Do you think that society is too dependant on medications?

Question

We take drugs for almost every ailment. And sometimes, the side effects of these drugs, that are supposed to keep people alive, are actually life threatening. As well, people who take certain medications don't actually need them, or they are "high" on them.

I am reluctant to take tylenol everytime I have a headache, and when the doctor perscribes me medication I don't like the idea.

Are we turning 100% chemical?

Why would I own stock for any of those companies if I am asking a question like this? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOk.

Answer 1

I think that's the case with a lot of the "happy" psychological medication. People don't want to find out the actual cause of their issues in many cases, just treat the symptoms and walk around like a zombie.

Many medications like insulin which have come around in the past hundred years have certainly save millions of lives.

Answer 2

Antibiotics are way over prescribed. Most doctors are getting better about them, but that is why they aren't as effective anymore. There are still quite a few doctors who will prescribe them if it looks like maybe you might be getting an infection. You don't need an antibiotic just because you have a fever, a sore throat, a ear ache, etc. Your body needs time to fight it off, then if it keeps getting worse and is really an infection you need an antibiotic.
I take medicine for migraines, not pain medicine, but medicine that stops the migraine. Extreme vomiting, not being able to open my eyes or move my head, even hearing loss are not worth passing up the medicine for it.
I am on vicodin right now, I am having a hysterectomy in less then a week. The pain I am having feels like the contractions I had during the middle stages of labor, no way am I able to just lay curled up for a month while waiting for surgery. I have kids to take care of. Pain medicine does not give you a high if you are in extreme pain. You should also not become addicted to it if you are in extreme pain. My sister is a chemo nurse and has taken pain management classes, she told me this as did the doctor who prescribed the pain meds for me.
Meds have their place, I don't think most are over prescribed, but yes some are.

Answer 3

I disagree. I think that medication is necessary in order to live the lives we do. It's why our average lifespan is so high. It's why people don't die from chicken pox or pneumonia or other highly treatable diseases that once used to be sure death sentences. It's why being 20 is now considered just beginning life, instead of being "middle aged" as it was in the not too far back past. Sure, there are corrupt people in the world who take advantage, but that's the case with everything, not just medication. And that is definitely the minority of prescriptions written.

And as far as the person who commented on the psychiatric medications, you shouldn't hold opinions on things you don't/won't understand. Many many many people need psychotropic meds to maintain a stable life. Without them, a lot of people literally would die or would need to be hospitalized for life. Just think, diabetics take insulin to maintain a healthy glucose level. They also watch their diet and activities. If any of those 3 pieces were left out, they would more then likely die. It is the same for psych. patients. Medication is not the only thing we rely on to aid in recovery. We also need to be in therapy and regularly seeing a psychiatrist. These things work together and are necessary for most of the people that need it.

So before you make some liberated declaration of being "all natural" think about these things.

Answer 4

I would say yes we are.....

.....but....

sometimes we just don't want to tough it out, especially as we get older. Case in point. I'm 35, I just had my wisdoms pulled a couple months ago. The dentist gave me prescriptions for Ibuprophen 600mg and Tylenol with coedine. Usually I tough it out like when I had surgery on my lymph node..I only took ibuprophen for like 1 day and didn't even open the vicadine....but that was 10 yrs ago. This time, with a lesser procedure but older body, I took the ibuprophen then said "screw this! I'm taking the tylenol" why should I have to feel ANY discomfort!? So I wimped out, big deal, but I only took the tylenol for a couple days then I didn't need anything after. Besides, I wouldn't have been able to take the medication for very long...I found this out a couple of weeks ago when I had to take the meds again for a little complication with the gums...I didn't want to deal with the pain, but I couldn't take anymore meds after 4 days. Made me question how people can get addicted. After 4 days I was miserable, irritable, couldn't wake up in the a.m......I chose to deal with the pain than keep taking the meds.


whoa! I rambled on didn't I?

Answer 5

Well part of this perception is right and part of it not.

1- Due to advancement in technology, better medical training and public awareness more medical problems are diagnosed while earlier they were missed or ignored. This results in increase use of medicines.

2- Common sense tells us that younger people have less medical problems than older. For various reasons, longjevity has increased mid 50s in grandpa's time to mid 80s in our time. This increased age has translated lot of old poeple in need of meds.

3- Some people are over medicated for depression ( especially younger women) but reality is that lot of psychiatric problems which were thought/ tried to be solved by psychoanalysis unsuccessfully, now are treated successfully by pscychiatric meds.

4- Pain tolerance has gone down ( due to life style) as well as people who use illegal drugs needs higher doses of legal narcotics drugs.

