Study Shows That 70% Of Americans Are On Prescription Drugs - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Pantz Master;41121745]Prescription drugs =/= illness. I take anti-acne drugs for example. Am I abnormal? I don't think so.[/QUOTE] Severe/bad acne can be consider an illness. A minor one. But still an illness. And yes, you are abnormal, most people dont need prescription drugs for acne.

This has nothing to do with health. People have been living for thousands of years without pharmacies. All these drugs are monetized products so that someone somewhere can make some $$$.

amazing that the country that has one of the highest qualities of life has alot of people on preventative or helpful medications! similar studies have shown that over 90% of americans also have electricity! what an amazing find! seems kinda obvious when you think about it that way though.... [editline]21st June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=cqbcat;41122949]This has nothing to do with health. People have been living for thousands of years without pharmacies. All these drugs are monetized products so that someone somewhere can make some $$$.[/QUOTE] every anthropological site ever unearthed has shown some sign of medicines being taken, they've found medicinal herbs burried with bodies from every period of man, so ya man and medicines have been around for a lot longer than the modern period, its not just about money, would you ask a severe epileptic to stop taking his medicine because they are giving big pharm money? no because he can't live without it, just like a diabetic needs insolent

Feeling Sad? Take a pill! Have the sniffles? Take a pill! Feeling tired? Take a pill! Feeling Too happy? Take a pill! Have too much energy? Take a pill! Feeling like you can't concentrate? Take a pill! Addicted to pills? Take a pill!

what about if you can't function on a day-to-day basis without a pill?

[QUOTE=Sableye;41123008]what about if you can't function on a day-to-day basis without a pill?[/QUOTE] Then either you are one of those people who actually need it, or you are addicted.

Depression being widespread is a symptom of larger problems like inequality that need to be tackled too.

[QUOTE=thisispain;41120250]that doesnt mean anything, you didnt say anything of substance[/quote] Translation: "I don't want to believe you so I'll say whatever I can to discredit you without addressing a single thing you said!" [quote]someone who's bills are piling up might benefit from an SSRI[/quote] Bullshit. Fucking bullshit. If your only reason to be on SSRIs is "I'm a bit sad because I was a dumbass and spent more money than I made, so now my bills are piling up" you are a moron and do not have any business on SSRIs. The solution is to get your shit together, not drown it in highly powerful psychoactive chemicals that cost so much they actually make the problem worse. People like that are a massive part of the reason 70% of Americans are on prescription drugs. They're abusing them just like they abuse alcohol. They're abusing them because they provide a chemically induced euphoria on command, not because they genuinely need help with depression. I've got nothing against people who genuinely need them being on them. If you're somehow getting that vibe you need to take a refresher course on reading comprehension. [quote] and you are in no position to say otherwise[/quote] Yes I am.[quote]id suggest you stop taking your cues on prescription drugs from south park[/quote] How am I taking cues from a show I don't even watch? Pretty nice assumption, too, says a lot about you. None of what it says is positive, either.

I'm part of that 70%. I have nasal spray for hay fever and it's working fine. I can now be productive and happy instead of lazy, tired and miserable. But it's sad that kids get antidepressants and ADD/ADHD meds thrown at them. I swear the next few generations are going to be dependent on prescription medications.

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;41121191]Wasn't there a study that said people were actually getting sick [I]more[/I] because the overusage of anti-biotics was killing the healthy bacteria in their bodies and destroying their immune systems?[/QUOTE] Probably. I doubt society's overuse of antibacterial and anti-biotic [I]everything[/I] is helping the matter, either.

[QUOTE=krail9;41113519]heaven forbid we use the technology we've created to improve and save lives[/QUOTE] That's like saying it is okay for 70% of the population to be morbidly obese and be dependent on motorized vehicles to move. That is technology we have created because it improves lives, but it doesn't solve the problem. Eating healthy and getting off your fat ass to exercise, does. I'm going to wager that the vast majority of these 70% have a lifestyle related disease, and that the constant comsumption of unnecessary meds only makes it worse.

