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    #46
    Who`s to blame?

    Good question Tulipe, everyone I talk to thinks it sucks... One of the worst problems is our lack of doctors, they practice here for a while on move on to greener pastures, can`t say I blame them, if you knew you could make more in another province or country, chances are you`d move on also.. In the end, it seems to all come down to money, if you have it you can get all the health care you want....

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      #47
      Who`s to blame?

      Well now if we're going to talk about health care and insurance- THAT's a completely different story...

      -Sheep

      Comment

        #48
        Who`s to blame?

        You`re right Sheepish, maybe we should start a post on this, could be interesting... or depressing... ummm, maybe not.
        KateH1, Mario and Ruby, a special thank you, reading about your experiences and ongoing success is very inspirational to me.

        Comment

          #49
          Who`s to blame?

          Yes, this is def two subjects. Health care is ALWAYS a problem, since we're so much more enlightened than we were a generation ago. I cannot complain about ours; we pay a huge amount through Hubs company each month, but I've seen so many doctors over the last 10 years, specialists in specific, and our co-pay and wait is small. We are so lucky that way, and we know and appreciate it. But there is no such thing as a free breakfast, friends. Everyone is trying, in their own way, to succeed, if they're out they in the workforce. The ONLY system I've ever seen work is free enterprise, and doctors are not immune to the money to be made. I know personally the personal and financial sacrifices the really good ones have to make to get to their level of success. A lot of what drives up costs are the 'professional leeches' on any FREE system they can find. Again I go back to accountability.
          sigpic
          Never look down on a person unless you are offering them a hand up.
          awprint: RUBY Imagine yourself doing What you love and loving What you do, Being happy From the inside Out, experiencing your Dreams wide awake, Being creative, being Unique, being you - changing things to the way YOU know they can BE - Living the Life you Always imagined.awprint:

          Comment

            #50
            Who`s to blame?

            Ruby you are lucky your Hubs company offers insurance & that he has a job . . .many are losing theirs & then they come & see me . . . .then they find out what few options they have. Depending on their age & limited job prospects in this economy it can be a disaster. So, I hear a lot about professional leeches, but rarely see too many & I am in the insurance business . . . it's very hard to 'take advantage of the system' even though everyone hears through the media that 'everyone is doing it.'

            I believe in earning your way & paying your dues, but I do think we need better solutions & then I will just leave it at that since this is such a complex issue & I do know that this thread was never designed to discuss all that. I didn't intend to hijack it by any means, so I do apologize. Unfortunately money drives everything & obscures our basic humanity. We must sometimes just try to remember that what makes us human is our ability to show compassion & be empathetic whether we think someone 'deserves' a helping hand or not . . .sometimes it's just the right thing to do to extend a hand.

            Comment

              #51
              Who`s to blame?

              Funny Girl;817992 wrote: No, Kate, I certainly don't entirely blame the system for people not trying at all. But I do think it makes it incredibly hard for people in crisis to take the first step. Everyone isn't as strong as some are and require that things be a bit easier or they just can't even begin - but, maybe I'm more of a sap since I sell insurance & see so much on a daily basis of people just beaten down by the constant fight.

              And I'm not just talking addiction. But I tend to group addiction with other forms of illness like cancer, diabetes & the like. We just don't punish people with physical diseases for being weak for not being able to get treatment the way we do addicts. There's a double standard. It's also harder for someone with an addiction to get a corporate job if they have to do it to get health insurance for that reason - they would have to still hide that aspect of their being when getting the job or risk not being hired at all. Although there's still that risk with cancer, it's less acceptable to discriminate based on that than it is based on addiction. I personally would never see a doctor for anything related to alcohol or mental health due to the fact that as a self employed person, I could kiss my ability to get individual insurance goodbye at my age, or have my rates driven so high I would no longer be able to afford it at all. So, here I am in the underground. If I need medication - I go online - period. That way it's not in a medical record or in a pharmacy anywhere in the domestic US              .
              You are smart. I don't want to hijack this thread either or turn anything into a political topic, but I live in fear of this (the whole insurance issue). I am not underground and have used my medical benefits to get help for both my addiction and mental health. This is the ONE thing that raises my anxiety level very high. However, I am not going to drink over it. I may go bankrupt someday, but I am not going to drink today. They can take my money. I just hope they cannot take my house away. Life isn't fair.

              Comment

                #52
                Who`s to blame?

