“Treating Depression Is A Major Problem”
In our pill popping nation, doctors are writing prescriptions faster than Congress can spend money. This is especially true for anti-depression drugs, whereby doctors write about 3.5 million prescriptions annually. Drug sales are booming and deaths from prescription medications are now exceeding deaths from illegal drugs for the first time in our nation’s history. As I like to say, “There’s gold in them thar’ pills” and in many cases, the drug companies “are making a killing.” Routine medications like the anti-anxiety drugs (Xanax and Valium) and sleep aids (Restoril and Ambien) are experiencing new heights in sales, along with the antidepressant Prozac. Paxil (paroxetine) and Eli Lilly and Co’s Prozac (fluoxetine) affect the brain chemical, serotonin. Use of antidepressant drugs doubled from 1996 to 2005 and users increased from 13 million to 27 million.
