Regards, Ivan
Posted on 09/12/2004 9:04:38 AM PDT by MadIvan
In 1986, Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka published a book about an unlikely future called “Nature’s End”. In it, the world is so beset by environmental problems that were left over from the 1980’s, that a cult leader calling for 1/3rd of the planet’s population to commit suicide in order to cull the population is taken seriously.
While the novel is ridiculous and events have proven its apocalyptic vision mostly incorrect, there was one element in the story which was true to life: in this future world, there was widespread use of mood altering drugs. The use of mood altering drugs in this fictional world was so extensive that they were put into food to enhance one’s satisfaction with a meal.
While restaurants are not yet providing us with a chemical as well as nutritional boost, one of the stories that has apparently slipped under the radar is how prevalent the use of mood altering drugs has become in medicine and in our daily lives. This is not to say that the use of these chemicals may not have benefit, but their use should be subject to greater scrutiny, as should the downside of our civilisation becoming a “Happy Pill Society”.
Consumption of antidepressants and other mood altering drugs has increased by leaps and bounds in the past decade and a half. According to an article in the Psychiatric Times, in Australia alone there was a “50% increase in prescriptions for antidepressants and a threefold increase in the number of defined daily doses of antidepressants per unit of population” between 1990 and 1998. Similar increases were registered in the United States and Europe up until the year 2000.
(Excerpt) Read more at rightgoths.com ...
Ping!
This is an interesting article, Ivan.
The number of people I know on 'Happy Pills' is alarming. It seems to be a 'quick fix' remedy being handed out by GP's.
A friend of mine, who was prescribed them when she was going through a difficult period in her life, is one of those who is now vehemently against them. She believes that they 'suspend' reality, and don't actually help with deep seated problems.
Ye know, my late mother was someone who gave some great advice. She suffered with post-natal depression after having both of us, and I talked to her about how she coped - and if she took tablets.
She was very opposed to the notion. 'I did what needed to be done. I fought it. I got up out of bed, and I fought it,' she said.
Good article Ivan. I like your site too, even though I'm not a goth it's good to see intellectual individualists realizing that the big tent is still open, no matter how one dresses.
I get angry. Some have read my anger, some have received my anger.
Frustration. Anxiety. Long term traumatic stress is what my therapist calls it.
I had a great job, helping others develop their property, widen roads, etc., while protecting and defining underground and overhead utilities.
I was a peon doing attorney's work, in fact, dealing with attorney's who couldn't find their rump with both hands. It was difficult, but I excelled. At least in my own mind.
There were those, inside the company, that hated me. They wanted to stifle me.
1990: I was crying at 65 miles an hour, on my way to work.
Ah, medication. Therapy. Continuation of the daily riggers. Home to work. Work to home. Ugly.
1996: Walked away. Lucky to get Long Term Disability.
Still on medication, because I still get angry.
Sorry, if I've bored anyone. Just wanted to show that, maybe the pain will be erased someday. But not today.
If the Left took their apocalyptic rantings seriously, they would consider this. As the bumper sticker says, "Save the Planet. Kill yourself."
Don't worry, be happy!!
I agree - as I write in the article, the pills are supposed to treat symptoms in the cases where they're not addressing a chemical imbalance. This is supposed to be combined with other therapies in order to get the individual off drugs altogether. As such, your friend is right, it does "suspend" not "amend".
She was very opposed to the notion. 'I did what needed to be done. I fought it. I got up out of bed, and I fought it,' she said.
Your mother and I have a very similar outlook on the subject.
Regards, Ivan
Honestly, my Mam told me that after she had my brother her post natal depression was so bad she 'wanted to turn her face to the wall and die'.
I asked her, how she got out of it. She said that she had my baby brother and 'had to get over it'.
I dunno, I think that people who grew up during and in the aftermath of WWII had a very strong calibre of character.
I'm not saying all the drugs are bad, but there is a balance between pharmacological help and self-help. And I think it's too far skewed to the pharmacological end of the scale.
Regards, Ivan
As pointed out 120 years ago, "Why has no answer."
I know that PPD hit me very hard after the birth of my second child, and the response of both my GP and my OB/GYN was "Stop nursing him, and take some pills" to get over it. I refused, but there are days when all you CAN do is just do what needs to be done -- drag yourself out of bed, get dressed, and face the day.
Relying on "Happy Pills" is fundamentally a lie. The problems are still there when you ditch the pills.
BTTT
She was. A tremendous Irish mother, with a big heart. I miss her terribly, but I try to live by the advice she gave me before she died three years ago. And I'm sure she's with me every day - in spirit. :-)
I know that PPD hit me very hard after the birth of my second child, and the response of both my GP and my OB/GYN was "Stop nursing him, and take some pills" to get over it. I refused, but there are days when all you CAN do is just do what needs to be done -- drag yourself out of bed, get dressed, and face the day.
BTW, I didn't mean to suggest that living through depression is easy by any means. You sound like a very strong individual. Good on ye.
Relying on "Happy Pills" is fundamentally a lie. The problems are still there when you ditch the pills. Absolutely.
Interesting perspective here>>> http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/health/020100hth-behavior-depression.html
Very interesting, and that does square with JQA's experience - he found it very difficult to live up to his father's reputation, and depression began to set in as soon as he realised what an enormous task that was.
Best Regards, Ivan
One does have to fight this. It is hideously difficult to do so, sometimes to just get up and dressed and go to work. It is my opinion (and I believe that there are some studies on this, might ask Pharmboy) that deep-seated and/or unexpressed anger is one root cause of depression for some.
Related link Incidence of schizophrenia higher in Irish
My son is clinically depressed, and my mother, one brother and sister are bi-polar with schizophrenic affective disorder and we are as Irish as County Cork.
My son is on Lexipro and Ritalin. This article caught my eye, because I am currently in charge of my sister's medications, including Klonopin, Resperdal, Seraquel, Lemichtal, Vistaril and Cogentin. She is being taken off of all of these and put on Clozaril. The change is slow and painful to watch. Last month, after my sister set her face and hair on fire in a moment of delusion--my doctor prescribed Ativan for me so that I could sleep, and not freak out whenever one of my co-workers lit up a cigarette.
Frankly, a little (depressing) Bailey's in my morning coffee is preferable to the false "peaceful" cocoon of Ativan. Ativan left me without the impetus of pain and rage that I needed to help myself or my sister. I can see why it is so addictive, and I have a much greater appreciation for what my son and sister are fighting against...not just their psychiatric disorders, but the mindset of the physicians who prescribe these drugs because it makes them, the doctors, feel less helpless. I am glad that we live in an age when so many options are available, but I think that doctors are over prescribing.
Re your post: My comment #17 may be applicable to you. Thank you for posting. It caught my eye. Norski.
The problem is there is no test to diagnose this alleged chemical imbalance. It's guesswork and largely a sham.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.