Free Addict Nation by Sandra Mohr Jane Velez-Mitchell

expensive pleasures that offer us some relief from all the time we spend working. But we could still think that to choose to do these things rather than use the money to save human lives is wrong, shows a deplorable lack of empathy, and means that you are not a good person.” 22
    That’s a harsh assessment. But there’s a sliver of unpleasant truth somewhere in there that we just don’t want to face. How do we stuff these secret feelings of shame over the morally corrupt choices we’ve made? By self-medicating.
    Where Have All the Hippies Gone? To the Pharmacy!
    Instead of bellbottoms and beads, they’re in khakis and reading glasses. Instead of grass and LSD, they’ve got medicine cabinets filled with Valium, Vicodin, Prozac, Effexor, Paxil, Zoloft, Percocet, Wellbutrin, Xanax, OxyContin, or Ambien . . . to name a few.
    Playing Doctor
    A sexy, soothing woman’s voice explains how she’s taking an antidepressant but thinks she still might need a little something extra to help with her moodiness. An authoritative announcer explains how most people who are being treated for depression still experience symptoms of depression. The voiceover artist explains that one antidepressant alone just might not be enough. The viewer is urged to consider asking his or her doctor to add on . . . (name that drug).
    I am paraphrasing an actual commercial for an antidepressant currently on the market. Now this is a drug with a slew of potential side effects, from confusion to seizures to thoughts of suicide to uncontrollable muscle movements and even trouble swallowing. 23 If you take just a moment to ponder these commercials, it should become obvious that the whole concept of direct advertising of prescription drugs to consumers is problematic! It’s essentially asking people—who are not doctors themselves—to play doctor! “Ask your doctor about (insert drug)” is the suggestion at the heart of each and every one of these ads.
    Some commercials don’t even ask you to remember the name of their drug, saying, “Ask your doctor about the ‘purple pill.’” That’s easy enough, right? Here’s the obvious problem with that: Doctors are supposed to diagnose your problem and offer what they think is the best medical treatment! They are not supposed to be in the business of entertaining uneducated suggestions from their patients. But doctors obviously do. Otherwise, the airwaves wouldn’t be awash with these commercials and drug companies wouldn’t be spending billions on these ads. This is self-medicating one step removed. Self-medication is the essence of addiction.
    A Harvard/MIT study confirmed this, concluding that every dollar the pharmaceutical industry spent on direct-to-consumer advertising in the year 2000 yielded an additional $4.20 in drug sales. 24 Prescription drug use in America is skyrocketing! The amount Americans are spending on prescription pills has increased at a stunning rate over the last couple of decades, careening toward the $300 billion mark. But are we getting healthier and happier as a result? I think you could argue that the answer is no.
    The biggest selling prescription drugs fight high cholesterol, which can also usually be lowered without drugs by simple dietary changes like reducing or eliminating meat and dairy products. 25 But it seems pharmaceutical companies would rather continue repackaging the same tired solutions in a capsule. A network news investigation concludes, “Much of the profits from prescription sales are not derived from breakthrough drugs, but rather from drugs that are similar to already popular medications.” 26
    Depressed Celebrities
    When you add a celebrity into the mix as the promoter of the drug, then you maximize the manipulation. This is exactly what’s happening on TV and in print. A New York Times exposé noted that Sopranos shrink Lorraine Bracco talked about her depression and use of Zoloft while under a deal with Pfizer, the maker of Zoloft. 27 Former