2008 Woodie Awards
Anti-depressants harmful in the long run
Issue date: 10/14/05 Section: Opinion
If you watch television at all, you probably can't go more than a few days without seeing a commercial for an anti-depressant drug. From Zoloft to Prozac, anti-depressants fill up much of the advertising time today, especially on networks that are supposed to appeal to younger demographics. And why?
Because people in the collegiate age group buy them.
With today's "information-now" and on-the-go lifestyle, it's just about impossible for people to not go through some peaks and valleys in their lives. But sadness is an emotion, depression a disease. And like other diseases, depression is something that needs to be cured. That's where medication such as Zoloft becomes useful. But there is a difference between medical use of a drug to treat a condition, and using the drug to take the edge off of your problems. That's called abuse and addiction.
Taking anti-depressants is not the answer to all of life's problems. To think that there is one answer to life's many problems is borderline lunacy. That just isn't the case. Yet people continue to take these drugs to remain happy, at least for a little while. Letting pills dictate your life is no way to live.
Addiction to these anti-depressants is not just imprisoning, it's unhealthy. The side effects that accompany these drugs often make the people abusing them worse off than they were before. When anti-depressant users do realize they are addicted to the drugs, it can lead to unneeded emotional stress and strain, which only makes the situation worse.
On top of all this, there's one thing that really makes anti-depressants an unworthy long-term solution: money.
Anti-depressants, like many other pharmaceutical drugs, aren't cheap and that money adds up over time. During your time taking anti-depressants there will come a point where you might ask yourself, "Do I need this anymore?" Hopefully the right decision is made.
At The Rocket, we feel that anti-depressants are only useful where they are meant to be used, and that is to treat depression. Unneeded abuse provides no other alternatives than misery and sorrow.
Because people in the collegiate age group buy them.
With today's "information-now" and on-the-go lifestyle, it's just about impossible for people to not go through some peaks and valleys in their lives. But sadness is an emotion, depression a disease. And like other diseases, depression is something that needs to be cured. That's where medication such as Zoloft becomes useful. But there is a difference between medical use of a drug to treat a condition, and using the drug to take the edge off of your problems. That's called abuse and addiction.
Taking anti-depressants is not the answer to all of life's problems. To think that there is one answer to life's many problems is borderline lunacy. That just isn't the case. Yet people continue to take these drugs to remain happy, at least for a little while. Letting pills dictate your life is no way to live.
Addiction to these anti-depressants is not just imprisoning, it's unhealthy. The side effects that accompany these drugs often make the people abusing them worse off than they were before. When anti-depressant users do realize they are addicted to the drugs, it can lead to unneeded emotional stress and strain, which only makes the situation worse.
On top of all this, there's one thing that really makes anti-depressants an unworthy long-term solution: money.
Anti-depressants, like many other pharmaceutical drugs, aren't cheap and that money adds up over time. During your time taking anti-depressants there will come a point where you might ask yourself, "Do I need this anymore?" Hopefully the right decision is made.
At The Rocket, we feel that anti-depressants are only useful where they are meant to be used, and that is to treat depression. Unneeded abuse provides no other alternatives than misery and sorrow.
