Q&A: What Do You Do Without Pills
What Do You Do Without Pills
Question
Dear Rabbi Michi, hello.
It happens to me quite often that I forget to take my pills, and then I get into obsessions, go wild, and don’t really manage to control myself. Do you have any advice for me?
Thanks, Ehud
Answer
Hello Ehud,
Unfortunately, this question should be directed to a psychiatrist. I’m not qualified. Wishing you a speedy and complete recovery.
Discussion on Answer
Ehud,
Maybe set an alarm clock? On a phone you can sometimes set it for each day of the week.
If you’re afraid you’ll hit snooze, then maybe keep them in an accessible place in your daily routine, or split the pills among a few places so that whenever the alarm goes off you can take them immediately?
Maybe involve someone who’ll remind you (a watcher/reminder).
In any case, I think you should share this with your treating doctor.
I seem to remember that some pills have a kind of coating that causes slow release; maybe there’s something like that for you?
Or maybe something with a relatively very long half-life.
With God’s help, 16 Cheshvan 5783
To Ehud — greetings,
Every person has actions that are done regularly every day, such as prayers, meals, getting into the computer or the car, entering and leaving school or work, and the like.
It seems to me that after a person gets used, a few times, to taking his medication alongside one of the regular fixed actions in his life, a kind of “Pavlovian conditioning” will already be created, in which doing the regular action will automatically trigger the memory of taking the medication.
You can also accompany taking the medication with something pleasant — eating a candy with it, or singing a favorite song. When taking the medication is associated with a pleasurable feeling, there’s a good chance it won’t be forgotten.
For example, you could post a comment on the site telling your friends here that you took the medication, and then, aside from the memorable experience that will turn taking the medication into a pleasurable moment, you can be sure that if you ever forget, someone will immediately post a puzzled comment asking, “Where are you?” 🙂
Best regards, Rafael Zecharyahu Kaduri the Nag
Paragraph 4, line 1
…and then aside from the experience…
You could try taking pills against forgetfulness.