There is a double standard for drug addiction in America. The United States government recognizes illicit drug abuse as a major societal issue and views their use as individual behavioral problems. The same government promotes the inflated sale of prescription drugs with a similar toxicity. Across the country taxes sponsor programs like “D.A.R.E.”, “Above the Influence”, and “Parents; the Anti-Drug”, which, since the Reagan administration, have created a zero-tolerance surface attitude towards most conscious-altering materials. Unregulated and unapproved drugs are presented to the young public as portals to hell; the simplest way to derail the American dream. Prescription drugs are glossed over in these national programs. Their abuse is lumped in with the stereotypical perception of drug addiction, while representatives simultaneously claim that prescription drug use is safe for teens and curves the though process to a better, more effective state. The topic is quickly swept under the rug to discuss more targeted areas of prevention such as marijuana, ecstasy, and psychedelics. Illicit drugs are so much easier to demonize when a child has no preconceptions and knows nothing about them. Prescription drug abuse is a muddled issue, especially when approximately one half of all Americans take at least one prescribed medication daily. To the student, this population includes friends, teachers, relatives, and parents (Critser 10). Of course it is easier to ignore the prescription drug problem in favor of more taboo drugs that the entire American public can rally against, but is the healthiest solution to condemn illegal drugs while praising behavior modifying pills? Considering the adverse health effects and mixed signals, I would disagree. Behavior altering drugs are widely over-prescribed to adolescents and are unnecessary in most cases. Our government, corporations, and hospitals support the widespread use of prescription drugs, but as a public we should adopt a new perspective on their use and restrict them to cases of necessity.
Currently prescribed behavior modifying drugs can be split into two main categories: stimulants and antidepressants. The stimulants are used to counteract the hyperactive brain and focus thoughts on productive areas of study. Most are amphetamine-based and geared towards achieving academic success for ADD and ADHD sufferers. ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and diagnosed children have “intense, sustained difficulty paying attention and/or controlling their behavior”(Bailey). The condition is usually realized after the child is found to have difficulty paying attention from 7:35 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. while sitting in an undersized chair and listening to teachers lecture. Severe cases may be treated with Desoxyn, or Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, a powerful stimulant chemically identical to methamphetamine. Many parents consider low marks a warning sign and are more than happy to introduce foreign chemicals into their children’s biochemistry in an effort to boost performance. Antidepressants address chemical imbalance issues that cause bouts of sadness and depression. They are also prescribed for bi-polar disorder and insomnia, along with other mental disorders that could benefit from blocking the replenishing absorption, or reuptake, of positive emotion neurotransmitters back into the biological chemical stores. Before the 1990’s the only antidepressants on the market were tricyclic, or antidepressants that inhibit the natural reuptake of seratonin, norepinephrine, and a host of other neurotransmitters. MAOIs, or Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors, were introduced as a less drastic solution and block the reuptake of a smaller group of neurotransmitters. Safer yet are the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs, that target seratonin specifically. Before Prozac was introduced and popularized in 1989, antidepressants were considered too dangerous for the adolescent mind. Prior to 1989 the medical field acknowledged only adult depression, and didn’t feel that the child or teen psyche was developed enough to experience true depression. Once safer neurotransmitter inhibitors were introduced, they were widely prescribed and hailed as a prescribe-able cure for the American troubled youth (Bailey).
Many experts in the medical field claim that the benefits of behavioral modification drugs outweigh their risks and consequences. Stating that because one of five adolescents has a mental health problem, and two thirds of those with problems go untreated, the increased acceptance of drug therapy in the medical field and in the public eye is a very positive thing. They argue that prescribed stimulants reduce symptoms of ADD and ADHD, and that studies have proven the relative safety of antidepressants in teens. Medication has been clinically proven as an effective treatment option, helping ease family relationships (perhaps due to the academic enhancing drugs and overall moods of complacency) and to “make it easier for depressed children to deal with periods of ups and downs” (Griswold).
