027 SelfWork: Anxiety, My Mom and Prescription Drug Abuse

“My mother was many things — lovely, talented, and she had a prescription drug addiction.” This is the very personal story of Dr. Margaret’s own mom, how anxiety and addiction affected her life and the lives of those who loved her. She had what would now be called Generalized Anxiety Disorder and obsessive-compulsive traits, and had been prescribed heavily sedating drugs at a young age. She, like many others in our culture today, didn’t realize the effects of the pills she was taking. A New York times recent article not only focuses on the prevalence of anxiety in our culture, featuring examples such as New Yorker’s Sarah Fader’s viral hashtag, #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike, but warns about the danger of our current solution – medication. Dr. Margaret’s mom quietly whispered to her, “I wish I’d known what they were doing to me.”  If you or someone you love is addicted, there are things you can do to stop.

Dr. Margaret also answers an email from a listener about how to make decisions concerning being a stay-at-home mom or a working for a salary mom. She focuses on the process of decision-making and offers a strategy you can use for any future situation.

Click here for “Marriage Is Not For Chickens,” the new gift book by Dr. Margaret! It’s perfect for engagements, anniversaries, weddings, or for the person you love!

You can hear more about anxiety and many other topics by subscribing to SelfWork with Dr. Margaret Rutherford.  Or subscribe to this website and receive her weekly posts as well as her podcasts, and get a free copy of  Dr. Margaret’s eBook, “Seven Commandments of Good Therapy.”

Important links mentioned in the podcast:

Research on the estimated non-medical use of prescription drugs.

Physiological effects of opioids.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Details on how to do an intervention:

Articles on benzodiazepines and how we don’t know how many people are actually using them.

 

 

You can hear more about mental health and many other topics by listening to my podcast, SelfWork with Dr. Margaret Rutherford. Subscribe to my website and receive one weekly newsletter including my weekly blog post and podcast! If you’d like to join my FaceBook closed group, then click here and answer the membership questions! Welcome!

My new book entitled Perfectly Hidden Depression has arrived and you can order here! Its message is specifically for those with a struggle with strong perfectionism which acts to mask underlying emotional pain. But the many self-help techniques described can be used by everyone who chooses to begin to address emotions long hidden away that are clouding and sabotaging your current life.

And there’s a new way to send me a message! You can record by clicking below and ask your question or make a comment. You’ll have 90 seconds to do so and that time goes quickly. By recording, you’re giving SelfWork (and me) permission to use your voice on the podcast. I’ll look forward to hearing from you!