Posted by missliz on April 8, 2001, at 1:34:25
In reply to Re: codeine relieves depression, posted by Lisa Simpson on April 1, 2001, at 14:43:32
> I've been taking codeine phosphate for ulcerative colitis for many years, and yes, I found it helps with my depression. The trouble is, though, that as time goes on, I need more and more of the drug to get the same effect. At the moment, I am taking 36 x 30mg tablets at a time, which I think you will agree, is a real addiction. So my advice would be not to start taking it at all. It is terribly addictive, and very difficult to come off. The problem is that you just don't want to stop taking it.
>
>I find this thread disturbing. I've been there, got the T-shirts, since found much better tools to cope. And much better drugs.
I completely understand the charms of opiates. I've also taken enough of them to know that they don't really work for depression. You may think you feel better, but if you've gone to that kind of dope you've lost track of what truly feeling good is.
I used to drink and smoke and take drugs and be utterly miserable. It got so bad I had to cut myself almost constantly to get along. The cutting creates a big pop of endorphins in the brain, exactly like liquor and dope. All of these things are very bad for you. And codeine is particularly nasty because it metabolizes into bio-garbage that actually makes you feel worse after the high. It gives you the same hangover as drinking martinis but with about twenty times the trouble 'cause it's hard to get and addictive. Yeah, stop trying to hedge, addiction junkie rehab whithdrawal ect. all apply here.
So I found better tools. Give this some thought. I went to a psychiatrist. Thats the kind of doctor you need for depression- the other kinds don't really know how to treat it. Deppression is a specific illness with specific treatments. I got an accurate diagnosis, which for me was bipolar (manic depressive) disorder. Then I got medicine (drugs) that really worked and the long howling scream in my head finally stopped. The drinking and drugs stopped, too, because with appropriate treatment I didn't need to be a slave to getting high to dull the pain.
The other great secret- exercise. It makes the same chemicals right inside your brain that taking drugs does, but much higher quality and for free. And you look really good too.
A lot of you won't like this post, but you'll have to face reality sometime. In the days when opiates were used for depression the patient was being made comfortable but was considered a write off because there was no better treatment. Is that what you want? Is that all you're worth? Nobody is going to wave the magic wand and cure you. They can only help you do it yourself.missliz
poster:missliz
thread:1897
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010403/msgs/59080.html