More people taking prescription drugs for mental illness than ever...but is it necessary?

[WhatThe]

The pharmaceutical companies WANT you on medication. It is how they make their money.

 

If you decide taking a pill is the solution for all of your problems, you will soon have more problems than you know what to do with. "Chemical Imbalance" is just an excuse for 99% of people. Everyone is "Chemically Imbalanced" in some way, since everyone is different.

 

Face your issues.

 

The "mental illness" drugs are just he beginning. Have high cholesterol? Try eating differently. High blood pressure? Try losing weight, exercising, meditation.

 

Meds are the LAST resort, not the first, although your pharma-sponsored doctor will tell you differently.

[Seraphim]

I can only go with the compassion, empathy and vigilence I have learned from living with and caring for and loving people with mental disorders for 42 years.

[renaissancewoman101]

For those of you who think meds are overprescribed, then how do you deal with issues like extreme anxiety where one worries about EVERYTHING, from how others react to you to how you may come accross to others, to if people like you or not, and these thoughts race through your mind all the time and you are on edge because of all that. It is not easy to go through life being like that. But then taking meds also takes a part of my life away and makes me feel zombielike, which I can't handle either.

[paintedfish]

Then find your own balance. Take anxiety meds when needed, identify what thinking patterns make you so anxious around other people, get therapy or whatever is needed, and use the meds as a foundation for correcting your way of reacting to life.

[Seraphim]

What is unfortunate is sometimes people think " oh smarten up and snap out of it" works. However that does not work for a society so at dis ease and puts money and want and gain first. Money has become an god. No one cares to help anyone, not truly,if they did they would be with their families and friends and helping mankind not worried about how much money they can make or how much STUFF they can buy. A lot of dis ease in the world is created by money and greed and lack of care for humanity. Society is SICK, all running on wrong premises and then we wonder why people are sick and people snap "oh get yourself out of it". There are those truly afflicted and those affected by the ills of society. Either way love and compassion and caring are a better solution than " just snap out of it" Cure the evils out there and look after your family and be an upstanding global responsible HUMAN BEING.

[Seymore]

THIS is the big factor today. NO ONE CARES. If people learned how to care for humanity more this would help a lot.

 

A-freaking-men to that. Nobody cares. As you can see from some of the stories, people are simply having pills thrown at them and then put on a shelf. It solves nothing for some people. I seriously have doubts about wanting to bring a child into such a cold world...if that's how it is now, how's it going to be in 10-20 years?

[COtuner]

Well said. When I have people to talk to (in person, physically available, with some semblance of empathy and compassion), I do a lot better during down times. When I feel alone and ostracized, everything spirals downwards. That's why moving away from the Bay Area cured my depression within a matter of a few weeks, for example. My problems were still there - the difference was that people in my new city were very friendly, open, shared interests, shared politics, etc and suddenly life looked brighter. Amazing the difference that having people in your life to relate to can make in helping you plunge forward and address challenges.

[Seraphim]

A-freaking-men to that. Nobody cares. As you can see from some of the stories, people are simply having pills thrown at them and then put on a shelf. It solves nothing for some people. I seriously have doubts about wanting to bring a child into such a cold world...if that's how it is now, how's it going to be in 10-20 years?

 

Look at everything I am saying too though. EVERYONE has to stand up and be part of the solution not look for blame, not slap people when they are down. Gently lead with respect and love. Seriously, put your kids and family and friends FIRST in your life,and money LAST. If everyone did this families would be better, life would be better. What would companies and governments do if everyone stood up and said they were not playing the game anymore??? They would have to capitulate and maybe LOVE would be more important than greed and money and we would not have a society of dis ease. The thing is so few people stand up for what is truly important and when they do they are called idealists or fools or what have you. Sad.

[Seymore]

Look at everything I am saying too though. EVERYONE has to stand up and be part of the solution not look for blame, not slap people when they are down. Gently lead with respect and love. Seriously, put your kids and family and friends FIRST in your life,and money LAST. If everyone did this families would be better, life would be better. What would companies and governments do if everyone stood up and said they were not playing the game anymore??? They would have to capitulate and maybe LOVE would be more important than greed and money and we would not have a society of dis ease. The thing is so few people stand up for what is truly important and when they do they are called idealists or fools or what have you. Sad.

 

I totally see what you're saying. As generations pass, the family first, money last mentality has faded quite a bit.

[Seraphim]

Yup and see where THAT has lead us.

[COtuner]

Look at everything I am saying too though. EVERYONE has to stand up and be part of the solution not look for blame, not slap people when they are down. Gently lead with respect and love. Seriously, put your kids and family and friends FIRST in your life,and money LAST. If everyone did this families would be better, life would be better. What would companies and governments do if everyone stood up and said they were not playing the game anymore??? They would have to capitulate and maybe LOVE would be more important than greed and money and we would not have a society of dis ease. The thing is so few people stand up for what is truly important and when they do they are called idealists or fools or what have you. Sad.

 

Unfortunately they would just outsource our jobs elsewhere and we'd all be on welfare. Companies don't have to care, they aren't people they are profit making entities. Love doesn't pay the bills, is the reality of the situation.

[Crazyaboutdogs]

Yes, I seem very put together on the outside and I am always everyone's rock. People neglect those kind of people saying " oh they are fine, arnt they SO helpful and solid.?" When those people then have an event in their life no one even thinks twice about helping them or that they might need some help. Which feeds into the ONLY care about yourself attitude that is so prevelent today.

