask someone in an altered state a question once and accept the answer you get as an irrevocable decision - at least, not if you really care about their welfare.>>
Sorry, I didn't mean to give that impression. At the same time, I hope you would allow people who initially made a decision to take meds to later change their mind.
<<People drop in and out of treatment of their own accord. They leave when they feel well enough, often against medical advice. They return after they stop taking their medication and end up homeless.>>
Unfortunately, if they cold turkey or taper these meds too quickly, that is what is going to happen. If doctors would stop taking an all or nothing approach with meds and counsel patient that if they want to go off meds, they should taper very slowly (2.5% to 5% of current dose every 3 to 6 weeks), this might be prevented.
Instead, alot of them have the attitude that patient needs to be on meds for life which creates this all or nothing approach.
<< Do you accept every decision a young child makes? Why not? You can continue to respect the feelings of another while not agreeing with their decisions.>>
Scott, just because you have mental illness, doesn't mean you are a child and lose all rights to make decisions about your welfare.
<<The people on the mailing list you offer are lucid and not terribly ill. I find it irrelevant when dealing with people as seriously ill as are present in the program I attended.>>
>
How do you know that? Have you ever asked those folks to tell their stories? Just because they can participate in a mailing list doesn't mean their symptoms are mild.49er
poster:49er
thread:915268
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090902/msgs/915893.html