Jumper wrote:Another question that I think is interesting is what kind of pain is best suppresed by medication, mental or physical. Prozac or Oxycontin? I would have to say the physical meds seem to do a pretty good job at taking the edge off pain but I have never tried any of the mental stuff. Does Prozac work for those of you that have taken it or is alcohal still the drug of choice for mental pain? Interesting posts so far.....Then I guess there is also alternative methods of alleving all pains. I think for most it is a combination of what works for them, but you definitely see trends of certain things working better that others.
Just like physical pain there are all kinds of different mental pain - depends on what ails ya. Much simplified pharmacology: too much dopamine = voices, hallucinations, delusions - antipsychotics work. Too little serotonin = depression/maybe anxiety disorders (PTSD, OCD, GA, eating disorders) - an SSRI antidepressant (like Prozac) may be just the ticket. Or an imbalance of norepinephrine and serotonin - other types of antidepressants like Tricyclics or MAO-I's. Bipolar disease - mood stablizers (antiepileptics like Depakote) and/or Lithium.
Physical pain: is it acute, chronic, malignant or neurogenic????
Prozac and friends, again simplified, boost something that is low - in this case serotonin. Having serotonin levels normalized doesn't solve your problems, but might allow you to access your inner resources to solve them more effectively. Combination of drugs + cognitive therapy works well for people: drug normalizes what is out of balance, cognitive therapy helps you learn new and different "skills" - voila - new improved mental landscape.
Recommend avoid ETOH for self-medication of all woes: acutely messed up electrolytes and aldehyde poisoning; long term messed up liver enzymes.
Neurotransmitters are really neat. I'm amazed we hold together as well as we do....