house? by est120

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house?

POSTED BY: EST120
UPDATED: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 10:17
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Monday, January 10, 2005 5:19 AM

okay. this is not a sci-fi question, but i saw someone post a thread about this show on fox called "house" in the past, so i figured i would ask a question about it. anyway, my mother loves the show, but she was unsure about why the main character (house) is always taking pills. of course, he has some diability concerning his leg. my mother thought she might have just missed the explanation. did the writers explain this in the show or is it one of those "mysteries" that is going to be dealt with when they have writer's block (assuming fox does not cancel it first). hahaha. that last part was a joke, of course. any help would be appreciated!

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Monday, January 10, 2005 8:02 AM

ODDNESS2HER

He takes Vicodin for the pain in his leg caused by muscle death. In the first episode he prescribes Vicodin for a hypochondriac, then switches candy for the pills, which he keeps for himself. He may have grown addicted to them, I'm not sure.

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Monday, January 10, 2005 8:14 AM

EMBERS

I've only seen the pilot episode (which I loved, I can't wait for more)
but I do think he is headed for an addiction to pain pills...
this is not an uncommon problem for doctors, who depend a great deal on medicine (unlike many of their patients who rarely go to doctors and don't finish the medicines that are prescribed), AND have unlimited access to them...

Hugh Laurie has created a really interesting complicated character who is prone to all kinds problems and faults...
I'm very interested in seeing how they develope him further over the rest of the season...

assuming that Fox doesn't just pull the plug
(grrrr argh)

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Monday, January 10, 2005 8:22 AM

ODDNESS2HER

I, too, am crossing my fingers for this show. It has an interesing cast and Hugh Laurie is doing a great job. May House beat the Fox curse!

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Monday, January 10, 2005 8:52 AM

REEQUEEN

Embers:

Quote:
I do think he is headed for an addiction to pain pills...

As someone who has chronic pain and takes pain medication, I think assuming someone who is clearly in a great deal of pain much of the time will become addicted is a bit simplistic.

I personally think he just doesn't want to pay for the medication, because he is just that kind of person.

Of course, I'm sure we'll find out something about it down the line. I'm also sure that the writers/producers will take the "politically correct" line and make House an addict.

It's a great misconception, not only among non-medical people, but also among people who think they know something about medicine - mostly people trying to give me advice (but never those who know me, or have been through similar experiences, much less my doctors) - that people who take pain medication for pain are either addicted, or going to become addicted.

As a matter of fact, my sister has accused me of addiction, despite the fact that I actually function quite well and am under the care of a pain specialist. Who prescribes me pain medication.

People who are in pain all the time don't need to be, if there is medication that can help alleviate that. Sometimes, as with constant aching, cutting, burning, stinging, poking, cramping, cutting (again), and/or ripping-apart type pain, a person needs something a bit stronger than tylenol, aspirin, naproxen sodium, or ibuprofen. It's just a fact. And no matter how much self-hypnosis, meditation, breathing techniques, and therapy one gets, one has a day (or brace of days, until the epidural anaesthetics kick in) where it becomes unbearable.

Sometimes, there is more than one issue to deal with, and then it's even harder. Like feeling like your face is being torn apart from the inside, and that's just because you have a nerve problem that produces random pain signals emanating from nowhere and is completely idiopathic plus feeling like your legs have knives cutting into them repeatedly.

But perhaps I digress.

I can't imagine what muscle death would feel like, nor can I imagine what House's leg must feel like on a constant basis because of the damage done. Having never had an infarction, there is no way I can. But I do know pain, lots of it in many varieties, and I say labelling someone as an "addict" or "becoming addicted" shows a capitulation to popular mythology on addiction issues where legitimate pain is concerned.

Ow.

"There is no grace under pressure for a cat on fire." Cosi

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Monday, January 10, 2005 9:05 AM

EMBERS

ReeQueen: you misunderstood me,
I'm sure many people think that those who need to take pain pills might become addicted, but that was not my point...

my point was that many DOCTORS become addicted,
because they think that medicine is the answer to everything
and because they can obtain more and more of it
anytime they want

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Monday, January 10, 2005 9:38 AM

REEQUEEN

Embers:

Quote:
you misunderstood me,
I'm sure many people think that those who need to take pain pills might become addicted, but that was not my point...

my point was that many DOCTORS become addicted,
because they think that medicine is the answer to everything
and because they can obtain more and more of it
anytime they want

Ah. Sorry for screeding all over you.

I think my original point, before I did the screed-thing (as opposed to the Fashion Thing), was that House has legitimate pain. For which he takes medication, however sneakily. (And I stand by my "it's a cheap-skate thing, not so much an addiction thing," based on what I've gathered of House's personality).

I don't know what the addiction rate among doctors is. Too lazy to look it up - don't trust statistics anyway, especially since see above.

The whole addiction mythology just totally freaks me out. I understand that addiction is a legitimate diagnosis, that there are (many) people with addiction issues. I'm just a little uptight about it being bandied about as often as it is, what with anything and anything being that slippery slope wherein addiction begins. Food, sex, chapstick (thank you, O Oprah!). It's descending to the level of silliness, and I'm oversensitive.

My brother and sister are both alcoholics, so that's part of it. I've been to family group for my sister's rehab, as well as AlAnon, and found them both....creepy and offputting.

/overexplanation

"There is no grace under pressure for a cat on fire." Cosi

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Tuesday, January 11, 2005 10:14 AM

LETOV

Less on the subject of the pills than on the show/character itself, I will say that when I realized where I knew Hugh Laurie from I was shocked/thrilled. I loved him in the Black Adders.

- Leto_V

"Well, my days of not taking you
seriously are certainly coming to
a middle." - Mal

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Tuesday, January 11, 2005 10:17 AM

REEQUEEN

And we are back on topic! Whew....

I love Hugh Laurie in anything he does. His "American" accent is amazing. And for some reason I'm now finding him inexplicably sexy.

"You mean they have the internet on computers now?" Homer

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