I have always been a bit socially awkward.
That”s OK. Eventually I get over it. My friends and family know me pretty well.
But if I wanted to change that quirky shortcoming/character flaw, I might be promised that I could, with pills designed specifically to deal with social anxiety disorder, sometimes referred to as generalized anxiety disorder. A television commercial actor poses the question, “Are you sometimes sad and don”t know why?” I think to myself, “Sure, that is true of me.” It is likely true of just about anyone, just about anywhere, in any family, living situation, socio-economic environment or geographic location.
One pill comes with a promise that the symptoms will disappear in 20 minutes. That”s incredible. And by incredible, I intend to say, not credible, unbelievable.
According to Healthline (www.healthline.com), “Anti-anxiety drugs, or “anxiolytics,” are powerful central nervous system (CNS) depressants that can slow normal brain function. They are often prescribed to reduce feelings of tension and anxiety, and/or to bring about sleep. Anti-anxiety medications are among the most abused drugs in the United States, obtained both legally, via prescription, and illegally, through the black market. These drugs are also known as “sedatives.”
In a conversation I was having last weekend, my friends Dennis and Jillian brought up that Under Dog always took a pill out of his watch so he could tap into his super powers.
That”s an old cartoon. Underdog is an animated television series that debuted Oct. 3, 1964, before I was born.
I started thinking about all of the messages I have ingested in my 43 years, and all of the sources of those messages.
According to a news report on Medical Watch in 2008, “People in the United States take more antidepressants than people in any other country and in just a couple of years the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts mental illness will be our number one disability.”
I am reasonably sure that most people medicate legally or illegally, because they want to be normal or comfortable; others because they will die without the aid of medication.
In terms of balance though, don”t we need to have bad to realize good? Don”t we often gain strength through adversity? I don”t mean to minimize the anguish and agony associated with any condition.
It”s simply my belief that sometimes growth is stifled by feel-good pills.
Medicine cabinets across the country seem to be flooded with these amber vials containing often-broken promises and tiny solutions that seem to create more problems, including addiction, erratic behaviors and, oddly, depression, aggression or thoughts of suicide.
Ours is a nation obsessed with pills.
Sometime back I watched a movie titled “A Requiem for a Dream,” though raw and disturbing, the four characters exemplified in graphic depictions, drug abuse, both legal and illicit. I consider it a must-see.
By 2002 six-percent of all children in the United States were using antidepressants, according to the National Health Statistics. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that between 1994 and 2000 the number of adults in the U.S. using antidepressants tripled.
Perhaps it”s the condition of the world we live in that causes this sadness and desperation, or the fact that people are so hurried and competitive. Survival seems to hinge on the quick fix or easy answer.
This is a world-wide concern. While Americans take the majority of the antidepressants, studies show the numbers of those medicated are going up drastically internationally.
Doctors will advise that pills do not solve all your problems. A person should consider antidepressants only after diagnosis by a physician, maybe two or three physicians. Take all medication only as directed and in conjunction with counseling. If used over extended periods of time, tolerance develops, and larger doses are needed to achieve the initial effects of the medication. Continued use of the drugs can lead to both physical and psychological dependence. Dangerous withdrawal symptoms for those attempting to halt the use of the drugs also commonly occur.
For more information visit: www.cdc.gov or www.nlm.nih.gov.
Mandy Feder is the Record-Bee news editor. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or call her directly at 263-5636 ext.32.
