Patient's drug of choice-all of them?

[JeneraterRN]

Repeat drug overdose patients are difficult to treat. We all are probably aware of the complexity of addiction, but one particular patient we have baffles me. Drug of choice-any of them. Over-the-counter, street, prescription, you name it. It seems like this person feels bad and if one pill for a particular symptom works ok, twenty are better.

Were I a prescriber, I'd be very hesitant to give this person anything at all due to the liability, but a provider can't really leave them untreated either. What do you think?

[JeneraterRN]

First of all, I wouldn't recommend anything. I am a nurse, that's not in my scope of practice. That being said, I am going to say something that will get me beat up, boiled in oil, roasted over an open pit, fried, dyed, and laid to the side. I am willing to take it. For the "anxiety" if I could prescribe anything at all, it would be "Get a Job". I know the economy is rough, but there are jobs. Burgers, sales, cleaning, a job is a job. You can have a job and you can be just as anxious on your job as you can be at home wallowing in anxiety. At least give it a shot.

(This is the old ER nurse coming out in me. But I have seldom seen an employed person too anxious to function).

I never said this person didn't have one, which this person does. I really have no intention to roast you in any way because I agree with you that any job is better than none. However, the question was meant hypothetically if you were the prescriber. Thanks for the response.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

First of all, I wouldn't recommend anything. I am a nurse, that's not in my scope of practice. That being said, I am going to say something that will get me beat up, boiled in oil, roasted over an open pit, fried, dyed, and laid to the side. I am willing to take it. For the "anxiety" if I could prescribe anything at all, it would be "Get a Job". I know the economy is rough, but there are jobs. Burgers, sales, cleaning, a job is a job. You can have a job and you can be just as anxious on your job as you can be at home wallowing in anxiety. At least give it a shot.

(This is the old ER nurse coming out in me. But I have seldom seen an employed person too anxious to function).

While it's true that purposeful motor activity, such as sewing, baking, exercise, etc. can be therapeutic and help in alleviating anxiety, and having meaningful work in one's life can assist in addressing the root causes of the anxiety, I think this is a rather simplistic suggestion. Lots of people with anxiety disorders have jobs.

[nightengalegoddess]

My job actually perpetuates anxiety ALOT! But truly, this does sound really obsessive. She needs psych intervention asap; that would be my SBAR suggestion...as it has been said, long term care and treatment; inpatient to start. It makes me sad that there are so many desperate people in this world. Makes my anxiety sound just about OK right now.

[Wave Watcher]

*edited because I'm an idiot*

Yay for idiots! Welcome....I'm your leader!

[JeneraterRN]

My job actually perpetuates anxiety ALOT! But truly, this does sound really obsessive. She needs psych intervention asap; that would be my SBAR suggestion...as it has been said, long term care and treatment; inpatient to start. It makes me sad that there are so many desperate people in this world. Makes my anxiety sound just about OK right now.

This is a great idea. This person admitted his/herself voluntarily, and refuses to go voluntarily since then to the psych unit. We held him/her until a psych eval was completed, but didn't have enough for an involuntary admission. I never thought of it in the OCD light, I was thinking along other lines that aren't flattering, but OCD makes sense. Thanks every one!