problem with prolonged use of antidepressants/anxiety medication . .Answers?
My wife has been on anti-depressant/anxiety medication for years now. We've been together for 13 years, married 10. She originally started taking anxiety medication when she was going through divorce and bankruptcy with her previous husband. When I came on the scene, she had been divorced for at least a couple of years and was on track rebuilding her credit.
We've had it pretty easy, as I'm OK financially, and have been able to make it easy for her. She really only works part time now, mainly to keep up her health insurance and stuff of hers . . Pretty much everything else is covered and we have a pretty good life.
My wife didn't take anxiety medication prior to her divorce. Yet she has failed to give it up in at least 15 years now. It has affected her mentally and physically as she has dwindled from a size 4 down to a 00 and routinely looks pretty drawn and misses the obvious in conversations and is a couple of steps behind, occasionally slurring, and repeating herself. She looks good, as she maintains herself cosmetically, and goes to the gym . . but she's well under 100lbs now. The beauty treatments (injections) are pretty much plumping up the sunken lines in her face.
I worked with her over the years regarding getting off the drugs, as she's never been diagnosed with any true mental disorder, and it appears to be mostly a dependency and the withdrawals or depression from trying to get off that have caused her continued use (imo). This has gone on continually since I 1st found out she was taking meds for this. And it appears she now has 4 different types of anti-depressant and anxiety pills she is taking. I've noted the stuff she's currently taking, by monitoring what goes out in her weekly trash from her office upstairs, as well as having done a physical inventory of stuff in her bathroom and prescriptions stuffed in drawers.
It appears she's taking three things concurrently and a fourth appears to be untouched . . 4 different doctors prescribing anxiety/antidepressants, all current prescriptions.
Believe me when I say, the subject is not up for discussion any longer . . it is met with avoidance, dishonesty, dismissiveness, or hostility.
Lorazepam, Trazodone, and Venlafaxine are currently being taken and clonazepam (3 mo supply) appears to be languishing in a drawer. Along with this, there are occasional pain medications used up, refills and all . . hydrocodne . . pretty heady stuff for sure.
I have thought of notifying the doctors she sees in these regards, as I'd be surprised if they all knew what she takes, or what's going on . . but I'm not sure if that is a prudent route. Any suggestions?
She's a functioning adult in her 50's, but has become dull-witted over the years and I know it's from this constant soup of crap she keeps taking. I'd work with her in the past to give up stuff, but I knew she wasn't doing it . . she'd try . . and then go to something else. Now it's no longer something to discuss or work on.
Again . .any suggestions.
I'm looking for direction here from either doctors, or medical professionals. I am not looking for the general public to weigh in. Thank you, I hope you understand.