Dear Aunt Gabby,
My name is Ethan. I am tired of my life. My life is hopeless. I have no romantic relationship, I have no job, I have been unemployed for a year and I am not a famous artist making top dollars from selling my art. My life is just going down the drain every day. It’s never getting better. I feel like giving up! What should I do?
Starving Artist Ethan
Dear Starving,
I hear ya. Not being employed when you want to be employed is a real downer. It changes what you think about yourself and can bring on depression, if you don’t already have it. If you are already depressed, it can seem like your life is completely without merit or meaning. I am not a therapist, but I have been depressed before. It is extremely painful.
I know this sounds silly, but in order to change, you have to change something. Even one tiny change will help to get you out of the rut you are in. Any of these will work as a first step:
Get up before noon, take a shower, and put clean clothes on. (You will be ready to face what is next—even if it is just lunch.)
Write your resume. If you don’t know how, ask a librarian or go online to use a template.
Look online, in newspapers, and ask around for any job. Any job will help. After a while you can move to another job. (I once drove 25 miles one way to make beds in a fancy hotel. In a month, the hotel asked me to manage housekeeping, just because I came to work sober everyday.)
Apply. Take your resume and attach it. Apply some more.
Go for a physical with your doctor. You may have an illness that is making you depressed. She can refer you to a therapist to help you get out of your own way. This does not mean you are crazy or “mental,” it means you are looking for help everywhere.
Take a long walk in a park. Nature, even in cold weather or rain, has super restorative powers. And may inspire you.
Do your art. No matter if it is “marketable.” Just play and explore. Creativity mends a broken heart.
Keep in touch, as I would like to know how you are doing. More people care about you than you know.
Dear Aunt Gabby,
I am boiling mad! I suffer from lupus, high blood pressure, and a couple of other illnesses that require me to take pain killers and meds on a regular basis. I just came from my pharmacist in town, and she said that because February had only 28 days, I can’t renew my new monthly meds for four more days. I am out of my meds today.
I joked, “This is enough to drive a person to drink!” and she leaned over the counter and pointed to a display of wine bottles and said, “There ya go!”
I was shocked! I can’t drink with the meds I am supposed to take. I assume she was joking, but it wasn’t a bit funny.
What should I do?
Sick of Rigmarole
Dear Rig,
First, I know you weren’t in the mood for her joke, but you have to admit it was a funny remark.
The main takeaway here is that pharmacists are trying to track/control the use of oxycodone which is surprisingly addictive. Pain is exhausting, nerve-wracking, and life-changing. Adding addiction to that is devastating to a person’s sanity, wellness, and wallet.
Sometimes there is a hole in your coverage. You might ask your doctor to give you a couple of samples or a similar prescription.
Meanwhile, also know that sharing another person’s prescription is a felony for you and the person who shares with you.
You might consider the use of CBD (Hemp) oils, drops, creams. This product is perfectly legal, non-habit-forming and can relieve some pain. Check the ingredients to be sure you are getting high-potency for the money.
Another possibility for you is to look into medical marijuana (which is legal in our state). Don’t get the idea that you will be passing tokes around like in an old “Cheech & Chong” movie. There are several ways to use marijuana (eating gummies, smoking, applying topical oils and cream and more.)
First, go to a clinic that will give you a physical to determine if you are indeed in need of marijuana (which is not covered under most insurance or Medicare). In town, it costs about $125 for the exam. (My doctor won’t participate.) Then take your certificate to a nearby Medical Marijuana Dispensary. There are 4 in Sapulpa, dozens in Tulsa.
You can buy whatever product your certificate allows, with the assistance of a knowledgeable staff, and legally transport your marijuana home. From there, you can use your non-habit-forming “pot” for a couple of days until your prescription kicks in. You may even like it better. It is not an opioid, which oxycodone is.
Do not drive or use machinery (like a lawn mower) after using marijuana, because you more than likely will be impaired.