Arguably, prescription drugs are just as dangerous as their illegal counterparts. New research indicates that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide or suicidal thoughts in teens, especially with serotonin-targeting SSRIs. The connection of SSRI use and school shootings is evident but downplayed by the medical officials who stand firm by prescriptions as a viable treatment option. Current findings have dictated the addition of warning labels on such medications, specifying that “that these drugs may contribute to agitation, irritability, and changes in behavior”. Furthermore, research indicates that these drugs can also bring about “severe mood swings that involve frequent crying spells, verbal outbursts, and violent temper tantrums”(Chittom). Neglecting physical dangers, does treating a learning difficulty with drugs really pose a positive model of success for future troubles? Is it out of the question for students who took stimulants to enhance their academics as children to turn to drugs when faced with similar difficulties later in life?
Presumably, giving anyone pills with the connotation of success could bring about a placebo effect. Speculation aside, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimated that prescription ADHD medication abuse rose seventy-six percent from 1998 to 2005 (Teen...). This is due primarily to an increase in diversion in public schools and abuse on college campuses. The specific increase in abuse on college campuses could most likely be attributed to the effects on a demographic that was given these pills as children, or the general flux in the public supply. Accounting for the placebo effect, the strong physical response to powerful drugs, and the real physical addiction daily antidepressant and amphetamine use causes, it is not at all far-fetched for patients to feel they need their pills to function. Even if addiction and habitual drug use was not an issue, there is danger in taking any prescription drugs. All prescription drugs on the US market have been evaluated extensively by private companies and the Food and Drug Administration, but 106,000 people outside of abuse cases die in the United States from unpredicted effects of prescriptions (Crister 8). As of 2004, one out of six Americans was taking three or more prescriptions a day (Critser 10). Taking into account the potentially fatal reactions to the natural processes of the body, along with possible reactions to other prescribed drugs in the body, prescription drugs should be limited and used as a rare treatment option in lieu of less invasive methods.
Due to doctor, parent, and cooperate approval, prescription pills could be the most common gateway drug in America today. With so many pharmaceutical companies advertising drugs as the simple solution to deep problems, more and more Americans are turning to their use. 8.5 million Americans each year ask for and receive a specific medication from their doctors, presumably because they saw an advertisement for the product. In 2002 pharmaceutical lobbyists had the Medicare Prescription Drug Act rewritten to forbid the US government from negotiating prices of prescriptions. Due to new legislation including proposed universal health care, the US government is projected to spend billions in the next decade on health care for citizens. (Crister 8-9). With such a ridiculous projected economic pitfall for the country, why then do government programs take a hard stance against illicit drugs while turning a blind eye to ritual use of pharmaceuticals? Above the Influence had this to say about prescription drugs:
These drugs are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are shown to have medical benefits when prescribed and taken exactly as directed by a health provider. For people who are suffering, these drugs allow them to control their symptoms, cure or treat their diseases, control pain, or fight an infection. However, these medicines are only safe when taken exactly as directed by a doctor, healthcare provider, or as indicated on the packaging. This includes following directions on dosages, how often to take these drugs, and never taking any drug that is not prescribed for you.
They go on to discuss the dangers of online purchases without a prescription:
Any pharmacy that is willing to sell prescription drugs without a valid doctor's prescription is not taking into account the health and safety of the consumer... Legitimate online pharmacies are certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), require a valid doctor's prescription, and carry the <Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites>.
It is not surprising that the government does not condone the illegal sale of prescription pills. That said, the description of prescription drugs on a government-funded, anti-drug abuse site seems awfully forward about promoting their proper use. I would argue that Smith’s invisible hand has struck again, perhaps not manifesting itself as a government conspiracy to medicate the public but stemming from economic pressures. Hospitals are big businesses. As the fastest growing sector of the American market today, our government is letting big pharmaceutical companies run the national economy with prescription drugs; a signature service with a high profit margin (Crister). Doctors prescribe drugs because offering a solution will satisfy the customer, and hospitals encourage the sale of these prescriptions as best they can. As occasional users and advisers we should scrutinize our supplier, and be cautious of miracle pills and snake oil. As a society we should strive to bring mental health to our people instead of treating the symptoms of instability.
