According to a CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report published in October 2011, about one in 10 Americans aged 12 and over takes antidepressant medication, and about 14% of those have done so for 10 years or more. Less than one-third of the persons taking a single antidepressant have seen a mental health professional in the past year. From 1988-1994 through 2005-2008, the rate of antidepressant use in the United States has increased 400%. Read more.
Oklahoma humorist Will Rogers used his famous catchphrase, “Well, all I know is what I read in the papers” to start his weekly column published in over 600 newspapers.
Well, if all you know is what you see on TV, then watch out. According to the article, “Drug Ads On TV May Influence Americans To Overmedicate,” published in the Medical News Today which refers to a study funded by the National Cancer Institute, found that Americans are exposed to over 16 hours of TV ads about prescription drugs per week. Their findings suggest that the ads had virtually no educational value, failed to describe who is most at risk for which illnesses, what their symptoms might be, and whether non-medicinal alternatives such as changes to lifestyle like exercise and diet might also be viable options. The scientists also found that many of the ads portrayed the drugs in terms of people losing (58 per cent) control over their lives and then regaining it (85 per cent) once they took the medication. 78 per cent of the ads also portrayed the medication as engendering social approval, while 58 per cent of them implied that the drug was a medical breakthrough. Nearly all the ads (95%) used emotional appeal to influence viewers and none of them showed lifestyle and behavior change as viable alternatives. Read more,
Before you commit to taking antidepressant drugs, go to a mental health expert who will help you explore other life changing therapies.
Dr. Orlandini, a Miami area counselor and Florida certified psychologist, can help you discover how stress directly relates to your physical, emotional and intellectual health. Dr. Orlandini can help you develop a plan to manage your health, and help you begin to take the necessary actions to implement and integrate your personal plan into your daily life.