[QUOTE=TestECull;41124463]Translation: "I don't want to believe you so I'll say whatever I can to discredit you without addressing a single thing you said!"[/QUOTE] oh believe me i dont have to discredit you you do a fine job yourself [QUOTE=TestECull;41124463]If your only reason to be on SSRIs is "I'm a bit sad because I was a dumbass and spent more money than I made, so now my bills are piling up" you are a moron and do not have any business on SSRIs. The solution is to get your shit together, not drown it in highly powerful psychoactive chemicals that cost so much they actually make the problem worse. People like that are a massive part of the reason 70% of Americans are on prescription drugs. They're abusing them just like they abuse alcohol. They're abusing them because they provide a chemically induced euphoria on command, not because they genuinely need help with depression.[/QUOTE] again you utterly have no clue what you are talking about lmao. you can make an ambiguous statement all you want but wheres your proof that a "massive part" dont need "genuine help" with depression? youre pulling it out of god knows where there's no difference between "genuine" depression and non-genuine depression. depression is a normal human mood but for some people it can be extremely problematic to the point that they seek help. you cant abuse prozac. they dont cause "a chemically induced euphoria on command" (WTFFF???). its an SSRI. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. what prozac does is inhibit the reduction of serotonin in the synapse, meaning that it stays there longer and can be absorbed better by the brain. the body strongly regulates serotonin but one of the possible causes of depression (ssri's are not always effective for depression) is that the brain uptakes serotonin before it can actually use it. there's no "extra" serotonin here, the body will produce less serotonin as a matter of fact which is what can lead to negative side-effects as the body has to adjust with using less serotonin. prozac slows down the brain's uptake because the theory is that depression is caused by stress increasing the amount of serotonin and the brain responds by slowing down the consumption of it which may lead to depression. that's "genuine" depression, its medically significant and SSRI's have a possibility of helping that person. when you say "chemically induced euphoria on command" that clearly shows you dont actually know what an SSRI does lmao. well i do, i used to take them but they didnt work for me. its the exact opposite of a euphoria. its an extremely painful process because the body starts to reduce its serotonin production. yeah id prefer you not talk out of your ass and contribute to the vast ignorance about medical treatment regarding depression [QUOTE=TestECull;41124463]I've got nothing against people who genuinely need them being on them. If you're somehow getting that vibe you need to take a refresher course on reading comprehension.[/QUOTE] the point is you dont know what "genuine need" for SSRI's would be even if it whacked you in your dick bro [QUOTE=TestECull;41124463]How am I taking cues from a show I don't even watch? Pretty nice assumption, too, says a lot about you. None of what it says is positive, either.[/QUOTE] ooh nice comeback dude *farts*

Fixing depression with pills ? Now that's retarded.

[QUOTE=Dbuhos;41125018]Fixing depression with pills ? Now that's retarded.[/QUOTE] If depression is caused by abnormalities in the brain structure rather than external stimuli then it's not really that retarded.

[QUOTE=Dbuhos;41125018]Fixing depression with pills ? Now that's retarded.[/QUOTE] No, antidepressants can be incredibly effective in the right patients, or in the right situations, and I would never argue for them being banned or anything. The only thing I would argue would be the use of alternative treatments (and I don't mean homeopathy or anything like that, although the placebo effect there could bring about relief in some people) to avoid people being unnecessarily being exposed to side effects, some quite severe. [editline]21st June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Zeke129;41121406]Because mental problems can't be diagnosed as easily as physical problems, sometimes attempting medication has to be a part of the diagnostic procedure[/QUOTE] Well, you'd only do that if it was heavily suspected that severe depression/anxiety was the cause of the given patient's symptoms, and even then only if the shown symptoms outweigh the side effects. Doctors shouldn't just jump straight to prescribing antidepressants if they can avoid it until the patient has had an appointment with psychiatrist or psychologist.

