Nurses and anti psychotic medications

bellehill, RN · Nov 17, 2003

If you ask 100 nurses and 100 non-nurses my guess is that the same percentage would be on some type of psych meds. I do know nurses who are and it has nothing to do with the job, more with their personal life. Of course different areas of nursing may be different.

No, I don't think nursing leads people to take psych meds.

CCU NRS · Nov 17, 2003

Originally posted by Cqc_Cqb
How many of you nurses are on, or know a nurse who is on any type of anti psychotic medication. I have noticed how a lot of nurses are on some type of medication from all the stress that they say they are under as nurses. Is nursing worth all the mental and / or physical problems it causes? Just thought I would see what others have to say about the situation.

First of all why would anyone tell you their private medical hx on this open forum board? Second many psychosese are present for years undiagnosed and only when a person has some kowledge of the way things seem to be going might they go see someone and look into such a diagnosis. Third and probably most important it is realy nobody's business what meds any nurse is on as long as that nurse is performing their Job. I mean are you going to ask how many nurses have HIV/AIDS from nursing and was it worth it? And what is your current med regimen?

I don't want to sound too peeved but this was really a bad question. Yes everybody has a right to free speech but the world would have a lot less problems if everybody used good manners as well!

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Nov 17, 2003

Are you talking about antipsychotic meds, or psych meds in general (that would include antidepressants). I know many people on antidepressants, but no one on antipsychotics, nor would I expect anyone would discuss it with me if they were. There is quite a stereotype on psych meds, and I can't blame people for keeping their business to themselves.

Agnus · Nov 17, 2003

No meds here.

Erin RN · Nov 18, 2003

I am wondering what canoehead asked...are you truly talking antipsychotics or just psych meds in general like anti depressants..heck my neighbors dog is on Elavil..I found that several of my coworkers on nights were on paxil or one of those..but I think that the problems stemmed from such a screwy schedule.. Erin

SmilingBluEyes · Nov 18, 2003

not on meds here...

unless ya count daily vitamins and calcium......

but i HAVE been on antidepressants in the past......not the same category, however!

lmd32 · Nov 18, 2003

I knew a pharmacy student once who was schizophrenic and taking meds. She had really good insight, knew that the hallucinations were not real and the meds were working. But she had some really scary stories about what it felt like to hear voices and see snakes coming out of the sidewalk. I don't know if she ever finished school, I know she was having a hard time with the stress.

A nurse I used to work with felt it was his duty to sample all the medications the psych patients were taking. I thought that was a little weird and very dangerous.

When I was in psych grad school, my advisor had what they called a "brief psychotic break" (DSM III), thought her students were trying to kill her, and had to leave for a year. When last I talked to her she was doing fine.

For what it's worth, those are my antipsychotic stories.

--Lynn