A few minutes ago, I
heard a commercial on television about depression and some miracle
drug to cure it. I couldn't help wonder if any consider there might
actually be a "reason" for a person to be depressed? A reason such
as the person just losing their job, or perhaps they didn't have any
food in the house and no money to buy any, or maybe they have the
money, but no way to get to the store? Then again, maybe the credit
card company made a mistake and wouldn't listen when it was pointed
out to them. Who knows, maybe the spouse promised something special
and failed to follow through. Maybe life happened and it wasn't too
pleasant!
It's true that there
are those who have medical problems that cause depression, but what
about all the others? What about the people who simply had a
seriously bad day? Should they medicate a natural reaction away? It
seems that is what our society is always advocating, if commercials
are any indication of attitude.
Want to lose weight?
Take a pill.
Want to have more
energy? Take a pill.
Want to sleep? Take a
pill.
Want to wake up? Take
a pill.
Want to have a better
sex life? Take a pill.
Want to get rid of
the results of the better sex life? Take a pill.
Want to get rid of
the muscle aches? Take a pill.
Want to get rid of
not being happy? Take a pill.
This is not to say
there is never a need to take medication. It is merely to say that
it seems our society has grown too eager to take medication, rather
than deal with the actual "cause" and work on mending it. Too eager
to take medication that merely masks symptoms or is an easy way to
get temporary results or is even an escape. But what are we being
invited to escape from? Might it be a true reaction to life and even
responsibility?
If we don't feel
sadness -- how can we know and appreciate happiness? If we don't
know pain -- how can we know and appreciate being healthy and
pain-free? How can we learn compassion and empathy for those who are
suffering, if we have never felt even a hint of what they are going
through?
If we only feel good
in the sense of numbness, what motivation do we have to figure out
what is wrong, what we need to do to fix it and the determination to
do so?
Is that what some are
hoping for? A zombie society so reliant on continuously feeling good
that it is easily controlled and easy to sway with a pill or two
here and there? The commercials certainly make me wonder. But
then... I find myself wondering about a great many things these
days. I guess I better watch it or someone might try to give me an
anti-wondering pill and shove me in front of a camera to tell the
viewers just how much better it feels not to question the world
around me. To tell the viewers how much better it feels to simply
let the powerful make all the decisions. They do, after all, seem to
think they know better than I what is good for me.
Take away my favorite
fatty foods. Make my world smoke-free. Make major decisions for my
children without me or in spite of me. Tell me I must tolerate while
not being tolerated. Then give me some pills to make it seem
all-better, until someone decides I've used up my allotted share of
the resources, deems me a futile care case and righteously pulls the
plug so I will no longer be a burden on society.
Yes, it sure does
look like a world medicated. Medicated from conception to death and
often all the steps in between. But then... what can be expected
from a society that often can't see beyond the selfish wants of the
moment and looks at responsibility as an unnecessary burden?
There seems to be
medication for almost anything, but not always just anyone. Need
medication and can't afford it? That's an entirely different
article, though I'm not so sure the controllers of the game board
are entirely so. After all, as always, there is the matter of
control, money and toying with the lives of others to be considered.
And when all else fails -- medicate!
Carrie Hutchens
is a former law enforcement officer and a freelance writer who is
active in fighting against the death culture movement and the
injustices within the judicial and law enforcement systems.
