bill, SSRI = selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Prozac, Zoloft, Meredia, etc.

Ah..... thanks. Never heard them described by an acronym before.

We are definitely a "give me a pill" society. And we definitely have a "give them a pill" medical community (with lots of exceptions on both counts). I wonder which is the cause and which is the effect? Moot point, since now it is a vicious circle.

Lots of commercials make me shake my head at the gullability of the American people (and I know that much is true for the rest of the world as well), but the ones that really sicken and sadden me are these commercials that do nothing but show someone having a beautiful time and they spout the name of some drug and tell you to ask your doctor if it's right for you. They don't even bother to tell you what malady this drug is supposed to help!

What kind of people have we become when they actually expect us to call up our doctor and say, "Hey, doc, I just heard about this great new pill called methoripmeoff. I have no idea what it does or what it's for, but do you think I could try some?"

I couldn't be more with you on this, bill! When I first saw the adverts for Claritin, I concluded the drug was something that made you able to ballroom dance...when apparently you had not had the skill before. Gee all that in a pill? Sign me up! It took me years to realize it was for allergies.

I also love/hate that ad for breast-enhancing cream...as if! I mean, if such stuff could work, would you actually USE it? (shudder) I kept thinking, hon, if it works, try rubbing some on your head instead--maybe some'll seep into your brain.

Hmmm .. razzle, my girlfriends and I used to joke in a similar vein about the Tampax commercials .. If only we had those .. we'd instantly be able to swim, play tennis and ride a horse .. Which of course, none of us had those skills to start with.

Doreen

Gotta agree with all of you on those drug commercials. My dad is a retired doctor and absolutely HATES them! He's been on the receiving end of "hey, doc...can I try this?" when the patient has absolutely no idea what the drug is for, then they got angry when he told them it wasn't something they needed. Sad to say, many people have the idea that they haven't been "treated" until they leave the doctor's office with a prescription in hand and a bag full of drug samples. I happen to be on the other side of the spectrum and resist taking medications when at all possible and it drives my doc nuts when I sit there and ask "do I really need to take this? and what are the potential side effects/detriments of this drug?" and ask they he actually go look it up if he doesn't know (he's very quick to prescribe drugs for whatever ails you...stuck me on such a high dose of blood pressure medication I wound up sick and too dizzy to drive much less work). I'm gearing up for another battle of "I don't want to take Lipitor" when I go see him in a couple of weeks even though my triglycerides have taken a dive and my HDL has gone up. Total cholesterol went up and so did my LDL (although not by much) and according to my recent home test, the numbers haven't changed much although I'm hoping it's because my HDL has increased. This time I'm going to go in armed with information...won't he be so pleased? LOL

Yes, you really have to be informed when you go to the doctor ... you need to ask those questions ... and if you don't understand the explanations, you need to be assertive enough to say, "I don't understand what you're saying, could you say that again?" and then "So what your saying is ..."

I find that generally doctors appreciate this kind of attitude ... the "I'm taking chage of my own health decisions" attitude. And, if my doctor doesn't like it ... I find another doctor.

I think we are too much into the take a pill and you'll be fine mentality -- I know now there are some medicines I will have to take forever (thyroid replacement), but if it can be accomplished without medication I think that's better.

We need to change our lifestyles to live healthily, not take more meds. I think it's the same way with spirituality -- people want a quick fix -- easy "pill" to take that will assure salvation and a good paycheck <G>

When living well (physicially as well as spiritually, emotionally, intellectually) requires living with intentionality, working at the things that are important to us, and enjoying the rewards.

OK .. I'm done preaching for now <G>

but such excellent preaching, bailey! No need for apology. Intentionality --great word and concept.

I totally agree about the ads the pharm comps have out there. They do make you seem to beleive that if you pop a pill, life will be great.

Of course, this is not so, but please remember that drugs such as SSRIs really do help people who have a chemical imbalance. I know from experience--I have family members who are on the drug and it has helped them to be in a better place to deal with the situations they were having trouble with.

I think prescribing any drug without trying other things may not be in the best interest of the patient and I firmly believe that we need to be advocates for our own healthcare. Asking questions, reasearching on your own, questioning what a doctor is suggesting if it seems wrong to you...It's your life and health, so you need to be proactive. Just my two cents...

Yes, theresa ... We need to remember that diseases like depression are indeed diseases and can be treated very effectivey with medication.

I only question the growing attitude that "a pill a day will keep the demons away." By demons I mean a figurative allusion to anything that created dis-ease in our lives.

Hyperactivity in kids, for instance, is often treated effectively with medications -- but sometimes can be managed well with changes in lifestyle and help in specific parenting skills. It's easier to reach for the prescription and not change our ways of living ... frequently the best treatment requires both the best in pharmacological help as well as intentional changes in behavior. The same is true for many disorders -- depression, the common cold, obesity.

Just my 2 cents ...