Maybe it's because I talk to so many people now about their health and feelings of wellbeing, but it seems as if nearly everybody today is struggling with depression or anxiety. Yes, I know the economy sucks, we're all polarized by the media and politicians to believe we hate and/or fear each other, oh, and the world's supposed to end in December of next year, "...but other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?" Yes, we have real issues to be afraid of or feel bummed about, but I can't help feeling there's something else going on.
That "something else" I suspect may be the drug soup we're all swimming in every day, whether or not we deliberately take medications.
The first culprit has to be the birth control hormones. Granted, we have a lot fewer unwanted pregnancies, and these hormones in fact reduce the incidence of certain cancers later in life by taking these drugs. But are they also having an unwanted effect on women's moods, making them feel dull and lifeless, or triggering fears and anxieties?
And, of course, there are all the hormones and drugs in the food and environment: steroids given to meat animals to fatten them up, plastic containers that leach synthetic estrogens into food and water, misguided health-conscious folks who want to sneak plant estrogens like soy into everything we eat, and of course the myriad prescription drugs that are flushed down the toilet into our water supply or dumped into landfills where they eventually make their way back into our food or water.
Then there are the drugs for ADD given to children from the time they're in grade school. And the antidepressants and antianxiety drugs themselves... How many people do you know taking such drugs? How many people are on these drugs who really shouldn't be?
And what is the lifetime impact of these drugs on a person's ability to manage the day-to-day stresses in life? By relying on drugs for so many psychological issues do we ultimately lose our coping skills? More important, are we physically and chemically changing our brains to be less effective in dealing with life? Are we de-evolving?
I'm not saying these drugs and hormones aren't helpful in many ways. But what I am saying is that maybe if the drugs companies weren't making obscene profits on our desire to find easy solutions we might actually discover healthier ways to deal with the real challenges in our world.
Just something to think about...
That "something else" I suspect may be the drug soup we're all swimming in every day, whether or not we deliberately take medications.
The first culprit has to be the birth control hormones. Granted, we have a lot fewer unwanted pregnancies, and these hormones in fact reduce the incidence of certain cancers later in life by taking these drugs. But are they also having an unwanted effect on women's moods, making them feel dull and lifeless, or triggering fears and anxieties?
And, of course, there are all the hormones and drugs in the food and environment: steroids given to meat animals to fatten them up, plastic containers that leach synthetic estrogens into food and water, misguided health-conscious folks who want to sneak plant estrogens like soy into everything we eat, and of course the myriad prescription drugs that are flushed down the toilet into our water supply or dumped into landfills where they eventually make their way back into our food or water.
Then there are the drugs for ADD given to children from the time they're in grade school. And the antidepressants and antianxiety drugs themselves... How many people do you know taking such drugs? How many people are on these drugs who really shouldn't be?
And what is the lifetime impact of these drugs on a person's ability to manage the day-to-day stresses in life? By relying on drugs for so many psychological issues do we ultimately lose our coping skills? More important, are we physically and chemically changing our brains to be less effective in dealing with life? Are we de-evolving?
I'm not saying these drugs and hormones aren't helpful in many ways. But what I am saying is that maybe if the drugs companies weren't making obscene profits on our desire to find easy solutions we might actually discover healthier ways to deal with the real challenges in our world.
Just something to think about...
RSS Feed