#712 Ambient Psychosis

Used to be you felt sick, went to your doctor, and he or she in his or her infinite wisdom recommended a course of action. Sometimes that course required drugs of some sort. In those days, the drug companies got doctors to use or recommend their drugs by giving the doctors lots of free samples. Not to mention parties, trips, and office furniture. Some people thought that was suspect.
Around the turn of this century drug companies started marketing directly to the ultimate consumers, the uninformed patients. The drug companies knew the overworked doctors were likely as not to cave in to direct requests from their complaining patients.
If only to get the whiners off their backs and out of their offices.
Now every TV and magazine is loaded with drug ads claming pain free, peaceful, unstressed, euphoric, tumescence.
So I saw this one drug that they claim keeps you alert, even when you’re exhausted. Sounds good doesn’t it?
What if you knew it can cause depression, anxiety, hallucinations, psychosis and suicidal thoughts? Doesn’t matter. Most people ignore side effects and fix their hopeful minds on the advertised effect.
There is no such thing as a side effect. All drugs have effects. Period.
The drug mentioned above is called Provigil and is marketed to combat excessive sleepiness.
Yep. Suicidal psychosis keeps me alert.
It gets worse. The other day in National Geographic, I actually found a coupon for a free week’s worth of Ambien. All I had to do was take it to my doctor for a prescription, then take it to my pharmacist, who would give me a week’s supply free.
One of Ambien side effects is interesting. I’ll use their words. “Sleepwalking, and eating or driving while not fully awake, with amnesia for the event, have been reported. If you experience any of these behaviors, report it to your physician immediately.”
Well if you had amnesia about it, how would you know?
Great. So now we have a country full of coupons for a free drug that creates zombies.
Maybe it’s time we went back to free furniture for doctors.
America, ya gotta love it.