Interesting read... use of prescribed mind-altering drugs

unsung

http://www.wnd.com/2013/01/the-giant-ga ... reporting/

JonnyPistachio

Definitely an interesting read. How do you suggest we approach this problem?

hedonist

If accurate, that's a scary number of young people taking medication. Are these (supposed to be) easy fixes, despite the side-effects?

I think I've posted this before, but after my mother in law died close to two years ago, Danny's doctor prescribed him Effexor (for his COMPLETELY NATURAL REACTION TO HIS PARENT'S DEATH). After I did some research, I forbade - yes, forbade - him to take that shit.

Seems like many possible side-effects of many medications are worse than the issue one is taking it for.

I have no fucking clue how to approach it all.

JonnyPistachio

hedonist wrote:

If accurate, that's a scary number of young people taking medication. Are these (supposed to be) easy fixes, despite the side-effects?

I think I've posted this before, but after my mother in law died close to two years ago, Danny's doctor prescribed him Effexor (for his COMPLETELY NATURAL REACTION TO HIS PARENT'S DEATH). After I did some research, I forbade - yes, forbade - him to take that shit.

Seems like many possible side-effects of many medications are worse than the issue one is taking it for.

I have no fucking clue how to approach it all.

I think there was a decade or so when so where nobody asked questions about this shit. They just trusted their doctors. Obviously some of the doictors are in bed with the pharmaceutical industry, and just greedy --getting rich off doping up our kids.

Hopefully, if this can get out to the public (and I think it is to some degree) that some doctors prescribe medications that arent absolutely necessary...and we should question everything and/or do some research before zombifying our kids.

Doctors? How are they able to give out this shit like candy?

candleofthought26

Thanks so much for posting this -a hugely important topic. Many dangerous facts are starting to come to light about this unethical and alarming practice. In addition to the highly questionable "rare" side-effects addressed in the article posted here, many others exist and are being suppressed by drug companies and the practitioners who pull out their prescription pads before a person can even finish telling them what their issue is.

PLEASE read 'Toxic Psychiatry' by Peter Breggin, a legit author- consultant with National Institute of Mental Health, M.D., former teaching fellow at Harvard. Many of these widely prescribed drugs are actually a major tranquilizer that are not designed to, and DO NOT treat any one symptom in particular, such as that which the drug is prescribed for, but rather act generally on the brain to change chemical processing.

While it can be argued that there is a place for these drugs in severe cases where they are needed, there is no denying that this is not the way we are currently employing the use of these drugs, and we have a responsibility to educate (warn) people about the severe possible consequences of their use.

What we need is empathy, love, understanding, and support of those who are struggling with some very real and very distressing issues.

aerial

hedonist wrote:

If accurate, that's a scary number of young people taking medication. Are these (supposed to be) easy fixes, despite the side-effects?

I think I've posted this before, but after my mother in law died close to two years ago, Danny's doctor prescribed him Effexor (for his COMPLETELY NATURAL REACTION TO HIS PARENT'S DEATH). After I did some research, I forbade - yes, forbade - him to take that shit.

Seems like many possible side-effects of many medications are worse than the issue one is taking it for.

I have no fucking clue how to approach it all.

What did you find out about effexor? My friend was given this for depression. Between her relationship, kids and work she was crying all the time.

Bentleyspop

You really took that seriously?

Take a look around at the website

The titles and articles and videos are soooo ridiculous :roll:

looks like something The Onion might have produced as an April Fools day issue

hedonist

aerial wrote:

hedonist wrote:

If accurate, that's a scary number of young people taking medication. Are these (supposed to be) easy fixes, despite the side-effects?

I think I've posted this before, but after my mother in law died close to two years ago, Danny's doctor prescribed him Effexor (for his COMPLETELY NATURAL REACTION TO HIS PARENT'S DEATH). After I did some research, I forbade - yes, forbade - him to take that shit.

Seems like many possible side-effects of many medications are worse than the issue one is taking it for.

I have no fucking clue how to approach it all.

What did you find out about effexor? My friend was given this for depression. Between her relationship, kids and work she was crying all the time.

Pretty much what I googled on it - dramatic changes in personality is what scared me the most. What's the point of curing "depression" (a natural grief-induced one at that) if in the process you fuck with the essence of the person?

candleofthought, thank you for your post. I'm going to come back and read it in more detail.

(and to Bentley - do you not think the issue itself deserves some merit, some thought, for a start? I do.)

Prince Of Dorkness

hedonist wrote:

If accurate,

Dude. That was from World News Daily.

