Why are some people so anti Medicine?

[Rageaholic]

I've known people like this. They don't "believe" in medicine for psychological problems even though they or their family members could really use it. I know I have been greatly helped by some of the pills I have been on so I don't understand peoples objection. Is it the money? Do they don't trust it? Or do they just want to play senseless martyr and "tough it out"?

What ever it is, I find it infuriating that otherwise good people could be so ignorant.

[SongsOfDragons]

I've seen most often that they hate the 'Big Pharma' and are convinced there are mind-control drugs hidden in the pills.

Or I dunno, something.

They can whinge all they want and go with whatever they like, even to the point of dying from some common thing because of it, but it's when they force their cock and bull on their partners and children that they should be roundly and emphatically stopped.

[Andara Bledin]

Don't forget the stigma of having mental problems.

There is a huge difference in how people treat people with treatable mental illness versus how they treat people with more physical illnesses. A person who gets irrational because they're diabetic and their blood sugar got too low isn't generally treated as poorly as one who gets irrational because they missed a dose of their psych medication.

Of course, it doesn't help when some doctors go straight to medication when the issues aren't actually caused by what they diagnose (anecdote: had a friend whose kid was prescribed Ritalin... for what turned out to be a wheat allergy).

[Hyena Dandy]

Some people think that medicine is taking away our 'real' feelings. Or that we're making a disease out of normal variance.

http://ozyfrantz.com/2013/04/06/on-m...tal-variation/

Interesting article I read on it.

[Andara Bledin]

I find it interesting and sad that the people who complain of psychological drugs "getting rid of neurodiversity" are often the same people who think that a "one size fits all" approach to the issue is appropriate.

[Rageaholic]

Some people think that medicine is taking away our 'real' feelings. Or that we're making a disease out of normal variance.

http://ozyfrantz.com/2013/04/06/on-m...tal-variation/

Interesting article I read on it.

But you know what? If an adult who is not hurting anyone has decided, in consultation with their psychiatrist, that their life is better with meds than without them– it is not your job to police them. Other people’s emotional health? None of your business! If your life is more fulfilling with occasional periods of depression, that’s your business, but you do not get to subject other people to depression because you like it, any more than I get to subject people to pineapple-and-olives pizza because I like it.

That is one of the best rants I've ever heard on this kind of subject. Though I guess it could also apply to people like me who think anti medicine people need to get with the fucking times.

I find it interesting and sad that the people who complain of psychological drugs "getting rid of neurodiversity" are often the same people who think that a "one size fits all" approach to the issue is appropriate.

Yeah. I despise the "one size fits all" bullshit. I'm thinking of starting a thread on that very thing.

[Ginger Tea]

I tend not to take pain killers where ever possible, one time I came of my bicycle on the way to work and did my shoulder in for a few days, it hurting reminded me to not use it and to take care of it a bit more, had I had pain killers, I might have found I over exerted that arm and did more damage, least that was the worry.

Cold and flu medicine I've not taken in years (well I had the odd flu jab at work) but if I got sick I was not allowed in anyways due to food handling, even though I worked with sealed food I had to stay home, thus I would just feel crap one day, fine the next but not be able to return till the next.
My other non food jobs I probably did dope up and work through it or at least return earlier as I had no food to potentially contaminate.
But I just didn't want to have something knocking around just in case as I would probably loose the bottle by the time I needed it and never felt like going to the chemist down the road for a bottle of something when I was off.

[kamn]

Personally, I don't like taking medicine, as I believe it will make my immune system more sluggish. I see this in my skin, when I put any kind of ointment on it, it keeps getting drier and drier over time, I see it in my hair, used to be strong and silky, started using conditioner, frail as hell now. I'm afraid of weakening my immune system to the point of having a cold every damned year.

All that said, if I'm sick I will take medicine. A bit more reluctant about pain medicine, as I can tolerate it (most of the time), but antibiotics, if Im given a batch, I will take it.

My brother is the same, though neither of us got it from the parents...

[Gravekeeper]

I won't take heavy medications unless necessary. Not because I don't believe they don't work, but more because I'd rather avoid harsh side effects unless I have too. Also, with antibiotics, I'd rather use those only when absolutely needed due to the whole super bug thing we have going on.

If a doctor tells me to take something though, I'll take it. I'm not a moron. But if I have a muscle ache or something, I'll reach for an ice pack or a warm bath to see if that works first before I head to the painkillers.

