What do Marylyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger Amy Whinehouse, and Whitney Houston have in common? Allegedly they’re all dead due to the use of prescription drugs possibly mixed with alcohol. Xanex and a variety of medications are designed to ease suffering caused by anxiety. While we’ve focused our attention on illegal street drugs deaths from products prescribed by your friendly family doctor have taken over as a leading cause of drug related death.
Once upon a time these “meds” also went with a degree of talk therapy with a plan of managing the patients’ mental condition. These wonder drugs are capable of luring you into a chemically induced “valley of death” experience as Michael Jackson reportedly described while getting-his-sleep-on with Propofal.
There’s nothing wrong with the proper dispensing of these powerful drugs that are capable of managing true anxiety but, only with the help and guidance of a mental health professional.
Instead of mental health professionals prescribing powerful mind altering medications your General Practitioner will gladly give you a prescription for anti-anxiety medications whose use has tripled over that last 20 years. Doctors with no experience in psychiatric medications are dispensing these pills like M&M’s.
“Big performance coming up, take one of these and you’ll be alright. Are you having a problem with your job? Combine these two but don’t take alcohol while taking this medication.”
Does your dog have separation anxiety, afraid of thunderstorms, tearing up furniture? Don’t worry, go to your local veterinarian and some of the same medications used on people are now available for your dog. Soon Home Depot will have to unveil a line of domestic animal medicine cabinets.
Even my dog Spike with his digestive issues knows when he has vomiting issues all I say is “time to take your medicine” and he will go to the back dog poised for the pill that will stop his belly from rumbling.
On the television there are smiling people bouncing around in bright clothing gushing about how great they feel now that they are on “blank medication”. But don’t be alarmed if you get the urge to jump off the MONY/AXXA Tower. There’s even one advertisement that says, if your current anti-depressant doesn’t work combine it with “”blank medication” and you won’t feel so bad. Again the advertisement, “if you are a young adult it may make you wanna slit someone’s throat, if this happens immediately stop taking “blank medication”.
Why does it take a superstar or celebrity that everyone “loves” to die before we pay attention to this growing problem in our nation? And will our angst last beyond Whitney Houston’s funeral? I ask the ultimate question, how many teens and young adults have to die before we notice the monster in our medicine cabinets?
February 17, 2012