27% of Americans Take Four or More Prescription Drugs
Soft light. Glowing faces. The uplifting orchestral swell of a life turned from dark to better. Those sun-dappled blades of grass? Not just stalks whistling in the wind. But a metaphor, a rebirth and rejuvenation of not only the human condition – of reality itself
We’ve all seen it. The perpetual song and dance of the Big Pharma advert.
But as hokey as it is, as mindless as the masses have become to these frequent commercial intercessions, there’s a method to the madness. A genius in the ceaseless, subconscious priming of the populace.
if you’re reading this now, your brain already knows
It happens fast. The synaptic lightning of the human mind means that it can happen incredibly fast, just 13 milliseconds to register an image. And with enough of the right images, targeted and ephemeral, the subliminal power is hypnotic.
You’ll remember the tune – however stupid. You’ll remember the name, however silly. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll even “ask your doctor” about that special little pill too…
The U.S. is the most drugged nation in the world
So, is it any coincidence that the U.S. is also only one of two countries in the world to allow direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs, with TV ads being the primary delivery mechanism of messaging?
Many times, it’s word of mouth. It’s commonplace. So-and-so has been feeling anxious about work and family, so-and-so has existential dread, so-and-so got on such-and-such, and now the ups and downs, the mercurial troughs and peaks have leveled out.
While some people may certainly need help, the cavalier attitude is what sets these parties apart. The difference between the morbidly depressed or neurotically imbalanced, and people who simply want to feel… less.
A pill for this. Ask your doctor for that. See how the latest quick fix can solve your problems, and if the first medication isn’t working well enough, and you experience the oh-so-terrible nuances of human emotion, take this drug as well, and all will be well.
One such condition, Tardive Dyskinesia, has gained a lot of airtime in recent years. Caused by the prolonged use of ‘antipsychotic’ drugs, this movement disorder is now addressed with its own medication.
A drug-induced condition addressed with more drugs.
It’s nothing new.
In fact, it’s become so normalized that it doesn’t even garner a second thought. The question isn’t, why would you continue to take these products if they’re not working or causing issues – it’s: why wouldn’t you?
According to the CDC, nearly 12% of U.S. adults have used five or more prescription drugs in the past 30 days.
Meanwhile, a KFF Research survey finds that over one-in-four adults – anyone 18 years of age or older – take four or more prescription drugs.
Now, before I’m accused of being overly judgmental, lacking in self-awareness, or hypocritical, I’ll admit that I, too, have been down this road. In my case, the substances abused were not sanctioned by a doctor, and while they weren’t pills per se, they were just as pernicious.
So I know about self-medication. Except in my case, it was rightly labeled a problem. I knew it was a problem, and by the grace of God, I was finally able to admit that and do something about it. Every day, I have to actively do something about it.
These prescriptions, however, dispensed like Pez by trusted white-coats under LED lights, never seem to face such scrutiny.
Now obviously, just because many people are on daily medication doesn’t mean they’re doing something immoral or bad or whatever pejorative you’d like to use to describe the medically-approved habit/routine.
After all, people age, people have predispositions, many people are impacted, and their bodies and minds inevitably deteriorate with time, or poor conditions, or just pure bad luck.
I’m not here to attack Grandma and Grandpa for their color-coded pill box.
No, what concerns me more than anything – similar to the deleterious childhood “vaccine” schedule – is the sickness-for-business model that parasitically preys on the young.
With ~22% of children and adolescents taking one or more prescription drugs, and 54% of youth chronically ill, we’ve got a serious problem, Houston.
It’s a veritable cash cow.
But it’s more than that, more than just some means to siphon dollars from pockets and pump billions into big pharma banks. It’s also siphoning the lifeblood of a generation.
While a healthy dairy cow may produce a reliable stream of milk, these young kids and adolescents aren’t producing profit because they’re healthy.
They’re producing profit because they’re increasingly unhealthy.
And the dependence on drugs – polypharmacy – is making this happen more and more.
See more here substack.com
Header image: Alamy
Some bold emphasis added