My cat taught me a lesson

[melanie2]

You will remember my posting about chelsea having fleas..well that's all over..but for the longest time after, she wouldn't go downstairs..if we carried her down, she would either immediately hop back upstairs, then eventually hopped out onto the screened in porch..then after a week, she would actually venture downstairs, but not linger..running outside as fast as possible..i'm thinking either she must have associated the downstairs with fleas, or something else had frightened her..little by little..she now goes downstairs and stays for brief moments..the last couple of days she's come down, and gotten up on David's lap...and the other day i caught her chewing the mail, which comes thru the front door in a little slot...so what does this mean? my chelsea overcame her fears all by herself..with no medicines..if a pet can do this, why can't we? i've been on paxil now since may 04...and i want off, but the doctor won't let me..if my kittie cat can overcome phobias etc...why can't i? although the reason for my being put on paxil was severe depression and anxiety..but that was then..

ahh my cat...what a cat she is..

 

[Horus]

After her mother passed away, my wife (it was before we got married) was prescribed Xanax for her nerves. Between work and the funeral, her nerves were shot. She later was laid-off. Best thing that it happened then because the company was sold, everyone was let go. The cavet was they were hired back, but no seniority or benefits. They had to start from scratch.

Anyway, we go to a bookstore in Philadelphia...Garland of Letters. We picked up some self-hypnosis tapes. She actually got herself relaxed enough she didn't need the Xanax anymore. That was over 25 years ago.

 

[toyoyo]

cats don't have doctors and TV telling them to take pills to feel better. Plus cats can lick themselves where we can't.

 

[Horus]

I'd rather not lick where my cats lick, too hairy. Our four little demons have their own way of doing things. Each has her own feeding station and they know it. We let them have their own space to have a private moment.

If any told you that cats don't show emotion, they are not communicating with their four-legged companions. One of our cats loved to go down in the basement, not anymore. The others have no desire to do so.

We let them have the run of the house until we go to bed. "Night-time Crazies" is a normal routine after midnight.

The oldest is 15 (her mother is 21 and lives across the street), next is 13, next to last is 7 and the youngest is 1 1/2 yrs old.

 

[HOLLYWOOD]

the hollywood brother thinks that animals are no dummies. it might be possible to get off of the drugs if you slowly lower the dosage of what you is on. now from the limited hollywood brother knowledge that the hollywood brother has, the hollywood brother do not think you can just quit taking the pills just like that but over the course of a few weeks, you might be able to lower the dosage and see what the results are

 

[melanie2]

the hollywood brother thinks that animals are no dummies. it might be possible to get off of the drugs if you slowly lower the dosage of what you is on. now from the limited hollywood brother knowledge that the hollywood brother has, the hollywood brother do not think you can just quit taking the pills just like that but over the course of a few weeks, you might be able to lower the dosage and see what the results are

ah Hollywoodbrothe...i'm on the lowest dosage now...i asked the doctor last winter if i couldn't get off of paxil...he said we want you happy...so that's that...

 

[kopfhorer1]

I hope that your doctor meant simply that he wanted you to be functional. In any case, I'm glad at least you're on the lowest possible dosage. That's a good sign on a lot of levels.

+ + + + + + + + + +

Pet peeve department:

Susie Bright's blog/podcast (via Audible) has a fine article on antidepressants (http://bit.ly/46tQMz - NSFW). There's a free MP3 excerpt on her site. She's a sex columnist and talks here of anti-depressants vis-a-vis their effect upon sexual functioning, which, with the possible exception of Wellbutrin, usually isn't good. She quotes author Peter Breggin, who pointed out that in the 1970's, talk therapy was big and psychiatry and psychiatric drugs were way, way down from their 50's and 60's popularity peaks. So the American Psychiatric Association worked, with lots of help and money from big pharma, to convince people that yes, depression was an illness after all!

I'll never criticize a doctor who responsibly prescribes medication, just as I'll never fault anyone who takes medication which makes it possible for them to exist. But I have no patience either with doctors who think that a prescription pad is the same as a treatment plan or with drug manufacturers who sling dangerous drugs with no regard for their side-effects. (I understand that at least one drug company has admitted that their research into drug safety was bogus; they're getting hit with lawsuits now).

 

[HOLLYWOOD]

the hollywood brother wonders if the problem is that once we as humans are on these drugs, that it alters us into a state where we can not function properly without them. the hollywood brother is on a cholestrol medicine and is hollywood brother positive that if the hollywood brother got off it then his hollywood brother cholestrol number would increase. this just goes to show you that it makes sense to lower and get off of drugs but if it helps the body and is not harming anything then maybe it is okay to be on a few as long as it is helping and you are being seen regularly by a doctor that you trust

 

[Horus]

Doc has me on BP meds. Seems that my weight is a little over for my age.
Everything else is good....Cholesteral 156, PSA 1.1, best of all, no cancer.
I jammed my thumb (actually think I broke it), he's giving me pain pills for my arthritis.

Yes, my wife did wean herself off of the Xanax. She was taking the lowest dose anyway.

 

[melanie2]

Doc has me on BP meds. Seems that my weight is a little over for my age.
Everything else is good....Cholesteral 156, PSA 1.1, best of all, no cancer.
I jammed my thumb (actually think I broke it), he's giving me pain pills for my arthritis.

Yes, my wife did wean herself off of the Xanax. She was taking the lowest dose anyway.

ah i'm glad she did..as xanax is terribly addictive...my mother was addicted to xanax.. yes i'm on high cholesterol and high blood pressure med as well...i'm so lucky...grrr

the thing is..i hate relying on pills of any kind...i won't be like my mother..i refuse to be like her..

 

[kopfhorer1]

the hollywood brother wonders if the problem is that once we as humans are on these drugs, that it alters us into a state where we can not function properly without them. ...

Good point, especially with the mind-altering drugs (licit and illicit).

ah i'm glad she did..as xanax is terribly addictive...my mother was addicted to xanax.. yes i'm on high cholesterol and high blood pressure med as well...i'm so lucky...grrr

the thing is..i hate relying on pills of any kind...i won't be like my mother..i refuse to be like her..

I hear you loud and clear on that point. I am on several medications for various things, and I'm not entirely happy about the situation, save for the fact that the meds help me function. In any case, after experiencing the side-effects of certain drugs, some of which sound rather innocuous (stomach meds), I'll never take any new meds without first consulting Doctor Google!