That is not accurate. They don't post accurate stuff. They're about as accurate as The Onion.

hedonist

Prince Of Dorkness wrote:

hedonist wrote:

If accurate,

Dude. That was from World News Daily.

That is not accurate. They don't post accurate stuff. They're about as accurate as The Onion.

Dude. Stop calling me dude...I am not a dude

For the most part, I'm not really in the loop of good and bad websites.

I'll go back to my response to Bentley - overprescribing is a problem worth (more than) a look-see.

unsung

I'll never understand why people will try to discredit a story based on the website. The article has merit, stop hijacking threads. Just ignore them.

Bentleyspop

hedonist wrote:

Prince Of Dorkness wrote:

hedonist wrote:

If accurate,

Dude. That was from World News Daily.

That is not accurate. They don't post accurate stuff. They're about as accurate as The Onion.

Dude. Stop calling me dude...I am not a dude

For the most part, I'm not really in the loop of good and bad websites.

I'll go back to my response to Bentley - overprescribing is a problem worth (more than) a look-see.

You are absolutely correct....overprescribing is an issue
Also an issue is people posting links to disreputable websites that spew lies, wrong spin, and misqoutes
if that article had been from the Journal of Medicine, or the lancet by a reputable medicalauthority then fine I would pay more attention
But the whole website was a joke

hedonist

JonnyPistachio wrote:

I think there was a decade or so when so where nobody asked questions about this shit. They just trusted their doctors. Obviously some of the doictors are in bed with the pharmaceutical industry, and just greedy --getting rich off doping up our kids.

Hopefully, if this can get out to the public (and I think it is to some degree) that some doctors prescribe medications that arent absolutely necessary...and we should question everything and/or do some research before zombifying our kids.

Doctors? How are they able to give out this shit like candy?

Before zombifying ourselves too, JP.

While I'm thankful for the meds that ease my back pain, I'm floored by how casually prescriptions - potentially dangerous ones, at that - are handed out...to adults, to teens, to children.

Makes me wonder why some older natural, "organic", methods aren't used as well - ie, med MJ, acupuncture, etc.

Prince Of Dorkness

unsung wrote:

I'll never understand why people will try to discredit a story based on the website. The article has merit, stop hijacking threads. Just ignore them.

Because a website like WND exists for one reason, which is to undermine any progressive policy. They do not do any actual reporting or journalism, they do intentional hatchet pieces.

This article, for instance, is peppered with inaccurate information and unrelated stories in an effort to further the notion that "we don't need gun control, the real fault lies with people on anti-depressants."

WND does not publish articles with "merit" and suggesting that they do is a major disservice to yourself and the public.

unsung

So mental illness and the over medication of youth is not an issue. Ok, good to know. Thankfully those weirdos like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates weren't pumped full of that crap.

Prince Of Dorkness

unsung wrote:

So mental illness and the over medication of youth is not an issue.

Which is so not even remotely close to what anyone has said that it just proves that you know you're wrong and just refuse to admit it.

Jeanwah

hedonist wrote:

JonnyPistachio wrote:

I think there was a decade or so when so where nobody asked questions about this shit. They just trusted their doctors. Obviously some of the doictors are in bed with the pharmaceutical industry, and just greedy --getting rich off doping up our kids.

Hopefully, if this can get out to the public (and I think it is to some degree) that some doctors prescribe medications that arent absolutely necessary...and we should question everything and/or do some research before zombifying our kids.

Doctors? How are they able to give out this shit like candy?

Before zombifying ourselves too, JP.

While I'm thankful for the meds that ease my back pain, I'm floored by how casually prescriptions - potentially dangerous ones, at that - are handed out...to adults, to teens, to children.

Makes me wonder why some older natural, "organic", methods aren't used as well - ie, med MJ, acupuncture, etc.

The pills aren't just handed out, it's also the public that wants a quick fix and thinks that the pills will do it. Instead they cause other problems.

Alternative medicine is being used and is becoming more common place; I've been getting reiki done for 9 months and have taken classes so I can heal others and myself (it works, but the patient needs to be fully involved and active in their healing, it's no quick fix). I go to my first acupuncture treatment tomorrow.

ETA: And what about meditation? If more schools taught kids to practice mindfulness, it would alleviate half the problems we have out there.

hedonist

Jeanwah wrote:

The pills aren't just handed out, it's also the public that wants a quick fix and thinks that the pills will do it. Instead they cause other problems.

