men
#22
05-23-2007, 08:08 AM
consider talking with your doctor again
One of my classmates (in CDL school) was on anti-depressants (which, I believe Paxil is considered) and she listed it on the DOT physical long form we had to have to get into the CDL program. When she was calling one company for general info the recruiter stated he'd need that long form faxed in. She mentioned the anti-depressants were listed and he wanted to know her name "how do you spell that" - she called a few weeks later and was told there would be no female trainers available until the 30 days past her graduation date when they won't take a student. (this company does not do co-ed training). She's had that happen a couple of times. Might be a coincidence, I dunno. Has your doctor offered any alternatives to medication that you might be able to consider? That would help you feel better but not have to be listed on a DOT long form? Better to be honest, always, but my friend didn't think it would be a problem because her doctor would back her up. I get the feeling that some, maybe a lot of companies are just uncomfortable with any type of anti-depressant. Hope this will work out for you in a good way & hope you feel better.
#23
05-23-2007, 12:59 PM
Originally Posted by Shawnee
Originally Posted by golfhobo
Well... I don't suppose I'll get any awards for THIS post!
1) I wonder what women DID for thousands of years BEFORE paxil and other drugs when they "approached" the change of life? 2) I wonder why ANY woman who drives a truck would fall for this crap!? 3) My mother fell for this crap 40 years ago, and has been "screwed up" on meds ever since.... so I DO know what I'm talking about! 4) I, TOO, suffer from depression and ADD, and have forgone ALL meds since I started driving a truck, so I DO know what I'm talking about! 5) You DO realize, of course, that the pharmaceutical companies give your doctor LOTS of free samples to give away to anyone who even HINTS that they need help, so that HOPEFULLY, they will continue to BUY these prescription drugs for the rest of their lives, right? 6) Did I mention that women suffered this situation for YEARS upon YEARS without medically altering their BRAINS? 7) Did anyone tell you that these drugs can be HABIT FORMING? 8.) I'm out of material, so I guess I'll just add this.... Does anyone besides ME see this as the NEW method of "keeping the woman barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen?" Does anyone remember the song "Mother's little helper?" I've BEEN there and lived through it (with my mother.) I was there the day we managed to get her OUT of the mental institution that the doctors put her in! After 2 days in there, she said, "I'm not CRAZY, but if you leave me in here for long, I WILL be!" (It took us two weeks or more to get her out.) Have you tried vitamins (which are suspect)? Or accupuncture? Or Yoga? Have you tried ANYTHING (like EXERCISE?) besides sheepishly following your "so-called" doctor's advice to take mind altering drugs? Have you tried realizing that you're a woman, and post partum depression and menopause are a fact of your life? And before you say I'm "sexist," I feel the same way about PTSD, or whatever the "term du jour" is for suffering the horrors of WAR! Life sucks! Life is HARD! War is HELL! The drugs to treat these "symptoms of life" are expensive! Dubya has made sure that they cannot be gotten cheaper! What part of this medical charade do you not understand? This country was built by people (pioneers) who didn't have access to, nor need for these drugs. WHAT about childbirth has changed since then? Paxil for the "change of life?" Are you KIDDING ME?? Tell your doctor that, (since you've NOT taken drugs before and never needed them,) he can stuff his free samples of mind altering drugs and just make sure you have no biotic infections! Then, pull yourself out of whatever depression Oprah has convinced you that you SHOULD have about now, and get back to work! :roll: I'm NOT saying there's not a "change" in body temperature or temperament associated with the "change of life." We men have suffered "similar" changes throughout eternity. I'm saying.... quit letting a doctor "put you out to pasture" by giving you a mind altering drug (that could affect your driving career) just because it is expedient for HIM, profitable for the drug companies, and socially "expected" and "acceptable." God created your body and mind! He did NOT specify that certain drugs would be necessary to MAINTAIN them! By taking EVERY drug that comes down the pike, we are not only "questioning" his creation, we are "condemning" it! If you want your KIDS to be "drug free," start with YOURSELVES! Great post, You should get the award for telling it exactly like it is. I have read alot of books and articles about these multi-billion dollar parmacutecal companies and how they are only out to make money off of people, they don't give a damn about making people better, and these doctors prescribing these meds get big kickbacks from these companies for pushing their drugs.
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Don't trust anybody. Especially that guy in the mirror.
#24
05-28-2007, 11:34 AM
Well... I guess I DID get an award or two! Thanks, Y'all!
