Postcards From Myself

As I sit here in the doctor’s office (no worry, regular checkup) I wonder why our healthcare system here in the US shouldn’t be more like our highway system.

We have roads and highways provided and regulated by the government, but we are free to buy or not buy the car of our choice. For those who don’t or can’t buy a car, there us public transportation available that may not be as fast or fancy, but it works. Additionally certain regulations are put on the methods if transport so that we are safe.

As we are seeing with the failing auto makers, those providers who don’t give the people what they want will still fail, so it isn’t a totally socialist system. (And no, I don’t believe the automakers should be bailed out.) So with this there is a free market in transportation, but one where a floor and a standard are provided.

I can take the analogy further, but I will leave it at that and ask for your thoughts. How do you think healthcare in the US should go and why?

Seems more and more we are hearing about drug rehab programs. From stars to politicians, from media darlings to just little rich kids (and adults), an increasing number of people are heading off to rehab to enlist people to help them deal with their problems.

One such place is Cliffside Malibu – a residential drug rehab, alcohol rehab center and extended care facility. This is a beautiful place for adults suffering from drug addiction, alcoholism, eating disorders, depression, and other such problems. They use a variety of clinical methods to create a “comprehensive and effective addiction treatment program”. Some of these methods include detox, individual therapy, group therapy, depression treatment, and alternative medicine.

Talk about your resorts! If you need an alcohol rehab center, you can head here, have all your needs taken care of, and detox from your alcoholism at the same time. Tell you what, if I had everything this place has to offer available to me, I wouldn’t have an alcohol problem!

And then the drug treatment center. Again, man that place is nice. Just take a look! Most people I know don’t have enough money to be addicted to drugs. And if they did, they would just head to a place like this for vacation instead of spending the dollars on chemicals.

I am not in anyway detracting from places such as this. They serve a useful and needed purpose and I hope all people who go there get better, find the help they need, and kick the monkey of their back. Simply put though, I wish I could go!

Speaking of rehab, I will be reviewing Through the Storm by Lynne Spears, Brittany Spears mother, later in the week. It talks about Brittany, KFed, Jamie Lynn, and much more. Stay tuned for it. (Or better yet, subscribe to my RSS feed.) I will also be giving away a copy of that book to some interested reader.

Well, with all deference to Amy Winehouse, they haven’t said that I need to go to rehab – not yet anyway. But, after see this drug treatment center, I am seriously considering it! Cliffside Malibu is one great looking place. Think I can go there for just a vacation?

Not only are they a full drug rehab center, but they also have a beautiful ocean view, a pool, gourmet meals, laundry service, transportation, scheduling of appointments, and Internet access. I have been to very expensive hotels that didn’t have these kind of facilities. So, while you are in their drug treatment program, you can be pampered and live like a rock star. Well, maybe not too much like a rock star because that is probably what sent you to treatment to start with.

They say that, “Cliffside Malibu is a residential drug rehab, alcohol rehab center and extended care facility for adults suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, depression, and other co-occurring disorders. Their drug treatment philosophy incorporates a variety of clinical components to create a comprehensive and effective addiction treatment program. The components of alcohol and drug rehab include detox, individual therapy, group therapy, depression treatment, and alternative medicine.” I am sure all of that is true. All I know is that, unlike Amy Winehouse, I wanna go, go, go!

OK, maybe not mindless, but at least very, very calm. Ever since I started taking the Lexapro that my doctor prescribed for me I have been a much different person. At least that is what my family is saying. Word is that I have been much calmer, slower to anger, and less reclusive. But, there is a downside to that. The thing that I have noticed is that while I may not be as anxious or quick to get upset over small things, I have also lost some of my drive.

A year or two ago, at the urging of my family, my doctor tried to put me on an anti-anxiety medication – I don’t remember if it was Lexapro or some other. I didn’t stay on it very long for the reason that I lost almost all my urges to do anything. And I am not just talking about sex here, I am talking about the desire to write, to read, to play, to do most anything. I felt like a jellyfish.

Now this time it doesn’t feel so bad. Yes, I have seen a dramatic decrease in my drive. But I have also seen an increase in my attention span and my consideration. I am just simply not a frantic, angry person. Of course having a different blood pressure medication is also helping. My goal right now though is to get some of my motivation back. I need to be able to lose the anxiety and stress without forgoing the drive and detirmination. So I am trying to write down more goals, use my friends and family as reminders of those goals, and basically just get my self back into it.

Tell you what though, I really am seeing things more clearly now. I am a bit ashamed that it took medication to remove some of the clouding from my eyes, but at least it was removed. And I am a much happier person for it!