                Well AD, my intent isn't to scare anyone. Don't hesitate to do whatever you have to. If you've used your benefits, by all means continue. then, then priority is GET WELL - once you're well & not drinking you can figure out all the other stuff. I feel so much better not drinking, I feel like I can conquer the world. Just 2 weeks ago, I was so depressed & disgusted with myself, I'm not sure I would have felt the same way. I'm sure that in no time, you'll feel more resourceful & creative. Not drinking makes you feel like you can roll with the punches a whole lot better. Plus being here, you'll have support - if something bad were to happen - others here have been through things & can offer good suggestions on where to begin to fix things. So - no worries - the statement I made is just me . . . . you're on the right path for you I'm sure.

                Comment

                  #53
                  Who`s to blame?

                  Funny Girl;818109 wrote: Ruby you are lucky your Hubs company offers insurance & that he has a job . . .many are losing theirs & then they come & see me . . . .then they find out what few options they have. Depending on their age & limited job prospects in this economy it can be a disaster. So, I hear a lot about professional leeches, but rarely see too many & I am in the insurance business . . . it's very hard to 'take advantage of the system' even though everyone hears through the media that 'everyone is doing it.'

                  I believe in earning your way & paying your dues, but I do think we need better solutions & then I will just leave it at that since this is such a complex issue & I do know that this thread was never designed to discuss all that. I didn't intend to hijack it by any means, so I do apologize. Unfortunately money drives everything & obscures our basic humanity. We must sometimes just try to remember that what makes us human is our ability to show compassion & be empathetic whether we think someone 'deserves' a helping hand or not . . .sometimes it's just the right thing to do to extend a hand.
                  I'm not talking about people who work for a living. Maybe the percentage is small, but there are people out there who live their lives on any kind of dole they can get, and don't even understand what they're doing to society. And maybe for some reason I run into them more often than most. I DO believe in earning what we get, and sometimes there is a game that's played, I guess, between earning enough to have the coverage and not. I know that when Hubs started work he cut grass and cleaned toilets. If I were desperately in need of health care for myself or a loved one and couldn't afford it, I'd do anything I could to get it too. No, I don't think someone 'deserves' what everyone else works so hard for if they make no attempt in life. I've worked in several fields in my 58 years where I've seen it too, both ways, and those who make the most demands for the government to take care of them are most often those who are as capable as me to work, in some form, to become proactive in their lives, to be CONTRIBUTING members of society, not the 'leeches' I referred to. I'm not talking off the cuff; I know what I'm talking about, at least in the area I live in. I'm a political conservative, if you haven't guessed. I believe in TOTAL equality, not what seeks political correctness at the moment. The comments I make, here or anywhere else on this site, are not random but thought out. We should be awarded ONLY for what we accomplish, unless it is beyond our realm of possibility. I have loved ones who fall into those 'lost' categories. Another tax or legislation won't help them. We CANNOT legislate morality.
                  sigpic
                  Never look down on a person unless you are offering them a hand up.
                  awprint: RUBY Imagine yourself doing What you love and loving What you do, Being happy From the inside Out, experiencing your Dreams wide awake, Being creative, being Unique, being you - changing things to the way YOU know they can BE - Living the Life you Always imagined.awprint:

                  Comment

                    #54
                    Who`s to blame?

                    Alrighty then, back on topic...

                    Who is to blame...well, there is so much unknown about addiction at this point in time, unfortunately, that it's really hard to pin the blame anywhere or on any one thing. I imagine over time that things will evolve and maybe someday the stigma will lessen and I sure hope so! I guess the thing to do is to just try to solve the problem. I am happy I am not drinking today.

                    Comment

                      #55
                      Who`s to blame?

                      I'm in Aus, but was in the UK for several years.. over-drinking seems to mainly be a problem of Western countries - as muslims are not allowed to drink for religious reasons, and other countries take a tougher unacceptable stance to drinking (like China).. I saw an article in a British magazine a while back that was saying how irresponsible drinking is in the country, and how the government is to blame.. our western countries DO glamourise drinking, pubs and bars are everywhere!! more than anything else in almost all cities and towns!, and have 'happy hours' etc that encourage binge drinking.. yes we are responsible for ourselves.. but when something is accepted, it makes you think its ok to do it! like at Uni - it was generally accepted that everyone gets drunk on a regular basis - no warnings at all about the health/social etc consequences!
                      At school we had very limited teachings on AL.. and none at all on mental health or depression.. this is something I had to learn for myself.. a very long process.. if we are going to have AL available freely in society; they need to teach kids more thouroughly at schools about the health and mental impacts of AL.. and bars need to be responsible.. in Oz, they are a lot stricter than the UK, with the 'responsible serving of AL licence'.. though I was still served when drunk several times.. and that was another problem.. drinking lowers your inhibitions!! You are more likely to drink, the more you drink! that's the nature of the drug of AL and why it is sooo addictive to many many people!
                      So yes, I do blame society in part for the issues I have had.. I was not enlightened until 10 yrs had passed of binging and depression and suicidal overdoses.. I had no idea what was going on in my head.. I was just 'surviving' the only way I knew how..
                      Sorry if this has gone of the topic a bit,
                      Katie xx
                      "It works if you work it, because you are worth it!!!"

