‘I was like, I’m on medication’: A mother and daughter explain their struggles with anxiety depression medications
Posted September 29, 2018 07:15:33A mother and her daughter are fighting to get their first prescription medication.
They’re fighting for the right to use it in a way that doesn’t make them depressed.
They are on the front lines in their fight for mental health and drug abuse issues.
“I’m a single parent, I can’t afford my medications,” said Stephanie.
“My son is autistic, he’s autistic.
He can’t communicate with me.
We’ve got to be there for him.
I can only go so far with him,” said Lauren.
They both have a difficult childhood.
“It’s hard for me because my kids are always in the same room, always playing,” said Laura.
She said she has trouble sleeping.
“If I have a headache, it’s probably the first thing that I see in the morning.
I’ve had panic attacks and I’ve been on medication, but my son is always right there.
It’s just been a little too much,” she said.
But they’re determined to find a way to get the medicine they need.
“There’s always been anxiety, there’s always going to be anxiety, but it’s kind of like a snowball effect, so I guess it’s a little bit more difficult to fight for it,” said Laila.
“For me, I really just wanted to be able to go back to school and to my job,” said Jessica.
“When you’re feeling anxious, when you’re not in the mood to go home, you’re like, ‘How can I go home and get my medication?’ and then it’s like, Oh my god, you’ve just gone from a safe place and now you’re depressed,” said Claire.
“That’s when I started asking questions like, How can I make sure that my children are not going to have to go through this,” said Sherry.
“What can I do to keep them safe?
How can my children feel safe?
So I started researching what anxiety medications can do to help people feel better,” said Dr. Robert Whelan.
The pharmaceutical industry is lobbying hard to make sure the medication is available to the public, but some are saying it’s just a way of pushing patients away.
“People are starting to realize that this medication is not as safe as it looks.
They’re seeing some adverse reactions, and they’re not getting the full benefit of the drug,” said Whelans chief medical officer, Dr. David Cavanaugh.
He says there is a growing body of evidence that people with mental health issues and depression are more likely to use the medication.
“The problem is that people have a different perspective on what’s appropriate,” said Cavanaugh.
“I don’t think we need to put people on the medication and say, ‘Oh, it will help your depression.’
There’s not enough data to say that,” he said.”
But people are beginning to understand that there are drugs that can help,” he added.”
They’re finding that medication can help with depression, but the only way they’re going to get that relief is to be on medication,” said Jana.
For Lauren, she’s not alone.
“Just the fact that I can be around my children and talk to them about it, that helps,” she explained.
“Some people are going to think, well, you can just go to the pharmacy and get a prescription for yourself.
And then that’s fine,” said Lisa.
The battle is not over.