Mojoe: I didn't mean to "jump down your throat." I apologize if YOU felt that way. I was "railing against the machine" so to speak. Sometimes, I get a bit carried away, and I just don't care if I'm diplomatic or not. Doctors nearly took my mother from me over this stuff, and I've been suspicious ever since. I, MYSELF, have suffered from ADD and depression all my life (though undiagnosed for years) and have tried Paxil and nearly every other drug there is! I also have a bad back. The Air Force almost FORCED me to have my backbone "fused." I refused (which you can't really DO when you are G.I. - government issue.) I believe in Chiropracty and it has ALWAYS sufficed for MY condition. M.D.'s are taught (unless they specialize in surgery) ONE thing, mostly... and that is MEDICATION. Medication is to MASK the pain... NOT to remedy the problem. The first 3 sentences (I beleive it was) of your post just JUMPED out at me as the COMMON plea of the "gullible," and set me off. Again, I apologize. I reject such statements as: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help you" and "Here, little lady, take this pill and you'll be allright." On the more practical side, and I should have said this in the first place, admitting to taking or needing anti-depressants is a Job Killer for a trucker! Furthermore.... if you REALLY have anxiety or many of the other mental disorders under the depression heading, you may need to rethink your career choice. Trucking is STRESSFUL at times. If you get "anxious" easily, you MIGHT be hazardous to YOUR safety or that of others. Sorry, but that is just a fact. I have ADD. That means I can easily be distracted. That can be VERY dangerous in this business. I cannot take the Ritalin I "need" without having job complications. So... I don't take it. I've gone without it many times in my life, so it is not something I'm not accustomed to. Point is, trucking requires focus. Since, it is a constant requirement, I don't have a problem doing it. I suffer more when I'm at home, and I guard against letting my co-driver talk to me while I'm driving. I was just trying to point out that, a LOW dose of Paxil is an "easy out" for a doctor when faced with YOUR type of complaint. It might not be good for your career, and as it was your FIRST experience with it, I thought you could, or should, be able to do without it. Still, I stand behind EVERYTHING I said. Think back to your parents' and grandparents' time. How did they EVER get by without all the easy fixes that drugs provide for us today? They toughed it up! Flat out, and simple. If you are not tough enough to face life without a LOW dose of Paxil, then you might not be tough enough to be a trucker. Sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't "get" the MEN abbreviation. Forgive me for being a MAN who doesn't even HAVE that word in my vocabulary. I may have said it badly.... but, I honestly didn't understand why you titled your thread that way. As for the ONE poster who took your side, and said "I" didn't have a leg to stand on.... I won't insult you for your opinion. However, your "experiences" sound just like Mojoe's, and I have to wonder about YOUR "fitness" to drive a truck, as well. I don't know you, so I could be wrong. Maybe, you were just standing up for her. But, you seemed to drift off into that "poor me, I need a drug" vein yourself. For the record, I wish it WERE acceptable to manage our depression, et al, with drugs and still drive big rigs on the road. But, I have to say I can see the point of the companies and their insurers. I don't have to like it, but I have no constitutional RIGHT to drive a truck. In summation, let me just say this. Americans are considered in SOME places in the world to be WEAK, and coddled. Could it be that they are right? How many Islamic terrorists do you think visit their doctor every week (or have one on a direct phone line) and wimper about being depressed? I don't mean to be cruel and insensitive. In fact, I believe I am just the opposite. Perhaps, I am sometimes misunderstood, especially in THIS forum. And, that is surely MY failing, and not YOURS. For that, again, I apologize. My best friend thinks I can be an AZZ at times, but I'm HIS kind of Azz!! (no smart remarks, please.... I don't mean it THAT way! :lol: ) So, I speak truth to power, and truth to ignorance. If it hurts, get over it. This is just the internet. Hobo
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#25
05-28-2007, 11:56 AM
C'mon hobo, don't apologize for being who you are. Say what you mean and mean what you say. If some people can't handle the truth than F!@k 'em.
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#26
05-28-2007, 12:14 PM
Originally Posted by bulldog2036
C'mon hobo, don't apologize for being who you are. Say what you mean and mean what you say. If some people can't handle the truth than F!@k 'em.
I think I DID say what I meant.... SORRY for that! I just felt it was necessary to explain myself to those who don't understand me! For THAT, I apologize! I'm really SORRY, if I let you (or any other men) down! I didn't MEAN to, and will forever be SORRY if I DID!! Sorry, if this apology was long winded!! Sometimes, I get out of hand and say too much! For that I am truly SORRY!! Besides.... I've been divorced for over 20 years now... and I don't get enough practice anymore saying I'm SORRY!!! Just thought I'd try it out again! SORRY, if it offended you! :wink:
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Remember... friends are few and far between. TRUCKIN' AIN'T FOR WUSSES!!! "I am willing to admit that I was wrong." The Rev.
#27
05-28-2007, 12:17 PM
Your 'truth' may be significantly different from someone elses. Everyones 'truths' are based on personal experiences. Get a little more facts before you assume your experiences make you an expert. drugs for depression do not always affect your ability to operate a vehicle. Everyones reactions and capabilities to function on certain drugs varies. The law clearly states that a persons medical information cannot be used against them you have aright to medical privacy because as you have demonstrated there are some narrow minded know-it-alls out there. When a medicine is prescribed for a medical condition it is up to the patient and their physician to determine its suitability. If the patient feels they cannot take it and function or their physician believes it is causing an impairment that prohibits their patient from operating a vehicle then the doctor and the patient need to discuss and dtermine the appropriate steps. Most drugs for depression are NOT on any list to negate driving. I would take a risk and suggest that a person with ADD not taking their medication while operating a commercial vehicle is probably more of a risk on the road than someone who takes their ritalin to control their mental functions. As for our grandparents 'toughing it out' thats alot of BS. How many of them had 'accidents' that never went on record as suicides for many reasons(like being buried in hallowed ground or the stigma the family would endure if the nature of death was known). Studies have shown that people today have more stress in their lives than our grandparents had. We live in the world at a time when we are constantly inundated by increased pressures, workloads and responsibilities with less opportunies for release and fewer emotional supports than our grandparents ever had.
