The scar from sleep pills
In my quest to find a solution to my parents’ sleeping pill addiction, Han Cheung’s article “Taiwan: pill popping nation,” in the Taipei Times (Nov. 3, 2022, page 13) caught my attention. It sheds light on Taiwan’s growing issue with sleeping pill addiction, prompting concerns about the healthcare system’s accountability.
My parents, in the care of my brother-in-law and his wife while I reside in the US, have become unfortunate statistics in Taiwan’s disconcerting trend.
Our annual family visits transformed from joyful holidays to dire necessities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. My father’s battle with the virus, while life-threatening, unveiled a more insidious threat — his reliance on sleeping pills.
Before COVID-19, my 81-year-old father already took a nightly sleeping pill, but post-COVID-19, his intake surged to two to three, even four pills daily. The excessive number is, in part, a result of his forgetfulness induced by the pills, leading him to take more.
Multiple doctors, driven by monetary incentives and their patients’ insistence, perpetuate this dangerous cycle, resulting in an episode in which my father slept for eight days straight, necessitating an emergency hospital visit. After his painful withdrawal and a brief return to normalcy, he relapsed to taking one to two pills daily. Attempts to discuss his additction or prevent the excessive consumption are met with belligerence.
My mother, aged 81, faces a similar struggle. Pre-COVID-19, she took one sleeping pill daily for self-diagnosed reasons. During the pandemic, her pill intake increased due to boredom and anxiety. Injuring herself while stumbling around — a side-effect of the pills — she is attempting to self-monitor, but is losing the battle. Once a skilled cook and a cheerful person, she is now unrecognizable.
Desperate for a solution, we proposed they move to the US, offering the warmth of family, particularly their cherished grandchildren.
Unfortunately, their addiction’s vice grip prevents them from taking this step. Knowing for certain there would be no access to sleeping pills, their rejection remains resolute. Ultimately, they are choosing pills over family.
Reading Cheung’s article initially sparked hope for change, envisioning a movement against careless prescription practices.
However, discovering that it was written in 2022, with no tangible impact, has deepened my frustration. Patients like my parents, trusting their doctors, remain unaware of the potential conflict of interest between doctors and pharmaceutical companies.
The crucial question arises: Do doctors not have an ethical duty to prioritize patients over profits? This question is poignant in Taiwan, boasting a superior healthcare system. The health and care promised to citizens seem elusive as our family succumbs to this epidemic plaguing Taiwan.
Lisa Choi
California
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