Before I get too far, I would like to make clear that this is not, I repeat, NOT a pro or anti drug discussion.
Now to continue, it is my thought that the reason for taking drugs, whether they are for a headache or for cancer, is to treat, lessen, or dull pain, illness or discomfort of some sort. All reasons for taking drugs, any kind, legal or not, would loosely fall into one or more of the categories listed above. Now I am absolutely for taking drugs to help lessen pain, treat disease, or to improve life in general. My problem, thus the reason for this blog entry, is that these medications are not being used for this anymore.
As a society, it has become not only socially acceptable, but popularized to take your medicine. Medicine commercials are almost impossible to escape on the television. Online they are plastered on the pages of websites near and far, from herbal remedies to complex names that take up half the ad. These ads show sunny days, happy people, true relief from what ails you. The flowery images keep rolling while the side effects are read in monotones under the light happy music. If you pay attention, you may notice that the first side effect is something easy, gradually building to that wonderful crescendo: diarrhea, nausea, profuse sweating, kidney failure, asthma, death, shaking, sleepiness, fatigue, and increased thoughts of suicide.
Now I'm not saying that there's a huge conspiracy by the "They that is Them", what I am saying is that as a society we have defined a way that is acceptable to get high. Prime time commercials and references in most pop culture outlets have made an easy and acceptable way to escape reality. Unlike illegal substances, while controlled, they are still legal. Unlike alcohol they are technically "good" for you. Unfortunately, for every one person who needs these medications, that is in pain, that has that condition, that is in true desperation, there are five that know how to fake their way through a doctor’s appointment to get a drug for an illness they don't have. These other five people are still within social acceptance though, because they were seen by and given the permission from a doctor, with a prescription.
It's this social acceptance that I'm calling out as the issue. The people who will self medicate because life is hard and unpleasant to deal with, but call it panic attacks or social anxiety, who will pop pills three times a day and then look down upon those who drink too much, or do elicit drugs. This passive idea that a piece of paper from a doctor validates compulsive addictive behavior and intoxication is the issue, not the drugs them selves. While I wouldn't vindicate the pharmaceutical companies completely, after all, with digging in and advertising nationwide in such a manner as is currently done, one couldn't help but see a correlation between these ads and the popularity of prescription medications, I see more responsibility lying with the people. Common sense dictates that companies don't go where there's no demand for the product.
Ultimately the people ask for and buy the product. Ultimately the people seek a socially acceptable way to become intoxicated, and thus numb to whatever annoyances or problems may be plaguing them. The problem then becomes this: How do you stop an addict who knows the system? Is there a way to decipher who is and who isn't just trying to get a fix? More importantly is there a way to do that without discriminating or harming those who legitimately need these medications? Is it even possible to sort out those who would seek the drugs as an intoxicant, whether knowingly or not, from those who just simply need the medications?
To complicate the matter further, depending on the drug type, it could be argued that the drug could start causing the very thing it's trying to suppress by throwing off an otherwise healthy balance in the body. Even removing that theory, a person with an addictive personality, or who has convinced themselves they need the drug may show symptoms not because they truly are affected, but rather because the power of thought convinced the individual that they really do have the issue.
After trying for a long while to find a way, an opinion, an option, a loop hole of some sort to sift through those who need versus those who want, in the end there was no good option. The people who use substances for the wrong reasons have existed long before pharmaceutical companies, long before what could be called "modern" medication, and will continue to exist. In the end it is a personal decision, and try as we might, there's no way of dissuading a person once their mind has been made up. One could say that pulling adds, stopping commercials could help slow the abuse. However, one could also argue that pulling adds and commercials will put those in need in the dark, not only that, but no matter how much you hide it, there is one thing you can never hide, cover or change: Human nature, and our desire to have what makes us feel good, and have that feeling all the time. After all, a headache is a headache, and most would love the option to never have one again, even if it does mean being over medicated.
very very interesting.....
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