Psychotherapy is overlooked in the medical field. As direct competitors, medical officials offer prescriptions as a solution over psychotherapy despite the promising results of routine therapy. Medication has been shown to be most effective in tandem with psychotherapy, and physicians at Buffalo University “found that when used individually, medication and behavior modification were equally as effective at improving children's performance in academic and social settings”(Chittom). If psychotherapy is proven to be as effective as drugs, and drugs work better in tandem with psychotherapy, shouldn’t psychotherapy be the primary treatment before drug use? Unlike drugs, which only treat the symptoms of mental health problems, psychotherapy is used to alleviate problems at their source of neurosis. With the goal of a healthy American youth in mind, we should promote psychotherapy as a treatment option in all cases where drugs are currently utilized. The power to prescribe conscious-altering pills should not lie solely in the hands of the businesses and their pawns benefiting from the transaction, but mental health officials, licensed psychologists, with previous knowledge and experience with the patient. Drugs are a convenience for patients, keeping them happy and productive in their lives at the cost of dependence and adverse health effects. Psychotherapy should be used to determine a mental illness before prescriptions are used to treat one. As a society we should strive for true balance instead of the illusion of health.
In short, it is time for a change of perception. Our society hails drugs as a cure for everyday psychological and physical problems. Individuals are shunned by the masses for illicit drug use while the far more widespread issue of prescription drug addiction is overlooked. Regardless of doctor, community, and governmental support, the individual should be wary of prescriptions. Pills are far from a harmless solution to a personal problem. In most cases psychotherapy is the true cure for mental health problems, and self examination is a healthy way to conquer a neurosis. As potential patients for any number of prescriptions a doctor may offer you, I urge you to consider what you are taking any why. You, and not your doctor, should decide what is best for your mind and your body.
Psychotherapy is overlooked in the medical field. As direct competitors, medical officials offer prescriptions as a solution over psychotherapy despite the promising results of routine therapy. Medication has been shown to be most effective in tandem with psychotherapy, and physicians at Buffalo University “found that when used individually, medication and behavior modification were equally as effective at improving children's performance in academic and social settings”(Chittom). If psychotherapy is proven to be as effective as drugs, and drugs work better in tandem with psychotherapy, shouldn’t psychotherapy be the primary treatment before drug use? Unlike drugs, which only treat the symptoms of mental health problems, psychotherapy is used to alleviate problems at their source of neurosis. With the goal of a healthy American youth in mind, we should promote psychotherapy as a treatment option in all cases where drugs are currently utilized. The power to prescribe conscious-altering pills should not lie solely in the hands of the businesses and their pawns benefiting from the transaction, but mental health officials, licensed psychologists, with previous knowledge and experience with the patient. Drugs are a convenience for patients, keeping them happy and productive in their lives at the cost of dependence and adverse health effects. Psychotherapy should be used to determine a mental illness before prescriptions are used to treat one. As a society we should strive for true balance instead of the illusion of health.
In short, it is time for a change of perception. Our society hails drugs as a cure for everyday psychological and physical problems. Individuals are shunned by the masses for illicit drug use while the far more widespread issue of prescription drug addiction is overlooked. Regardless of doctor, community, and governmental support, the individual should be wary of prescriptions. Pills are far from a harmless solution to a personal problem. In most cases psychotherapy is the true cure for mental health problems, and self examination is a healthy way to conquer a neurosis. As potential patients for any number of prescriptions a doctor may offer you, I urge you to consider what you are taking any why. You, and not your doctor, should decide what is best for your mind and your body.
Works Cited
AboveTheInfluence.com | AboveTheInfluence.com. Web. 15 Nov. 2010. <http://www.abovetheinfluence.org/>.
Bailey, Ellen, and Rosalyn Carson-Dewitt. "Behavior Drugs & Children: An Overview." Points of View: Behavior Drugs & Children (2009): 1. Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.
Chittom, Lynn-nore, and Nancy Sprague. "Counterpoint: The Risks of Behavior Drugs for Children Outweigh the Benefits." Points of View: Behavior Drugs & Children (2009): Points of View Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.
Critser, Greg. “Generation Rx”. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2005.
Griswold, Ann, and Lee M. "Point: Behavior Drugs are Safe, Effective, and Life-Changing." Points of View: Behavior Drugs & Children (2009): 2. Points of View Reference 20 Center. EBSCO. Web. 4 Nov. 2010.
Teen ADHD Drug Abuse. CBS, 2009. Newscast.
< http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5261425n>.
