At first I thought, 'Well, Rita, YOU are getting older, a baby boomer, you know. Of course you're going to know more people who are taking medications, duh!' Then the next thought entered saying, 'Wait a sec, that can't be right. Let's think about this for a bit.' Here are a few more thoughts about taking medicine.
As a youngster there were few folks in the family that took medications. A diabetic grandmother took daily insulin injections. I watched her eat a favorite candy, chocolate covered cherries; savoring them and then telling me not to tell granddad she'd eaten them as she stuck the needle into her thigh. This was my only real experience of someone doing regular medication.
The overall view was, when you were sick you took medicine, like a cold and if you had a headache, you took an aspirin. The medicine cabinet in the bathroom stored such needs along with topicals, like iodine, bandages for cuts, toothpaste, mouthwash, bicarbonate of soda. Immunizations became prevalent and administered at school such as tetanus and polio, diphtheria and measles. Life was pretty simple and in general relatively medicine free.
In adulthood I witnessed science and medical care advancements that brought about breakthroughs in testing and diagnosing of diseases and disorders. Made sense to me then, as was said, that if an ailment were caught early enough the effects of it would be bested or eliminated. The progression however, as I look back, was inevitable...
I witnessed Momma, who had always been a neat house keeper; everything had a place and everything was in it's place; succumbing to a kitchen table filled with medications and supplements that had far outgrown storage in the medicine cabinet. Then they outgrew one shoebox, then another, to finally having to shove them away to create a spot for a dinner plate. The woman was literally a walking doctor and pharmacist's dream come true! She spent hundreds of dollars a month on meds, visits to doctor's office and hospital testing. The upshot to this was the observation that Momma wasn't getting better! She was, however, getting more dependant on her doctor and medications. Now isn't that ducky, an old woman seeing more of strangers in her waning years, those who viewed her as an income source, than her own family because weakness prevented her socializing.
Am I sounding a bit mad? Let me stick to the point.
In the past few years have you noticed tv ads going beyond "BUY THIS ASPIRIN!" and 'Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh, what a relief it is!'
Pharmaceutical houses, seeing the boon to marketing and profits, now tout medications for all sorts of diseases, disorders and preventives, suggesting your tell your doctor you want their product. Isn't that like a child telling a Mom at the store, 'I want THAT candy, Mommy, the one with the pretty blue butterfly!' ? Talk about suggestive, mental control!
I heard it said that the pharmaceutical houses have a push on to get everyone, from the age of 6 mo, taking 5 to 6 pills daily. Then there's the news that when a medication is trial tested with humans, their target 'success' rate is 40% of positive response for market by the FDA. These would seem like outrageous statements. Ones that at this point I'm willing to believe, given the fact one requirement in their advertising is the listing of drugs' SIDE EFFECTS. Have you listened to those? I have to say to myself, 'Is this some kind of joke? How stupid do you think I am to use your drug knowing it could make my tongue swell, sleepwalk, commit suicide and that it could seriously KILL me?'
Thanks, but no thanks! Are we still caught up in the infantile mentality to exuberantly grab the newest, shiniest THING out there? Or has maturity prevailed in poopooing hollow and shallow promises? Drug companys are banking (pun intended) it!
I look around me now and see nearly EVERY person I know, whether friend or aquaintance is on some sort of medication...whether prescribed or not. Where along the way did we buy into the thought we cannot live a healthy life without them? My concluding opinion is we have entered into being no longer a Wellness society but rather an Illness industry.
You be the judge.
As a point of reference, see the chart below, albeit a small survey, it says much of what is happening in the world of medications.
This survey from http://mysurvey.com/had 118 respondents, here's what was learned.
| On average, how much do you spend on medication/prescriptions each month? | |
|---|---|
 Under $10 | 20% |
| $10-20 | 10% |
| $20-40 | 20% |
| $40-60 | 14% |
| $60-80 | 8% |
| $80-100 | 3% |
| $100-150 | 3% |
| $150-200 | 3% |
| $200+ | 4% |
| I don't spend money on prescriptions | 15% |
I have to admit, as a respondent to this survey, I am one of the 15% who does not spend money on prescriptions.
Happy healthy living to you!
Rita
For other topics of interest, go to
http://smartcorner.springfieldmo-usa.info/
http://reflex.springfieldmo-usa.info/
http://cashncarrycharity.com/
http://mymangosteen.com/ritasilic
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