Are Americans over medicated?
Have we become a nation of pill poppin pussies?
I have such conflicted feelings on the issue. I fought taking anti depressents for a long time, but when I started hurting myself, when I wouldn’t leave the house and my job was in jeopardy because all of the time I was missing, when I didn’t want to get out of bed anymore, I finally decided I had to do something. For me, that was taking medication.
Not only that, I also went to therapy and depression group. I know pills alone aren’t the answer.
But are doctors too eager and willing to hand out pills instead of directing people on other ways to help themselves?
Perhaps, but I know from experience there are those who truly need the medication to get back to normal…
I’m sure there will always be people who think I’m weak because I needed medication, but the only thing that matters to me is that I did what I needed to do to get well for myself and my children.
Sometimes simple logic gets distorted. If you ask those same people if they think someone is weak for taking a flu shot they will probably say, “No” but there is no difference when that same person takes medication to prevent a condition of the mind.
Of course, there is a problem in the medical industry concerning drug companies pushing doctors to offer their newer and more expensive drugs. My father is over 60 and has to take several medications and had to complain and fight in order for his doctor to switch him from a medication costing $30 that he could get in generic for only $8.
Some people do abuse these drugs and why people abuse any type of drug is something that needs more attention.
true depression is not just something that a person can get over by changing their behavior or going to groups to talk. it’s a chemical imbalance that requires medicine to level it out. you shouldn’t feel weak that you did the right thing and took care of yourself. people who don’t see that are just uneducated bastard know-it-alls.
I’m completely and utterly on your side. you sound a lot like me. I never wanted to take medication, and then when it got so bad that I started hurting myself, and I couldn’t sleep at night because I was too terrified to, or that I wouldn’t leave the house for one reason or another… I ended up going to see someone who gave me medication. I’ve been on it since, and I’m a completely different person. yes, I’m thankful for my life now.. but you know what? not one person tried to HELP me with my problem.. they simply gave me a pill that would help me. and now.. I’m scared to death of this pill, because when I tried to get off it once, the withdrawls were something horrid. so yeah. I know how you feel. completely. *hug* and you’re NOT weak. in the slightest. you are so unbelievably strong you will have no idea.
Wel, we could always go back to electro-shock therapy 🙂
This comes up all the time, and the people who usually have a problem with other people taking pills to “make them happy” have never had to be on medication because of depression.
It’s usually, a condemnation of society for making us beleive we need medication…but of course, those folks who need medication shouldn’t be offended by any of this.
If someone else believes you are a pussy for taking medication then I guess it makes you twice the pussy for needing it, I guess.
Oh puhlease. Yvonne, you shouldn’t have a single conflicted fealing. It’s becasue you know how you feel. It’s not weakness. It’s a misunderstanding of depression that makes those who seek help feel guilty for needing it.
Don’t feel guilty. Look at your kids and feel good about yourself for doing what you have to do to be the mother they need. And feel good about yourself for knowing that.
And by the way, what is normal? Is it not haivng to take medication? Is it thinking you know what you’re talking about because you saw a rich bitch on Rodeo Drive pop a pill once? Is it being angry at the ills of society and looking for a reason…any reason? Is normal feeling good about yourself because you aren’t like those who can’t help themselves?
If that’s normal then i don’t want any part of it. Yvonne, you’re normal. You’re a human with problems and a bright future…like me and everyone else in this damn world.
Sometimes medication is the only thing that will get you over the hump. I know it, and my whole family knows it. Sometimes it’s the only answer. And no, you’re not weak to need it. You’re strong to be able to do it.
If not for medication, I wouldn’t be at work on a daily basis. After several years, I’ve learned to adjust and time my dosage for the best effect. Without it, I’d never be able to crawl out of bed each morning. (And believe me, I’ve tried to taper off, more than once, during the spring and summer, and I still needed a minimal amount of meds to survive.)
You’re not weak, you’re smart. For yourself, your family, and your life. Nothing wrong with that.
Great *BIG HUGS*
Wow. I read those other two posts that lead up to this one, desertviking’s that led to aron.com’s. They’re both entitled to their opinions (as are we all) and I respect both of their opinions, but I don’t agree. Here are some of mine:
I think an LCSW, MFCC, Psychiatrist, or other trained professional is by far more qualified to identify what constitutes a mental illness or otherwise justifies a need for medications that alter mood, seratonin levels – pretty much anything that has to do with the brain. Yeah, it’s an imperfect science – there’s no doubt about that. And like any other professional (or any worker on ANY level), there are people who are the very best at what they do, then there are people who get by on a day-to-day basis. And all the folks in-between. So, when it comes to performing a job where the delicate matter of the human psyche is involved, and potentially trying to factor in an imperfect science… it’s a proverbial crapshoot.
The Big Responsibility lies in the patient or the parent of the patient. If the doctor (who is the only person who can prescribe drugs) isn’t listening, isn’t “on the same page” – it’s the patient’s responsibility to find a doctor who will.
EVEN THOUGH — just because there are doctors who will prescribe negligently does NOT mean that folks who are on meds for psychiatric reasons are on them needlessly.
