the medicated mind - 3 articles

[angela bischoff]

Pills becoming the new marijuana on campus

By Elizabeth Cohen
CNN, July 5, 2007

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The prescription drugs allegedly found in Al
Gore III's possession this week are favorites among young people,
according to drug abuse experts, who say prescription drugs may soon
overtake street drugs in popularity.

Some young people perceive that prescription drugs are safer than street
drugs, experts say.

"I wouldn't be surprised if right now at this point in time, there are
more kids abusing prescription drugs than abusing marijuana," said Joseph
A. Califano Jr., chairman and president of CASA, the National Center on
Alcohol and Substance Abuse at Columbia University.

Gore was arrested on charges of possessing -- in addition to marijuana --
Vicodin, Xanax, Valium and Adderall.

According to a CASA report, between 1993 and 2005 the proportion of
college students abusing Vicodin and other opiods went up 343 percent,
about 240,000 individuals. The numbers increased 450 percent, or by
170,000 students, for tranquilizers such as Xanax and Valium, and 93
percent, or 225,000 students, for stimulants, including Adderall...

(Continue full article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/07/05/drug.use/index.html )


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CDC: Antidepressants most prescribed drugs in U.S.

By Elizabeth Cohen
CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Dr. Ronald Dworkin tells the story of a woman
who didn't like the way her husband was handling the family finances. She
wanted to start keeping the books herself but didn't want to insult her
husband.

The doctor suggested she try an antidepressant to make herself feel better.

She got the antidepressant, and she did feel better, said Dr. Dworkin, a
Maryland anesthesiologist and senior fellow at Washington's Hudson
Institute, who told the story in his book "Artificial Unhappiness: The
Dark Side of the New Happy Class." But in the meantime, Dworkin says, the
woman's husband led the family into financial ruin.

"Doctors are now medicating unhappiness," said Dworkin. "Too many people
take drugs when they really need to be making changes in their lives."

For Dworkin, the proof is in the statistics. According to a government
study, antidepressants have become the most commonly prescribed drugs in
the United States. They're prescribed more than drugs to treat high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, or headaches...

(Continue full article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/07/09/antidepressants/index.html )


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The Unmedicated Mind
Backlash against antidepressants is fueling new interest in alternative
treatments.
By NANCY KEATES
Wall Street Journal, July 13, 2007

>From lobotomies with ice picks to early antidepressants that caused brain
hemorrhaging, Americans have a complicated and ever-changing approach to
treating mental illness. Now, spurred by the growing disenchantment with
antidepressants, an increasing number of people are seeking treatment for
depression, anxiety and eating disorders from naturopaths, acupuncturists
and even chiropractors. At the same time, more traditional psychiatrists
are incorporating massage and meditation in their practices...

(Continue full article here:
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118428285736265304.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118428285736265304.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
)



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