I used to encourage the people i worked with (who were homeless and who had sig. mental health/addiction issues) to get off the juice (alcohol, the hooch) and switch to a less harmful drug, marijuana. I truly believed in "harm reduction" methods of support and knew if the switch was made, the person's quality of life would go up. It was too hard to do for most - the allure of alcohol is about easy access, the smooth tasty buzz, social networks and the anti-anxiety effect. The damage it causes, though, is so much more than a potheads' potential for problems.
Street or pharmacy purchased pills which give that (floaty) "i'm so fine" feeling can provide the bonus of induced sleep to escape the smelly trenches of the mind. I don't like them at all. I do my best to be "aware" of what's going on around me, even though it often makes me sick. Having said that, i do take a prescribed amount of Clonazepam for anxiety and PRN (as needed) for those "special" moments when i'm about to FREAK OUT!!
Self-medication can quietly (and sometimes, not so quietly) fill a void left by the "crap shoot" of prescription medications and the lack of access to effective psychiatric treatment and psycho therapeutic counseling. Margaret Trudeau can afford unending psychotherapy to treat her bi-polar disorder but people with average or below poverty level incomes cannot (current rate average at $100 for 50 min).
I remember when services in Ontario (during the infamous, conservative "Mike Harris" reign) started cutting back on supports. Community counseling centres introduced the "brief therapy" model. It was designed to identify one issue which would be best dealt with at that time and take six to eight sessions to basically wrap it up and check it off. Ridiculous. Who's insane - me or the system.
I digress.
There is a sad inevitability with self-medication for the unsupported.
Sometimes i think religion is self-medication.
I think all "isms" are probably examples of self-medication
Could my addiction to Blue Jays baseball be self-medication?!!! Gasp.
2 comments:
Hi there, your words resonate for me, thank you. I concur, there are infinite modes of self-medication. Take good care.
Hilary - your art is magnificent. Kudos for retirement (not for the reason why!) and then for integrating this gift back into your life. i look forward to reading your thoughts on mental health issues from a mixed media artist's perspective.
blessings,
h.
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