medicated nation?

Question

Do you believe we are a medicated nation? Is medication for ADD and depression a bad thing? My Soc. teacher was bashing medications

Answer 1

I do believe that as a whole our society is over medicated. Many doctors are looking for the easiest way to get paid by insurance companies and it is easier to shove a persciption at an overbearing mother who insists that her kids need it.

On the other hand there are lots of people with things like depression and ADD who need medication. For years I did not believe that I needed to be medicated. It took four hospitalizations in four years for me to finally accept the truth. Too many people think well since they live fine without meds then no one else should need meds either.

I think a good indicator to if medications are really needed is by finding out what else the person is doing besides taking the medications. Are they going to individual, group or couples thearapy. Do they attend behavorial thereapy. Are they involved in any programs that promote relaxation, anger management or some other self help program. Do they recieve adaquate follow up care, not just a two minute refill appointment.

Most people who are taking medications and really need them will also be involved in some other aspect of learning how to manage or cope with thier problems. However there is a large number of people who do rely on medications as the quick fix. Then there are other people who refuse to accept certain diagnosis because they were classified as somehthing else years ago and only recently "discovered".

Answer 2

I think that we are a medicated nation. There are many instances where medication is a very good thing for depression and ADD. But, a doctor should not just prescribe medication because the patient has been feeling a little blue that week.

Answer 3

I always wonder what people's personal connection to this problem is. Is he a Scientologist like Tom Cruise? Has he felt coerced to take medication himself? I think if you or a family member has serious ADHD or depression, you'll probably try just about anything, and if meds cause an improvement in the quality of life, I just can't figure out how that's a bad thing.

Does he also recommend people not take their insulin? Somehow we seem to think that mental health diagnoses either aren't as "real" or as "worthy" as phyisical illnesses. Ignorance.

Answer 4

When i got my 4 wisdom teeth taken out i was prescribed a month's worth of Vicodin... there was no need for me to have that many drugs. I was only like 16yrs old... it's too easy in this country to get a hold of dangerous drugs. I had a friend that would get high on over the counter drugs... it's sad that anyone has such easy access to these drugs. The doctor should have only given me like 10 pills instead of 30 pills... i ended up taking one and throwing out the rest.

Answer 5

Yes we are, but I guess I am ok with that.
Everything depends on how you are looking at it, your soc. teacher may have had a bad time with medication or they could have been brought up to think that if you need medication then you are weak.
If you are looking at it from a general medication side like pain pills, antibiotocs, ect. then yes we are overly medicating ourselves and in turn it is hurting is and messing with our immune system.

Answer 6

Ask my sister, her husband is a pain in the butt unless he takes his ADD meds. I think what your underqualified teacher is saying is that doctors are resorting to dishing out medication when in fact it isn't necessarily the best treatment. He may have not worded it properly, but my same sister has a disease as well and they misdiagnosed her and started pumping her with the wrong drug which ends up giving her multiple problems. So perhaps you should have him clearify first.

Answer 7

Your teacher is an imbecile. Yes, alot of these medications are over prescribed, but those of us that need them to function like a normal human are better because of it.


Better living through chemistry, I'm a firm believer.

Answer 8

It depends on each individual person and the circumstances... your social studies teacher is not necessarily the most qualified person for this.......it seems like sometimes we tend to forget that we are all individuals and what may work for one may not work for another

Answer 9

YES!!! all doctors do is prescribe! they dont look at underlying causes....if these people changed something as simple as their DIETS i bet that they would not 'need' that medication.

Answer 10

tell me about it ! I got a house full of Jehovas's wittness on prozac !