Author Anon

You cannot turn on the TV, flip through a magazine, listen to the radio or surf the internet without running across ads for the latest medications. We thrive on illness or symptomatology, I should say. These ads turn the simplest symptoms into major diseases. And because most of us fear our own mortality, we listen to these ads.

One of my biggest complaints are against the antidepressants. True, many of them have done good for many patients. And I cannot solely blame them for homicidal or suicidal tendencies of some patients who use them. I believe many of them already had those tendencies and the drug only gave them the energy to fulfill those tendencies.

However, I believe these drugs are overused, overprescribed and overrated. I cannot possibly believe that more than fifty percent of this country is suffering from true anxiety and depression. Life is stressful. No one will deny that. It’s stressful even for those who sit around doing nothing. But does that mean we all need a drug to help us cope. What happened to learning nonmedicinal coping skills? What are we teaching the next generation? That there’s a drug to help with everything? Maybe that’s why they also turn to street drugs. How about those dealing with grief? Do we really need to dope them up, numb their feelings? Is that why, as a people, we can no longer sympathize and empathize with others?

I say it’s time we take a step towards regaining our life, our true self. Say ‘no’ to taking prescription medications as an easy way out. We cannot learn to handle all the problems of daily living if we continue to rely on medications to blur reality.

Disclaimer: I do not advocate stopping medications without first consulting your doctor. Nor do I advocate that those needing medications for serious problems, such as heart disease and diabetes, discontinue using them.

Filed under: Medical Dilemmas