Western civilization is quickly becoming a pill-popping
culture. During the past 40 years, the desire to cure or
control any ailment with a little pill has created a
pharmaceutical monster.
When I was a kid in the 60s, if you had a cough, cold
or just felt a little run-down, my mom would dispense
tried and true home remedies: gargling with warm salt
water for a cough; tea with honey for a cold; a meal of
liver and onions to build up your blood and energy.
Those treatments worked and didn't cost a trip to the
doctor or drug store.
But today, drug companies take obscure medical
maladies and turn them into common problems that can be
treated with one of their miracle pills. A popular
medical journal released a series of studies claiming
this increase in pill consumption as
"pharmaceutical disease-mongering."
Erectile dysfunction used to be a side effect of
prostate cancer, spinal-cord injury or organic diseases
such as diabetes. Now physicians are assured that Viagra
is safe for any man who wants it. If a man is having an
off night, pop the little blue pill, and his troubles
are over.
This is strictly a vanity issue. Every man over 40
will see a decrease in sexual responsiveness. Stress,
overwork and simple performance pressure aggravate the
issue. Prescribing Viagra only masks the symptoms that
could be much more important.
Why can't the discussion of stress-reduction be the
first option? How about talking with your partner about
the changes in your sex life?
Other ailments are quickly being advertised as
common: restless-leg syndrome, female sexual
dysfunction, anxiety disorders - the list grows every
day.
Some studies argue that these diseases and ailments
are becoming more common, because more people are
reporting them to their doctors. Is it because they saw
a commercial that claims to have a simple cure in the
form of a pill?
It's true than men have a much lower opinion about
seeing a doctor than women. And it's true that men's
health is a problem because of the lack of regular
check-ups. But is a newfangled pill the answer for
life's everyday problems?
The advertisements for these new drugs discuss some
side effects that are worse than the actual problems.
Some of them are as severe as debilitating diseases such
as lymphoma and even death. The cure is worse than the
condition.
I'm not suggesting that people avoid going to the
doctor when they feel ill. I am suggesting that people
should be wary of new drugs that haven't been on the
market for at least a year. The lawsuits resulting from
Vioxx and Zyprexa should sound warning bells for those
wanting a miracle pill.
Pharmaceutical companies want you to believe that you
might have a condition by showing you a commercial.
Sometimes, if it sounds to good to be true, it usually
is.
McKee, a wheelchair user, is a freelance writer
and producer. You can e-mail her at chairgrrl@chairgrrl.com.
