i hate this mentality that we have "problems" in our minds, problems the way our neurons fire, the way we deal with information, the way we deal with not having enough serotonin in our brains, or any of the other pleasure inducing chemicals. the problem is, we have an ever-present need for quick fixes, and we have a tendency to take the quick fix over any real solution. shortcuts, if you will. and this has been brought into our medication, whether we as patients are aware of it or not.
we don't look where the problem might lie, or look at our lives, and what might be causing our depression. instead, our society, culture, doctors, what have you, immediately say, no, the problem must be internal. something must be wrong inside your brain, making you think differently than the rest of us "normal folk" who will, undoubtedly, be taking our own meds soon enough, once "big brother" has his way.
"well," they may say, "maybe it's cause your brain is not acting right."
"maybe chemically speaking, your brain just isn't normal enough to fit in with the rest of us."
"maybe instead of dealing with the fact that you've been with shit-boyfriends your whole life after living 18 years with a verbally and physically abusive father, as a scapegoat for the family, we'll just have you pop your little purple pills down your throat, and then, instead of fixing the problems in your life, they'll just become more tolerable."
zoloft, paxil, and prozac are the morphines of the psychological drugs. morphine may take your mind off the pain, but no doctor would give a patient with an amputated leg a small bottle of morphine pills with a subscription to get it refilled every 30 days, and send him off on his merry way. these drugs are covering the pain, not fixing the problem!!!
now, i understand, there are legitimately crazy people out there. my step-father works in the psych ward of a hospital, i'm not arguing that these drugs are a big crock, but where is the line drawn? can these doctors/we as people, legitimately believe that there are just that many people with screwed up brains? there is no way in hell you can argue this point.
if this were the case, where were all the "clinically depressed" ("you are not alone. zoloft can help.") people 20 years ago, before all these meds came out?
how come we didn't have insane asylums full of unhappy people with "chemically inbalanced" brains? ("some people don't have enough serotonin receptors in their brains. prozac fixes this by...") how come more and more people each year get diagnosed with depression?
from these thoughts, how can we not view this as control?
"well, since your brain isn't quite fitting in with the rest of us, and you are depressed with this shitty world we have created for ourselves, instead of letting you actually think about it, and possibly sharing your discontent, how 'bout we let you pop a few behavior altering drugs a day, to give you more serotonin, you know, more pleasure. sound good, lab rat? that'll keep you quiet. yes... that's it, be more content, i'll just get more rich."
now, most people will say, "but it works. i get stuck in downward spirals, and the pill helps me live like a normal person. the way i used to live." well, of course it does! these pills really, truly make it so you can be happier! i'm not arguing this, nor do think these drugs never have a purpose (i.e: those on the brink of suicide, who need something before they can get real help), but they are not a bloody crutch! the drug makes you happy because that's what it's engineered to do! why cover this pain, when you can solve it?
if you truly believe that you are too messed up in the head to make it on your own, that's fine. you can continue to live your life with your brain operating the way society deems most fit. but i will not idly stand by and watch those close to me conform at the most horrifying level, our own brain chemistry, to society!
<sigh> i had more, but some of it got erased, and i can't remember. yeah, so my friend is on meds. and it kills me. it kills me that such an amazing person is going through... rudimentary mind control, because she's had a string of horrible relationships. what a stupid society.
george orwell would be proud.
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