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#28
05-28-2007, 01:07 PM
Originally Posted by malaekat
Your 'truth' may be significantly different from someone elses. Everyones 'truths' are based on personal experiences.
TRUTH is universal. It's not MY fault if you think truth is a variable. Get a little more facts before you assume your experiences make you an expert. I have YEARS of experience digging out the "facts." More years than SOME doctors have in school or in "practice." But, I never claimed to be an "expert." Because I post an OPINION on this board, you think I'm claiming to be an "expert?" Can you quote me as claiming to be such? drugs for depression do not always affect your ability to operate a vehicle. Everyones reactions and capabilities to function on certain drugs varies. I agree! But, do we REALLY know how we are affected, when our perception is altered by drugs? The law clearly states that a persons medical information cannot be used against them you have a right to medical privacy because as you have demonstrated there are some narrow minded know-it-alls out there. The law ALSO stipulates that a company cannot discriminate in hiring practices based on race, sex, or a number of OTHER reasons. Try getting hired at a defense contractor today if your name is Mohammed! Or at Hooters if you're not "well endowed." Your insult notwithstanding, I think you need to rethink how much your medical condition is an open book to trucking companies! And... perhaps, rightly so! When a medicine is prescribed for a medical condition it is up to the patient and their physician to determine its suitability. If the patient feels they cannot take it and function or their physician believes it is causing an impairment that prohibits their patient from operating a vehicle then the doctor and the patient need to discuss and determine the appropriate steps. Blah, Blah, Blah.... this means NOTHING to the trucking companies. And, if you're an experienced trucker, you KNOW this as TRUTH! Most drugs for depression are NOT on any list to negate driving. I don't have time to find the link to the thread on THIS forum, but the list of "banned" or "suspect" drugs is as long as my ..... well..... actually, a bit LONGER! :lol: I would take a risk and suggest that a person with ADD not taking their medication while operating a commercial vehicle is probably more of a risk on the road than someone who takes their ritalin to control their mental functions. And, I would AGREE with you! I wish I COULD take it! But, I've spent alot of time "overcoming" this so-called disability, and have learned how to replace a drug with a WILL! I'm constantly AWARE of the "limited" danger... and am a better, more "attentive" driver than most I see on the road! IF you think it is a dangerous situation.... tell the FMCSA about it! I'm SURE they will readily understand "OUR" point of view, and make it easier for us to comply! But, to set your mind at ease, we ADD'ers are ONLY distracted when we have TOO many choices to make. When I'm driving, I have only ONE thing to focus on. And, in that regard, our "condition" actually makes it EASIER for us to do that ONE thing. Not that YOU would know anything about it.... being an "expert" and all! As for our grandparents 'toughing it out' thats alot of BS. How many of them had 'accidents' that never went on record as suicides for many reasons(like being buried in hallowed ground or the stigma the family would endure if the nature of death was known). Studies have shown that people today have more stress in their lives than our grandparents had. Show me the "study" that implies that deciding where to eat dinner, or what phone company or cable system is MORE stressfull than enduring the dustbowl, feeding a family on supplies bought with a "promise" of payment from next year's crop, or losing the bread winner at a time when there was NO government programs to "aid" you financially when such catastrophes occurred (and women weren't generally "hireable.") In general, I agree with you that we have LET ourselves be more stressed out over inconsequential things in THIS generation, but these modern day "studies" are subjective! Our "stress" is compared against euphoria! Those making and composing those "studies" have never even SEEN the movie "Grapes of Wrath," let alone LIVED through it! Get REAL! We live in the world at a time when we are constantly inundated by increased pressures, workloads and responsibilities with less opportunies for release and fewer emotional supports than our grandparents ever had. RIGHT!!! Our grandparents had DisneyWorld, health spas, Gold's Gym, internet support groups, cable T.V., reliable transportation, air conditioning, and a drug to "get you up" "put you to sleep" and "tune out the stress." :roll: Are you getting my drift yet? Is YOUR truth even CLOSE to the real truth?
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Remember... friends are few and far between. TRUCKIN' AIN'T FOR WUSSES!!! "I am willing to admit that I was wrong." The Rev.
#30
05-28-2007, 04:25 PM
Originally Posted by malaekat
Ooooo....oh! Hit a nerve did i. Can't stand someone elses opinions or experiences can you and you just HAD to make your gender an issue.. didn't you.
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Remember... friends are few and far between. TRUCKIN' AIN'T FOR WUSSES!!! "I am willing to admit that I was wrong." The Rev. |
