my niece won't take drugs

[Bertha Venation]

She has an anxiety disorder (don't know its actual diagnostic name) and she won't take drugs for that. But that's not the extent of it: she won't take ANY medications. She will cry with the pain of a headache rather than take one advil. She won't take anything for the symptoms of a cold. She will take antibiotics, but that's it.

Have you ever heard of this? Is it a psychiatrically-recognized phobia?

[Kali]

1. I know several people like that.

drives me nuts, especially the ones that really whine about whatever easily controled problem they suffer from. Not talking about people who can't take something due to side effects or whatever, just the ones who seem incapable of logic.

I bet there is a name for it - mediphobia or something;-)

[Xithras]

3. There is a name for it: Pharmacophobia

Seriously.

But it's wrong to assume that it's a phobia. I know several people who refuse to pollute their bodies with any sort of drugs or artificial chemicals for moral or philosophical reasons.

[Kali]

5. I figured there had to be.

I know some like that as well. Of course they WILL take lots of garbage as long as it meets their unscientific definition of "natural".

It's the loud complaining and unwillingness to do anything about it that gets annoying.

[Posteritatis]

6. I see more and more of those lately

They'll just as happily chug any other number of "chemicals" (the stupidity of using "chemicals" as a pejorative is a whole other rant) provided they're greenwashed properly, most of the time.

[Bertha Venation]

7. Well, she cries at the suggestion that she take something for

symptoms (like advil for a headache), and cries harder if the issue is pressed. To hear her mom tell it, it's not a matter of her not wanting to pollute her body.

[Bertha Venation]

8. I wish it were that simple!

I'd whack some sense into her right quick. :D

[elehhhhna]

2. perhaps her anxiety makes her fearful of drug reactions...

my 17 y/o is a but anxious and she's not only nervous about taking advil, etc. but also thinks she has every medical condition advertised. Thank God she shares these fears with me and I talk/reason/research/cajole her around it, but I 'm waiting for the day that she wonders wonders aloud if she has erectional dysfunction.

Your n. may be terrifed of all those creepy commercials (side-effect lists!) OR by bad info she gets from her peers (you'd be shocked at the peer-to-peer misinfo my 14 y/o hears.) Maybe ask her about this.

How old is your n. and is she totally off caffiene? That helps. The book "The Relaxation Response" also may help -- super-easy instructions on meditation/relaxation with or without religious baloney: it's the meditators choice.

[Bertha Venation]

9. Hi, el

She's almost 23 and rarely leaves the house. I think she's off of caffiene. She sees a psychiatrist but her mom (she lives at home, doesn't work) doesn't know if she's ever told her shrink about the drug thing -- except for telling her "no I won't take any meds for my anxiety, I don't need them." Ugh.

[Rosie1223]

4. I've heard if you smother them in peanut butter they go right down.

Wait, that's for cats, isn't it? ;-)

I hope your niece can find a doctor that can help her.

[Bertha Venation]

10. :-)

:) Thanks, Rosie

[MrScorpio]

11. Although I'm not actually pharmacophobic...

I do avoid drugs whenever I can.

But if I have a rare headache, I will take asprin.

Sorry about your niece.

[Bertha Venation]

12. Thanks, MrS

:hug:

[applegrove]

13. I have an anxiety disorder and meds really helped.

[safeinOhio]

14. I get all of mine at TSC

and they have the needles there to inject them too. I find it hard to take by mouth any animal pills.

[quakerboy]

15. curious

Would she take, i dunno... a vitamin c capsule? or eat fancy probiotic yogurt, or perhaps a gummy vitamin? If those were no-go, I would look into fortified cereal, since that's essentially vitamin laced cereal. I would be curious as to the limits of the issue, and that's where I would start. Then I would want to work in, logically (ie, if this is ok, why is this not?)

But then thats not the question you asked. I'm sure there is recognition. I know a lot of people who avoid any type of meds. most just prefer to avoid taking anything not actually necessary. Several have conditions that require taking pills daily, and so prefer to avoid any minor/comfort meds(ie advil) in addition to what they require to stay healthy.

Others are neo-hippy nut jobs who refuse to take any meds as they believe they are bad for you on principal. These lose points because(at least for the 3 I know personally) they have no problem smoking weed(questionably natural, given sourcing) or dropping acid(Not even a little natural).