My take on meds

Feel free to ignore this post if you don't want an opinion piece. I just feel that since I will be talking about medication, it's probably best that I explain my stance to provide some context. 

There's so much good that has come from modern medicine. This includes a wide assortment of medications that help treat and even prevent certain conditions. These include entire categories dedicated to mental health issues. Due to the fact that we don't know enough to not be experimental, new discoveries are made by chance. For instance, anti-seizure medication can be used in the treatment of personality disorders. It's a frontier we have yet to conquer.

I have a great level of respect for those who dedicate their lives to finding ways to improve and extend our lives. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical industry as a whole is not run by philanthropists who throw money at it. It's a business. This means that they have to make money. The competition can be healthy in terms of innovation, but it has to be financed. This is how Prozac got renamed Sarafem and prescribed for PMS. Once the original use for a drug has been tapped into, it's time to find ways to keep making money off of the same formula. Do you have to take four pills a day? We just made a different one that does the same thing, but you only have to take it once! You think anti-psychotics are reserved for schizophrenia? No, they're also used for autism, dementia and even insomnia.

Honestly, it's a really complex system and I'm not here to preach about it. But since medication is a significant aspect of the mental health industry, I can't ignore it. In order to offer a respectful climate for discussion of something so attached to opinion, this is the perspective I am coming from:

• Medication has the potential to significantly improve and even save lives in the mental health field.

• Some people need medication. They have exhausted all their options and cannot find anything else that is sufficiently effective.

• It is not our job to judge whether or not someone needs medication. Don't think your sister needs lithium? It's the job of her and her doctor to figure that out. Think your friend needs some anti-anxiety pills? It's not your call.

• Side effects are a factor that should be taken into consideration when prescribing medication.

• When it comes to children, teenagers and young adults, special precautions need to be taken and other approaches should be more carefully considered. While the body and mind are still developing, a cost-benefit analysis is definitely warranted.

• Are we overprescribing? Probably. I refuse to believe all my classmates who take Ritalin or Aderall actually have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a childhood disorder that doesn't spontaneously emerge in college.

• Never encourage or support someone in going off their medication without proper medical supervision. Not only may it be inappropriate in terms of treatment, but not regulating the tapering off of a substance can cause withdrawal symptoms and other serious – possibly permanent – complications.

• There are alternative approaches that can be taken, and that's okay, too.

• Ultimately, it's about getting better. Whatever works (and is relatively healthy) is great!

I understand completely if you disagree. I don't claim to be an expert. I'm just being honest about where I'm coming from so that any biases I have are pre-announced.