                      :groupluv:

                      Comment

                        #56
                        Who`s to blame?

                        KatieB;818144 wrote: I'm in Aus, but was in the UK for several years.. over-drinking seems to mainly be a problem of Western countries - as muslims are not allowed to drink for religious reasons, and other countries take a tougher unacceptable stance to drinking (like China).. I saw an article in a British magazine a while back that was saying how irresponsible drinking is in the country, and how the government is to blame.. our western countries DO glamourise drinking, pubs and bars are everywhere!! more than anything else in almost all cities and towns!, and have 'happy hours' etc that encourage binge drinking.. yes we are responsible for ourselves.. but when something is accepted, it makes you think its ok to do it! like at Uni - it was generally accepted that everyone gets drunk on a regular basis - no warnings at all about the health/social etc consequences!
                        At school we had very limited teachings on AL.. and none at all on mental health or depression.. this is something I had to learn for myself.. a very long process.. if we are going to have AL available freely in society; they need to teach kids more thouroughly at schools about the health and mental impacts of AL.. and bars need to be responsible.. in Oz, they are a lot stricter than the UK, with the 'responsible serving of AL licence'.. though I was still served when drunk several times.. and that was another problem.. drinking lowers your inhibitions!! You are more likely to drink, the more you drink! that's the nature of the drug of AL and why it is sooo addictive to many many people!
                        So yes, I do blame society in part for the issues I have had.. I was not enlightened until 10 yrs had passed of binging and depression and suicidal overdoses.. I had no idea what was going on in my head.. I was just 'surviving' the only way I knew how..
                        Sorry if this has gone of the topic a bit,
                        Katie xx
                        I agree with you Katie, and you raise some excellent points I had not thought about at all. You have looked at this from a global perspective here and it makes a lot of sense. Your point about education is really important, so the educational system is partly at fault too, along with the media.

                        I know where I live, the focus is more on punishment, as in very strict DUI laws with mandatory jail time. This state has one of the harshest DUI laws in the US. However, this does nothing for someone like me who has been such a planner, as in making sure I get enough, only drinking at home, not drinking and driving, etc. I've always said I am not the kind of drinker who will have legal issues. I'm the kind of drinker who will just die some slow death unless I stop now. Ok, now I am digressing.

                        At any rate, it's a complicated issue.

                        Comment

                          #57
                          Who`s to blame?

                          AD - what state are you in?

                          Comment

                            #58
                            Who`s to blame?

                            Funny Girl;818149 wrote: AD - what state are you in?
                            I'm in Arizona.

                            Comment

                              #59
                              Who`s to blame?

                              I used to live in NC and they were horrible there since MADD originated there in the 80s. I lived there in the mid 90s for a few years & my life went horribly wrong . . . . I'll PM you sometime & tell you that story. That may keep you from drinking for awhile. mandatory jail time there too & once you are an 'offender' if you are caught for any amount of alcohol even if it doesn't meet the 'threshold' you can be taken to jail immediately for lower amounts like .4 or less even, and have your license taken as well. They immediately take your license upon being arrested. Depending on the scenario you may not get it back for a year - some it is discretionary now. They also film the arrest & it is used in court. Pretty . . . .

                              Comment

                                #60
                                Who`s to blame?

                                Funny Girl;818153 wrote: I used to live in NC and they were horrible there since MADD originated there in the 80s. I lived there in the mid 90s for a few years & my life went horribly wrong . . . . I'll PM you sometime & tell you that story. That may keep you from drinking for awhile. mandatory jail time there too & once you are an 'offender' if you are caught for any amount of alcohol even if it doesn't meet the 'threshold' you can be taken to jail immediately for lower amounts like .4 or less even, and have your license taken as well. They immediately take your license upon being arrested. Depending on the scenario you may not get it back for a year - some it is discretionary now. They also film the arrest & it is used in court. Pretty . . . .
                                Yes, please do! I'm all ears.

                                Comment

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