 

That has been my experience as well. Always the rock for everyone else but when I need someone to help me they don't take the time.

[Crazyaboutdogs]

The pharmaceutical companies WANT you on medication. It is how they make their money.

 

If you decide taking a pill is the solution for all of your problems, you will soon have more problems than you know what to do with. "Chemical Imbalance" is just an excuse for 99% of people. Everyone is "Chemically Imbalanced" in some way, since everyone is different.

 

Face your issues.

 

The "mental illness" drugs are just he beginning. Have high cholesterol? Try eating differently. High blood pressure? Try losing weight, exercising, meditation.

 

Meds are the LAST resort, not the first, although your pharma-sponsored doctor will tell you differently.

 

Losing weight and exercising can get your blood pressure and cholesterol down to a certain degree..but as you get older your body just doesn't work like it used to. Thin people have high blood pressure and cardiac problems as well. Not all illnesses can be cured by diet and exercise.

[NightLily]

I very often am concerned about all of this when applied to myself. It starts to beat up my self esteem because I am taking medications when I start to worry that in fact I'm just a lazy bum when depressed. Then.. when my mood starts to switch, I become anything but lazy and think I can stop taking the medications. ..

 

But then things get out of control and I start doing stupid things.

 

I'm still hoping it is over prescribed and I don't need to keep taking it. I haven't taken it it in two days

[Seymore]

I very often am concerned about all of this when applied to myself. It starts to beat up my self esteem because I am taking medications when I start to worry that in fact I'm just a lazy bum when depressed. Then.. when my mood starts to switch, I become anything but lazy and think I can stop taking the medications. ..

 

But then things get out of control and I start doing stupid things.

 

I'm still hoping it is over prescribed and I don't need to keep taking it. I haven't taken it it in two days

 

Have they prescribed you anything else before? I'd imagine that some people start to feel like a guinea pig when they hear "try this...no, now try this". In the meantime I wonder if these drugs are hurting more than helping, I imagine certain combinations can cause serious damage to one's mental health or behavior.

[NightLily]

Yes I have been on two other medications before. You are also right on the ball with your worries that they can cause harm.

 

Something so simple as Prozac that soo many people are on made my life a living hell and I really have no idea why it would have such a strong negative effect on me but not other people. When I was on Topomax I also ended up in the ER from passing out multiple times in one day.

 

This one I'm taking now, Lamictal is very low on the side effects and I was starting to feel better but then I second guess it is was the meds or just me. Oo... It is an endless circle.

[Seraphim]

Unfortunately they would just outsource our jobs elsewhere and we'd all be on welfare. Companies don't have to care, they aren't people they are profit making entities. Love doesn't pay the bills, is the reality of the situation.

 

What I am talking about is people having/doing/amasing more than they need to. You can only drive one car at a time.Wear one pair of pants at a time, one pair of shoes....get my drift?? No oneNEEDSSSSSSSSSSS 75 pairs of pants or shoes. No one NEEDS a Beamer. There are needs and WANTS. When WANT is out of control we have grief. No one NEEDS 7500 sq feet. There is HUGE over sense of entitlement in this society and it is SICK. You can not take it with you. Money will not save you from grief either. However the love of friends and family and the support of family can save you a lot. That you can take to the grave too ,to warm your heart as you pass. That pile of cash and fancy house wont be warming nothing.

[COtuner]

What I am talking about is people having/doing/amasing more than they need to. You can only drive one car at a time.Wear one pair of pants at a time, one pair of shoes....get my drift?? No oneNEEDSSSSSSSSSSS 75 pairs of pants or shoes. No one NEEDS a Beamer. There are needs and WANTS. When WANT is out of control we have grief. No one NEEDS 7500 sq feet. There is HUGE over sense of entitlement in this society and it is SICK. You can not take it with you. Money will not save you from grief either. However the love of friends and family and the support of family can save you a lot. That you can take to the grave too ,to warm your heart as you pass. That pile of cash and fancy house wont be warming nothing.

 

I don't know.... I get far more enjoyment from my cars than my family (my car has never once punched me in the teeth and usually brings me the highest percentage of happiness in my life each day). Ok, maybe an extreme example.

 

I would like to earn all I can and have all I want, however I still value friends and do all I can for those couple I actually have had stick around in my life. It doesn't have to be an either / or situation.

 

I'm not sure when drugs started becoming the substitute for conversation and human intimacy. Maybe the book Prozac Nation talks about it, if anyone has read that book (I have not).

[flyingdodo]

'Just say no' prevents teenage pregnancy the way 'have a nice day' cures chronic depression. That's what springs to mind whilst reading this thread.

[CoCo2009]

Sometimes I wonder the same thing about myself, I don't know if I'm truly depressed. I have been to two doctors and they told me right away to take anti depressants. Its like they just want you to take them, they don't even really know whats wrong they just give you the prescription and send you on your way.

[NightLily]

Sometimes I wonder the same thing about myself, I don't know if I'm truly depressed. I have been to two doctors and they told me right away to take anti depressants. Its like they just want you to take them, they don't even really know whats wrong they just give you the prescription and send you on your way.

 

You do seem pretty depressed. But then, you could very well just be depressed because of your situation. The meds might give you a little boost? I wouldn't be surprised if you get off of them when things start to go your way again.