[Gravekeeper]

I won't take heavy medications unless necessary. Not because I don't believe they don't work, but more because I'd rather avoid harsh side effects unless I have too. Also, with antibiotics, I'd rather use those only when absolutely needed due to the whole super bug thing we have going on.

If a doctor tells me to take something though, I'll take it. I'm not a moron. But if I have a muscle ache or something, I'll reach for an ice pack or a warm bath to see if that works first before I head to the painkillers.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm another that chooses to not take medications for myself unless it's necessary (such as too much pain or an ailment that requires medication, such as an infection).

However, I don't decline to take medication without a good reason beyond just not wanting to. I'll check typical side effects and judge if those are acceptable. I'll check interactions. A lot of the medicines we take aren't any more dangerous to our long term health than a lot of other things we ingest.

Plus, the stress of being sick or in pain is damaging in and of itself, so you could be doing more damage to yourself than if you just took the medication.

It's worth noting that skin condition and hair condition as noted above are more likely results of change in diet or other systemic issue (either an illness or other condition such as allergies) as opposed to merely the use of conditioner. If conditioners and lotions did that typically, they wouldn't be on the market.

[Ginger Tea]

The only think I could be sure on taking every year was e45 hand cream for the back of my right hand, that would flare up mostly in the winter, but sometimes after a concert and I never gotten round to testing for UV ink allergies.

But it was only ever the back of the right hand, never left or scant if that but it got covered with enough whilst gunking up the right.
Sometimes the venue would use black ink for the stamp others UV and the UV ones lasted over a week when a UV light (our bug zappers) was shone on it, but I would always forget what was used after a week and it took over a week for it to flair up after a gig, nor did I ever get the left hand stamped to test the theory.

[Mr. Anubite]

I've encountered this attitude a lot. Some of my former friends* are very anti-pharmaceutical, and they constantly told me not to take my depression meds after I became depressed. I don't understand the mentality at all. They essentially told me to "tough it out," and constantly told me that "meds aren't the answer," and that my depression would go away completely if I just chose to stop being sad and codependent. In my experience, this attitude isn't as rare as one might think.

*The same people that told me that I should kill myself. I wrote about them in this CS thread.

[fireheart17]

I've seen most often that they hate the 'Big Pharma' and are convinced there are mind-control drugs hidden in the pills.

Or I dunno, something.

They can whinge all they want and go with whatever they like, even to the point of dying from some common thing because of it, but it's when they force their cock and bull on their partners and children that they should be roundly and emphatically stopped.

Pretty much this argument sums up my attitude. Not so much with mental health drugs, more with everything BUT that.

As for the mental health medication issue, I seem to have been one of those people who actually got better when I stopped taking meds . I went off my antidepressants about halfway through my final year of uni (possibly before that) and I actually seemed to recover. I didn't have that low cloud hanging over me and most of my symptoms seemed more anxiety-based than depression based. I did have a relapse recently (as most of you will have been aware) and while the docs have suggested medications, we aren't doing anything until we've established a dietary plan and other factors to combat the issues with food.

I also didn't like the way my doctor's attitude was that every time I came in with a breakdown or another issue, her response was to boost the medication up further, almost to the point where it could've caused ongoing issues with my blood pressure. She seems to be willing to work with it and given that my symptoms are generally milder than most, we're working towards improving my mood overall through diet and exercise. I think I'm teaching her as well

In terms of non-mental illness medications, the attitude I've seen from those people is shocking.
I usually try and shut the anti-vaccine groups (which are linked to this) up by asking them to please name which "big pharma' group produces which vaccine, where it's used, what it's used for and how much they make specifically off of that vaccine. I also challenge them to produce information from the last 2-3 years (the ingredient everyone gets so up in arms about was removed about 10 years ago) that lists precisely what ingredients are in the vaccine and where the vaccine is made.
Usually that shuts them up.

[Rageaholic]

I've encountered this attitude a lot. Some of my former friends* are very anti-pharmaceutical, and they constantly told me not to take my depression meds after I became depressed. I don't understand the mentality at all. They essentially told me to "tough it out," and constantly told me that "meds aren't the answer," and that my depression would go away completely if I just chose to stop being sad and codependent. In my experience, this attitude isn't as rare as one might think.

*The same people that told me that I should kill myself. I wrote about them in this CS thread.

You see, that's what pisses me off about these people. There are valid reasons to not take medicine, but to "tough it out" is not one of them. People who talk about how weak willed people on medicine are just mean spirited assholes who don't want to give anyone a break.