I think it’s easy enough to make blanket statements based either personal experiences or media reports – or both combined. It’s impossible to quantify.
I also think that it’s easy to judge that something looks like it isn’t a disorder, but rather a “cop-out.” This probably sounds pretty heavy-handed, but judging someone’s disorder based on your perception – well, it has NOTHING to do with the way it really is (i.e., just because someone’s anxiety looks insignificant, like they need to just get some balls or something, well – it’s not that easy.)
This was more of a rant against shrinks than people who use meds to help them. There’s no question that, especially in the LA area, there are a ton of people who just use Xanax, Prozac, et. al. as pickmeups the same way anyone else might use alcohol or whatever. But my issue is with shrinks who want to medicate absolutely everything. I KNOW I wasn’t clinically depressed, and honestly I think the shrinks I went to knew as well. When I went in they basially said to me “You’re depressed because your life sucks right now.” Yeah, no shit. I came in for coping skills and for someone to tell me I wasn’t an idiot. What they offered me was drugs. Seriously hardcore mind-altering drugs that messed me up. And they didn’t give a shit about how I dealt with stuff.
Eventually I realized what I needed was a swift kick in the ass. I wised up and moved on with my life. I think I’m a million times better off for it.
If you’ve got a loving family that supports you and a nice little life carved out for yourself and you’re still having suicidal thoughts, that’s probably clinical depression. That’s proper use of the drugs. You shouldn’t feel guilty or weird about it, because it’s working great for you.
My mom is permanantly disabled because of a shrink. A friend of mine from college is a mindless zombie because of a shrink and can’t even hold a minimum-wage job anymore. It’s incredibly frustrating for me to watch all that.
Like I told you before, at least you are willing to admit and recognize these feelings. People are not weak because they need pills or drugs. I would consider it “adding or offsetting” that one thing thats missing from ourselves, wether it be a chemical that we lack or have to much of. or what evvvaaahhh
You are exactly right! You have to do what YOU need to do. I fought that battle for a really long time. I didn’t want to depend on medication. It got to the point where I was about to lose my job for not coming into work. The doctor was quick to prescribe medication, but the medication alone didn’t help. I had to go to therapy. I’m still going to therapy. Each day, I try to make myself well.
To do something that you realize has the potential to make others think that you’re weak… And to do it for all the right reasons–to move forward in life, to take care of your children, to pay attention to those things that you need to pay attention to…
Nah. Doesn’t seem weak to me at all. 🙂 Lady, if anything you’re hella strong.
medication can only be effective when used with some form of therapy. True there are many MD’s out there that insist on meds however unless you begin on talking about feelings that cause you to cut/hurts self, and what comes up prior to you wnating to hurt yourself, you will get no where. Trying to work with meds and not therapy will get you no where. Ive been reading your posts for a long time, and although I havent met you or spoke with you, Im wondering if the antidepresant isnt causing you distress in itself. You may want to talk with your MD about a mood stabilizer?? Have you and your MD discussed that you may be Bipolar???? good luck..
Sorry I ranted on your comments, Yvonne. I totally should have made my own post.
Christina,
That old saw that everyone is entitled to their opinions is so much crap. Maybe it’s too fine a semantic line and maybe the exact meaning of words has been thoroughly exiled by the postmodernists, but everyone is entitled to an informed opinion.
Just a pet peeve.
John,
> That old saw that everyone is entitled to their opinions is > so much crap. Maybe it’s too fine a semantic line and
> maybe the exact meaning of words has been thoroughly
> exiled by the postmodernists, but everyone is entitled to
> an informed opinion.
AMEN! It’s my opinion that people who don’t know what they’re talking about should think before they speak.
And that’s an informed one 😉
John — I agree.
I have mixed opinions on this, especially one whose job it was to write about and sell these drugs and a person who was on them.
As a seller/writer, you wouldn’t believe how we have to push this crap. The goal was to push the benefits of the drugs. Well they basically have all the same effect. Side effects? It was so funny that I had to write about a drug that basically killed you if you had heart disorders. Nothing like making something all bright and cheery when in reality, it can cause more harm than good.
As a person with depression, I too fought off taking meds. That was until I couldn’t do anything but think about buying a gun and putting a bullet in my head. Having major depression and dysthimia, I’m constantly depressed no matter the situation. It really, really sucks to go on vacation and have the time of your life and still not get a ‘high’ out of it. So I went on meds—quite a few. One worked the best but within a year, I felt monotone and felt it was making it worse so I quit.
Personally, I think depression is an imbalance in the brain AND it’s environmental. If one grows up in a house with abuse and sees shit day in and day out, they’re going to be depressed and it stays with them.
I guess in short if someone asked me if I would go on meds again, I would say possibly. But I think it’s all a bunch of shit that only manages the problem to a certain point. I don’t think anything can cure/solve depression. And that is what sucks the most. My husband always thinks it’s him when it’s not; I have to constantly remind him that this is the way I am. I don’t get all giddy and jumping for joy like him over things. I just don’t.