Posted on 01/12/2015 10:41:11 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
I belong to a Vets group on Facebook where many current/younger soldiers hang out with the old salts for support. Too many of these guys are on numerous drugs prescribed by the VA. I always make myself available to talk to guys who are getting too far out on the ledge. A few say they want to get themselves out of their heads and understand how so many turn to a bullet to do just that.
Dispicable? Yes. Let me tell a story form my persective.
I am a medically discharged Veteran. Hurt my back. The VA prescribed me oxy and another muscle relaxer. I took 1 pill1 day and said forget it!
Next appointment I had I said get rid of that prescription, I won’t take it. I will deal with the pain rather than become a drooling moron.
I understand that many people have it worse than me. We all have choices. You do not need to take the prescription, you do not need to fill it, you have choices, there are other remedies.
I personally do not use or believe in using drugs, either prescription or illicit, but that is the personal choice I made many years ago. What anyone else does is likewise their choice-but they deserve to be informed of any possible side effects and all alternative treatments-an informed choice can not be made without all the info...
Too many of my husband’s fellow Nam Vets-and our friends-have used a gun or some other method of suicide as a way out of their emotional torment-drugs are no substitute for psychotherapy, and in many cases do more harm than good. Even out here in BFE I have friends and neighbors who are vets and use mind altering drugs they get from the VA-it doesn’t seem to help-three of those who took them also took their own lives just in the past 1 1/2 years. Something is very, very wrong with that...
Are You going to the VA?
When, My now Decease Wife was being “treated” for Breast cancer that eventually went everywhere: Liver/Kidney/Lung and Brain the VA handed out Oxycontin and Morphine Rx’s like they were PEZ Candy.
And they did the same for Everybody!
Heck they even mail them to you in 2-3 months supply.
Wow. thanks for whipping out the deceased spouse on me...I was just saying that the story seems to have a bend to it. I am very sorry for your loss.
Had no intent using in that way. just linking that to what I saw because that was the only way provide (IMO) backup for the info I was posting on the way the VA WAS passing out Meds and witnessed in person and via the USPS.
A few months ago the ChampVA stopped providing those types of Meds via USPS.
Now every time you need a refill you have to go to your Doc and get a fresh shiny NEW Rx and hand deliver it to the Local Rx to be filled. They won’t even let the Docs Write an Rx with any refills on it.
THAT IS A REAL PIA!
All thanks to the zer0/holdyboy.
Thanks for the Condolences. At least She is no longer hurting and is in a WAY better place than We are.
I know just what the article said. The article did say that the frequency of meds had increased greatly while the number of patients had decreased.
But, it is the Journal Sentinel which is not the most reliable source. I always had heard that the hospital in Milwaukee was treating huge numbers of Iraq and Afghanistan vets.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.