We don't all need prescription drugs to function.

I was just reading an article on how much anti-psychotic drugs are being prescribed in the US. The war on drugs isn't working with illegal drugs and it sure isn't working with prescription drugs, when you look at the sheer volume of people on prescription drugs. And not to resolve major life or death issues.  To resolve what appears to be sometimes routine depression. It's normal after certain events to feel depressed. It's  way to deal with the loss of a person in your life, or pet, or job or relationship. It's NORMAL. Suffering from long term depression isn't but often a good therapist willing to listen will help you get through it without stuffing yourself with drugs.

I'm not saying no one should use prescription drugs, but I think the volume of people on those drugs, for minor complaints is excessive. Doctors are no longer really looking at the overall welfare of their patients but are looking for quick fix.  Or they are being brainwashed by big Pharma that the only way to go is to prescribe.

I've been put on the number of medications since it was discovered I had osteoporosis and sadly none of these meds have a long track record, they are new meds, and the doctors don't even know the side effects never mind long term effects. I was put on fosemax for a while, until I said no more. I was a 40 year old woman who on fosemax felt like I was 70, I couldn't do any activity without being in severe pain the next day. I tried explaining this to my doctor, her solution was to give me acetaminophen. As a 40 something woman I shouldn't be in constant pain because I moved. Besides with osteoporosis  you're supposed to do weight bearing exercises to keep your bones strong. Well any exercise on fosemax was like every inch of my body hurt. Joints were so painful I could barely walk.  

Where was my quality of life?  Then I was put on EVISTA. though I clearly said no hormones. Well technically it's NOT a hormone but it latches on to estrogen receptors in the body so acts like it. I stayed on it for close to 2 years again because it's supposed to help. Well it fucked with my head, my moods, who I was so badly, I'm still recovering. I don't want anything else for the osteoporosis. I take calcium and it will have to do.  Besides so far I'm doing better then my mom, I haven't broken a bone [knock on wood] and I'm going to be 49 this year.  She'd already broken 3 bones by my age, and I'm far more active. I still lug around 50lb computers at work.

There are cases where drugs are useful. My gf has a heart issue, where her heart can go excessively fast, and needs to be controlled. In her case medications have a use when they do work. She's been on several meds over the years to help with this issue, and for her it makes sense because it does give her back some quality of life she wouldn't have without the meds.

But there are so many people who are prescribed pills just because they went to see a doctor with a complaint. Like when I got water on the knee. This one doctor kept prescribing all those anti-inflammatory meds. All it did was give me stomach issues, but didn't help my knee. The solution that worked the best to reduce the golf ball sized water accumulation on my knee was low tech. I wrapped it up with an elastic bandage. It took months, but the problem went away. There was some pain, but until the water went down there was pain regardless and none of the meds took it away. This knee is still susceptible to water, and I know what activities to wrap the knee to avoid the problem. Still low tech and works like a charm.

I always ask doctors if there is a low tech solution to a problem. Ok you want to prescribe med x, but what if I wanted to go a natural route?  Like with the ADHD, I'm watching my diet, instead of taking meds. I'm sure long term this approach will work well for me.