Taking Medication in Recovery;
But the Doctor said it’s OK
Taking medications prescribed or otherwise is seldom talked about in 12 step meetings. However, this silent trigger threatens an underlying condition for all alcoholics and drug addicts in recovery; and remains a leading cause of relapse. Very simply, alcoholics and drug addicts react differently to medication; whether it's a prescribed medication, an illegal street drug, or an over the counter cold medicine is secondary if not all together irrelevant. The primary goal in recovery after all is to develop and apply life-coping skills without the use of alcohol or drugs. In this regard, we must find another way to face life or we will die. So how should we approach the question of taking medication in recovery? The answer lies in our capacity to be honest with ourselves and others.
First and foremost, we should not approach taking any medication alone in recovery. Don't fool yourself by saying, "I'm ok. It's not my drug of choice"; or, "But the Doctor said it's ok". As alcoholics and drug addicts we can rationalize and justify just about anything to experience the ease and comfort we once found from alcohol or certain other drugs. In other words, we will lie to ourselves. We've proven that in the past time and time again. In recovery we need others who understand us and can keep us honest and accountable when it comes to taking medications of any kind. Let someone in recovery know what medication(s) you are considering taking before hand. Talk about it honestly and consider if in fact medication is needed at all.
Often times a Doctor's medical opinion alone may not be enough. No one is suggesting that you don't follow a Doctor's reasonable and sound medical advice. However, Doctor's are trained in medicine to treat with medicine; and are frequently unaware of our unique sensitivity to medications. At the very least, a Doctor can only diagnose and provide a treatment plan based on the symptoms we present. So by all means we should inform our Doctor that we are in recovery. If we omit this truth to a Doctor, it would be like telling him that our knee hurts and expecting him to cure our tennis elbow. It just doesn't make sense; and it's not being honest.
Extra measures may be needed if and when we face a surgical procedure or when recovering from a physical injury. Once again, we should be honest with our Doctor in advance. This way, depending on the procedure or injury, you can both explore the possibility of non-narcotic alternatives. If that is not an option, it would be wise to appoint a stable person in recovery (a sponsor) to administer your pain meds exactly as prescribed. Self-medicating is a receipt for relapse. The alcoholic and addicted mind can play tricks on the newcomer and old-timer alike. It's just too risky. We need not be lured back into the old lie of self sufficiency again. Remember, your post-op recovery is no different from your program of recovery and should not be faced alone.
Now, what about treating depression in recovery? Much like the topic of sex in recovery, opinions are varied, vast, and full of emotion here. Much of the controversy comes down to the question of which came first. "Am I addicted because of my depression or am I depressed because of my addiction?" This can be a very difficult and complicated question to determine with medical certainty. Alcoholics and drug addicts by definition continue to drink and use drugs in spite of negative consequences and therefore have a great deal to be depressed about in early recovery. In other words, some depression is the appropriate response for most of us entering recovery. That is not to say that we should all be treated with anti-depressant medication to kick start our recovery; quite the opposite. What is critical to long term success in recovery is determining whether or not there is a "pre-existing" cause for the depression. If so, then medication is clearly going to be necessary in addition to working a program of recovery; not as a substitute. In many cases the best way to determine this is with a "wait and see" approach and most assuredly under the close supervision of a Doctor. Unfortunately, what happens far too often is that a Doctor will prescribe an anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, or sleep aid in early recovery with no real game plan for follow-up or to wean the patient off the medication. The tragic result in these circumstances is that the patient essentially substitutes one addiction for another and never fully develops the necessary coping skills recovery has to offer. What's worse is when this false sense of security becomes threatened by an unexpected yet inevitable stress causing event. The natural response then is the need for more medication or perhaps one's original drug of choice. It's a vicious cycle facing thousands upon thousands in today's recovery community.
"But the Doctor said it's OK." Whether a Doctor recommends a certain medication or not, the fact remains that we must be vigilant in our recovery because there is no substitute for recovery. There is no magic pill for us in recovery. There is no one -size -fits -all solution to this very complicated and controversial issue in recovery. However, there is one thing upon which we can all agree; and that is that absolutely anyone can successfully recover from alcoholism or drug addiction if they have the capacity to be honest. When it comes to taking medication in recovery a good rule to live by is, "When in doubt, don't"; or, "If in doubt, get a second opinion". The alcohol and addiction treatment industry continues to become more and more specialized in this area. You owe it to yourself and your long term recovery to seek the expertise of both those in recovery and the medical profession who understand alcoholism and addiction. Above all we must be honest, open and willing to make sure a medication is absolutely necessary and does not jeopardize our long term success in recovery.
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