Well look. We're taught from a young age, to chase good feelings and reject anything that doesn't feel good. Pacifiers are used on crying babies, we learn not to cry as we grow up, this is seen as an embarrassing, undesirable emotion and shunned publicly. So - we strive to be happy all the time. This probably came about because it's an excellent motivation for people to work. People work so that people can earn more 'happiness' - be it in the form of a car, house, wife, desirable item or holiday. Rationally, this is fine. Treat man as a machine, and the equation goes something like: [I]Man + Temporary Happiness = Happy Feelings. Happiness Fades. Man Seeks next Temporary Happiness. [/I] Simple. On the whole though, there's so many things that aren't being factored into this way of thinking, which should be pretty obvious. For instance, where's all the feelings that 'aren't happiness' going? Why are they being neglected in favour of this 'happiness' all the time? Are unwanted emotions discharged by ignoring/ covering over them? Or are they just further depressed? Does this process require energy/ does it exert stress on the body? Seeing as we're so concerned with being 'happy' all the time, anything that is seen as contrary to this, is seen as a problem that needs forcefully removing or covering over. Is this sustainable without putting immense stress on the host? It's a simple 'fix', they say. If he can't get happiness the regular way, we'll give him an opiate to provide it, or alter the process in some way. I'd bet that it puts immense stress on the host, and that the process of covering whatever emotions are coming about is a reckless and irresponsible one. As time goes by, life becomes ever easier for humans, more time and energy is available to sitting, thinking and feeling - rather than exerted via manual labour as would have occurred prior to the last 40 years or so. I'd say that's why more people these days are coming to terms with their 'other' emotions and probably why there's so much depression kicking around.

but I need my inhaler to live :(

[QUOTE=Sableye;41122971]amazing that the country that has one of the highest qualities of life has alot of people on preventative or helpful medications! similar studies have shown that over 90% of americans also have electricity! what an amazing find! seems kinda obvious when you think about it that way though.... [editline]21st June 2013[/editline] every anthropological site ever unearthed has shown some sign of medicines being taken, they've found medicinal herbs burried with bodies from every period of man, so ya man and medicines have been around for a lot longer than the modern period, its not just about money, would you ask a severe epileptic to stop taking his medicine because they are giving big pharm money? no because he can't live without it, just like a diabetic needs insolent[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy[/url] Funny how most of the countries with a better life expectancy than the US have more conservative prescribing policies. [editline]21st June 2013[/editline] I mean, compared to the richest countries in the world, the US is like last place in life expectancy. That tells something.

[QUOTE=krail9;41113519]heaven forbid we use the technology we've created to improve and save lives[/QUOTE] I severely doubt that 70% of the US populace' health is bad enough to warrant a routine prescription of at least 1 drug, never mind that 50% are on at least 2 prescriptions.

[QUOTE=bravehat;41125817]I severely doubt that 70% of the US populace' health is bad enough to warrant a routine prescription of at least 1 drug, never mind that 50% are on at least 2 prescriptions.[/QUOTE] Think of how large of an umbrella the term "prescription drug" is. The only thing that should seem high is the antidepressant numbers.

[QUOTE=Olas;41125875]Think of how large of an umbrella the term "prescription drug" is. The only thing that should seem high is the antidepressant numbers.[/QUOTE] No it shouldn't, how the fuck could it possibly seem reasonable or understandable that [B][U]70% of your population[/U][/B] needs antidepressants? In what world does that seem okay?

[QUOTE=bravehat;41125917]No it shouldn't, how the fuck could it possibly seem reasonable or understandable that [B][U]70% of your population[/U][/B] needs antidepressants? In what world does that seem okay?[/QUOTE] Did you read the article? 70% uses [U][B]prescription drugs[/B][/U]. That does not mean every single one is antidepressants. Anytime a doctor has to write a note for anything you can't walk into the store to get, that's a prescription. [quote]...with 13 percent of the overall population also on antidepressants.[/quote]

[QUOTE=mobrockers;41125686][url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy[/url] Funny how most of the countries with a better life expectancy than the US have more conservative prescribing policies. [editline]21st June 2013[/editline] I mean, compared to the richest countries in the world, the US is like last place in life expectancy. That tells something.[/QUOTE] Most of those places have much less social problems, better healthcare, less poverty and better quality of life..... the USA is a shit hole really.

If people just exercised (I mean actually exercised) and ate good, and slept this wouldnt be a problem at all.