Alternative medicine is being used and is becoming more common place; I've been getting reiki done for 9 months and have taken classes so I can heal others and myself (it works, but the patient needs to be fully involved and active in their healing, it's no quick fix). I go to my first acupuncture treatment tomorrow.

Good point in that it's not just on doctors' shoulders. The quick-fix mentality has bled into so many realms of our lives, and what a disservice we've done to ourselves in the process.

Best of luck for tomorrow! I'm a needle-phobe, and despite my one and only experience with acupuncture feeling somewhat surreal, it was also incredibly calming. I hope it goes well for you.

Jeanwah

hedonist wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

The pills aren't just handed out, it's also the public that wants a quick fix and thinks that the pills will do it. Instead they cause other problems.

Alternative medicine is being used and is becoming more common place; I've been getting reiki done for 9 months and have taken classes so I can heal others and myself (it works, but the patient needs to be fully involved and active in their healing, it's no quick fix). I go to my first acupuncture treatment tomorrow.

Good point in that it's not just on doctors' shoulders. The quick-fix mentality has bled into so many realms of our lives, and what a disservice we've done to ourselves in the process.

Best of luck for tomorrow! I'm a needle-phobe, and despite my one and only experience with acupuncture feeling somewhat surreal, it was also incredibly calming. I hope it goes well for you.

Thanks! I hope it helps with my chronic stiffness and pain.

comebackgirl

Over medication is absolutely a problem. However, I think that is a separate issue from that of gun violence.

I think in a lot of ways we have become a society that just wants to shut out and numb very natural and healthy emotional reactions. If you put your hand on a hot stove, it's going to hurt because it's painful; it's important to feel that pain because it gives us information - such as "take your hand off the hot stove!" If you lose someone you love, it's going to hurt because it's painful. Those feelings aren't unhealthy or unnatural and they shouldn't be numbed; they're information and they tell us things - like maybe we need time to grieve. Things that are a part of a normal mood state (which includes sadness, anger, joy) have been pathologized and are confused with a true mood disorder. The second people feel somewhat uncomfortable, they want to turn the feelings off rather than looking to see what's underneath them. A lot of anxiety is functional; it can motivate us to make changes and it gives us information about things that are out of balance in our lives. Functional anxiety gets confused with debilitating anxiety, and the moment people start to feel it, they want to shut it off. People seek medication for sleep problems, rather than attending to behavioral and lifestyle changes that may be the real cause for the problems (ie. irregular sleep schedules, too much alcohol or caffeine use, etc.) Medication seems like a quick-fix; therapy and behavioral changes can take a lot of effort and energy. Prescribers do need to be more accountable. Most mental health centers require clients to first meet with a therapist (and continue to do so on an ongoing basis), before they can meet with the psychiatrist. People will circumvent that system and go to their PCP. A psychiatrist may refuse to prescribe xanax, for example, only for the person to go to their PCP and have them write a script. I wish the pharmaceutical companies would stop their advertising. Many people go to their doctor telling them which medication they should be on, having little information about the medication or the illness for which it is prescribed. Many clinicians are finding great results from incorporating things like meditation, mindfulness, aromatherapy, etc. Transcendental meditation in particular has been very helpful for kids with ADHD.

That's not to say that there aren't times when medication is necessary and can be beneficial. The misinformation that is spread as a result of the overuse and misuse of these medications can deter people who could truly benefit from them, from using them. Given the number of people currently on psychotropics, we would have a lot more violent crime if the medications caused violence. The article absolutely has a lot of misinformation. For example, SSRIs due not cause mania, however when used without a mood stabilizer they can trigger a manic episode in people who are bipolar.

I've posted some peer-reviewed articles on other threads and will post some of them here too. The overwhelming majority of people who commit violent crimes are not mentally ill. While there may be a comorbid illness, such as depression, most of these shooters commit this violence because they feel wronged and justified to punish others. The cause of this kind of violence has more to do with an attitude and a way of relating to the world than a mental illness (as in the case of the Columbine and VA Tech shooters - discussed in-depth in the last article). When we see violence occurring by those who do have a mental illness that results in a break with reality (i.e. psychosis - as in the case of Andrea Yates), it often occurs when people are no longer engaged in treatment or have been non-compliant with treatment recommendations. We need better services for people who are in need of treatment, and we need better medications to treat biologically-based illnesses, which will require a lot more research. And we need funding to support those goals.

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article ... leid=96905
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525086/
http://www.jaapl.org/content/38/1/87.full

Go Beavers

Well said, cbg. When people go to their physician, they often want to be "fixed" and don't want to leave empty handed. This has also led to over-prescribing other meds, like antibiotics.