Posted on 11/17/2011 1:19:24 PM PST by NormsRevenge
More than one in four American women took at least one drug for conditions like anxiety and depression last year, according to an analysis of prescription data.
The report, by pharmacy benefits manager Medco Health Solutions Inc, found the use of drugs for psychiatric and behavioral disorders in all adults rose 22per cent from 2001.
The medications are most often prescribed to women aged 45 and older, but their use among men and in younger adults climbed sharply.
In total, more than 20per cent of American adults were found to be on at least one drug for mental health disorders.
A number of celebrities have gone public in recent years with their battles with mental health disorders.
They include Catherin Zeta-Jones, who was treated for a form of bipolar disorder earlier this year due to the stress of coping with her husband Michael Douglas's fight with cancer.
Model Brooke Shields admitted suffering postpartum depression after the birth of her baby in 2003, while fellow big screen icon Carrie Fisher, of Star Wars fame, told how she had turned to electroshock therapy to treat the worst symptoms of her chronic depression.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
They cite examples of Hollywood females who take meds for mental disorders. I’m a female, and know more than four other women, and none of them are on meds for mental disorders.
1 in four us women take meds for mental disorders.
Seriously, that number may be too low.
Usually this is a disqualifier from having firearms. Wonder if they’re enforcing that on these women. I remember the video of the mom and son at the range and she blew him away and then herself.
At the risk of being flamed, I see this statistic as the physicians’ fault in some cases.
Some doctors hand out anti-anxiety meds as panacea instead of trying to find the real problem. You might actually have to spend time with a patient, listen carefully to symptoms, and try to find a cause of their problems, but oftentimes it’s just easier to label the issue “anxiety” and send them on their way with a bottle of benzos.
I have MS, and am very active in the MS community. I can say that at least 50 percent of the women I know who are diagnosed with MS were first labeled as “anxious” or “stressed” and given a med for anxiety. It took perserverance, and “nagging”, sometimes changing doctors, to get on the right path to diagnosis.
Remember the days when “mother’s little helper” was either an ass paddle, or a glass of wine?
It's not unreasonable to think there could be some truth in this.
"....wish I had a dollar for every bruise I got for saying PMS stood for Prehistoric Mood Swings"
Well you could look at it from another angle.
If they all are crazy, only 1/4 of them are trying to do something about it.
How much you want to bet that if 1 in 5 woman had not had abortions, 1 in 5 would not be suffering from depression?Not saying that all depression is abortion related, but my bet is a very large portion of it is.
I like crazy women bump. . .
And the rest of them should /joking
When did they stop?
Well, supposedly she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is a specific disease and is not necessarily brought on by stress, but a bout of it can be. There is the manic phase and the depressive phase, and the depression of BPD is particularly dark.
They feel sad because they’re shown all this lavish luxury stuff and perfect families and are told they are awesome and deserve this.
They wonder why they don’t have it and get sad and depressed. Husband isn’t chiseled adonis, kids are screwed up, and both her and hubby (if lucky) have jobs. They are so much more susceptible to adverts and propaganda. Why do you think all the advertisers make ads geared to women?
Men don’t fall for the “you have to have this because you’re awesome and deserve it” emo crap. Not when the entire world keeps kicking our cans saying ‘it’s payback time guys, and you deserve it’.
Explains a lot. My standard dating advice:
1) As soon as she mentions anything about her meds, put down your drink and say you have to go to the bathroom.
2) Once in the bathroom, climb out the window.
3) Go right home and cover up your name on the mailbox.
4) First thing in the morning, change your phone number.
5) Don’t go back to that bar or restaurant for 3-6 months.
Take it from one who knows....
Yes, often docs just prescirbe drugs to treat symptoms. Curing stuff is not the goal. Requires lots of work to get to the root cause of something and get rid of it.
Welcome to the SOMA generation. (brave new world)
I know a couple of young women in America, both of whom suffer from bipolar disorder, and it’s nothing to laugh at.
The last time I was back visiting a few years ago, I was flabbergasted at the ads for pills for almost every possible emotional, mental, or physical malady under the sun.
Look, everyone gets “the blues” from time to time. I myself get Seasonal Affective Disorder, which I treat with Vitamin D and a twice a week visit to a solarium during the winter months.
But so many people are letting themselves get medicated for issues that can be treated in other ways. If I get bored, I read a book. Or go to a movie. I take a long walk in the woods with my girlfriend. I wouldn’t take pills, however. Psychotropic drugs can cause a lot more harm than good.
“Is it a disorder to be depressed and under stress when your husband is facing death?”
IMHO, a lot of these women are dealing with horrible life experiences and are treated with drugs for a limited time. Just in my extended family... yes, several women have been treated for a short period of time with anti-depressants. One cousin was the primary caretaker of her daughter (dying of cancer) and another cousin was dealing with the terminal state of her sister. Both women were the primary caretakers.... spoon feeding them, bathing them etc... No, neither are crazy. Both are strong, fantastic women that dealt with a life blow the best way they could. For that, I respect them. Just a thought.
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