Psych Patient, MD

Straddling the border of sanity

Ain't it funny?

Ain't it funny how you spend the best years of your life raising your kids to be independent adults, and then, when you need them most, they up and leave?

My dad will be 80 years old next year. He taught each of his kids, all girls, to be strong and independent. Except, of course, when it came to HIM. Can't tell you how many times I've heard, "Daddy is Daddy," meaning that he is the leader, and we follow the leader. That was fine when I was growing up. Heck, it's probably what kept me out of trouble as a kid. But that logic doesn't fly with adult children, at least not in my family.

My mom passed away in 2002. My father expressed fear that with mom gone, nobody would visit him anymore. We all told him that would not happen. I like to think that we didn't lie intentionally to him. But visits from the kids and grandkids are probably less frequent now than they were when my mom was alive. Worse yet, the expectation that one of the daughters, out of filial duty, would move back home to care for Daddy, was never fulfilled. Are we rotten kids or what?

THIS kid, has the excuse of living 3000 miles away, lame as it is. But Daddy accepts it, and that drives the other kids nuts.

I wonder if it's guilt about how I've treated my parents that makes me so patient with other people's parents. 

Beat the high cost of meds

Prescription medication cost is a joke in the United States. Consumers demand state-of-the-art medicine. The pharmaceutical industry delivers with no holds barred on the cost of development. The people who suffer the most, I believe, are psychiatric patients. The armory of psychiatric meds is expanding rapidly, vastly improving care and management of the psych patient. But psychiatric patients are probably the least likely to be able to pay for the new medications that are coming out onto the market.

As a psychiatric resident, I learned that many pharmaceutical companies have "patient assistance" programs. These programs are designed to give FREE medications to those who meet defined financial qualifications. All kinds of medications can be obtained in this way, not just psych meds. Usually, you and your doctor fill out forms to send to the company. If you qualify, the medication will be sent to your doctor to give to you, free of charge.

Here is one place where you can look for patient assistance programs:

http://www.needymeds.com/

What I Did This Summer

On Memorial Day this year, I took a chance on getting to know someone new. My life hasn't been the same since.

That same week, BlogEstates launched and I started this blog. I told the world about my "dirty little secret" of chronic clinical depression. The overwhelmingly positive and supportive response that I got to my very first entry shocked me.

Many doors have flown open for me since that time. I have met many wonderful people, found support in a few surprising places, and discovered strengths that I didn't know I had.

There have been disappointments along the way as well, as would be expected in the normal course of life. But I am learning to deal with disappointment and setbacks in a healthy way. At least I am not hiding anymore. And I am beginning to remember that the person I need to please first and foremost is myself.

I have come out of my shell. I am more social now. I am actively participating in the internet marketing community. I own and run three safelists; and I just launched my first joint venture, a traffic exchange.

My therapist can hardly contain himself now when he sees me. It's been a long time since I've seen him smile broadly when I enter his office.

What a summer it has been. Thank you everyone for your support.

Writer's Block

You ever want to express something so badly that the words just won't come? I hate it when that happens.
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