5- This is true that patients have unrealistic expectations and they want medicines for every little problem and if doctors choose not to prescribe those, patients leave the office for a prescirbing doc hunt!

6- This is also true that the more medicines we use, there is risk of more side effects. But those side effects , in effect , do not result in significant increase in use of more meds.

Therefore it is reasonable to expect that use of medicines will increase with time however some realistic approach is needed on part of patients and doctors. By the way, I think all major drug stocks won't do too great for next 2-3 years as there are no significant new drugs in their pipeline and many major block busters will loose their patents in coming years, lol.

Wiseman

Answer 6

I'm on quite a bit of meds. it sucks because I remember when I didn't have to take anything and I wish I could be that way again but mine came on slowly as I get older or got older I should say.
I do think some Doctors prescribe to much to often and some don't but it does seem there are a lot of ads and stuff about new meds. all the time and nothing natural now days.You are so right about the side effects!!!

Answer 7

Some medicines are worse than others. Tylenol is worse than aspirin. Tylenol made a deal with a lot of hospitals to provide their patients with tylenol at a reduced cost. Overprescription has led to liver disease in some cases. Too much of anything is bad for you. But some medicines are OK and necessary if taken in moderation.

100% chemical is a little harsh, but I have to admit that I need caffeine or else I can't function in the morning.

Answer 8

I believe that our society is way too dependent on chemical medicine. Sometimes chemical medicine is not a cure for what ails you but a quick fix or cover for symptoms of serious illnesses. Chemicals are now advertised on television and radio but are they safe ? How many medications(some that were advertised on national television )were recalled because of dangerous consequences. How many lawsuits exist because a drug that was widely distributed caused serious illness and even death? I believe that natural remedies can be a safer substitute for drugs as long as you know what you are doing . after all what did we do before there were chemical drugs?

Answer 9

I think we are way too dependent on drugs to fix our every need. Especially when people want drugs to help them lose fat but they dont try to excersize. Some people can't lose, but others... I'm with you. I try not to take medication for anything unless I can't stand it. I have a chronic pain disease but I've only taken two of the pills my doctor prescribed a year ago.

Answer 10

Unfortunately , we are . Did you realize we are the most medicated, yet least healthy nation in the world. Our diseases are not being cured, they are being maintained by drugs that only cause other problems.
God has provided everything that we need to nourish and heal our bodies- people are being healed of cancer and other "incurable" diseases by not using pharmaceuticals.
Think about it, when you have a headache, is it because your body is Tylenol or ibuprophen or Advil deficient?? NO- our bodies have amazing healing capabilities and by continuing to feed ourselves chemicals and damaging pharmaceuticals, we are destroying our bodies restorative capabilities. We need to find out what our bodies are needing and nourish them so they are able to heal.

Some great books that will point you in the right direction are
The Makers Diet - Jordan Reuben
Body By God - Dr . Ben Lerner
Toxic Relief- Colbert

"Let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be food." Hippocrates

"Doctors give drugs of which they know little, into bodies, of which they know less, for
Diseases of which they know nothing at all." Voltaire

At the end of times the merchants of the word will deceive the nations of the world through
Their Pharmacia." (sorcery) - Rev 18:23

The carpenter desires timber, the physician disease." Rig Veda IX. 7.9

All drugs are poisons the benefit depends on the dosage." Philippus Theophrastrus Bombast
That of Aureolus Paracelsus (1493-1541)

"All that man needs for health and healing has been provided by God in nature, the
Challenge of science is to find it." Philippus Theophrastrus Bombast that of Aureolus
Paracelsus (1493-1541)


If we doctors threw all our medicines into the sea, it would be that much better for our
Patients and that much worse for the fishes." Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendel
Holmes, MD

One of the biggest tragedies of human civilization is the precedents of chemical therapy
Over nutrition. It's a substitution of artificial therapy over nature, of poisons over food, in
Which we are feeding people poisons trying to correct the reactions of starvation."
Dr. Royal Lee, January 12, 1951

The human body heals itself and nutrition provides the resources to accomplish the task."
Roger Williams Ph.D. (1971)


God, in His infinite wisdom, neglected nothing and if we would eat our food without trying
to improve, change or refine it, thereby destroying its life-giving elements, it would meet
all requirements of the body." Jethro Kloss

You cannot poison your body into health with drugs, chemo or radiation. "Health" can
only be achieved with healthful living." T.C. Fry

"It seems that some consideration should be given to the cause of our mounting physical
disabilities, but instead of going to the root of our troubles -- wrong habits of eating and
drinking -- we rush to the medicine shelf and smother our uncomfortable and distressing
symptoms under an avalanche of pills, potions and palliatives." Brother Roloff