Carley Moore Professor Padgett ENGL 1102 November 21st, 2013

Our Medicated Society Prescription drugs, once a tool utilized to heal those diagnosed as mentally ill, is now an industry running rampant. One may ask the origin of this recent outbreak, only to find that the kind psychiatrists dispensing the drugs are to blame. Our psychiatric system, while practically tossing out medication to those pecking at their feet, is also attempting to falsely label our society as mentally ill in its entirety. This rise in popularity of mental illness only promotes something as arduous as itself and gives people reason to believe that it is sought after. A change needs to be made if any hope in this system is to be salvaged. There are other options, such as mending the doctor and patient relationship, to remedy everyday life rather than drugs that can be potentially harmful and ultimately unnecessary. Therefore, I believe our societys psychiatric system is misdiagnosing, overmedicating and misleading the public and it needs to be reformed. Misdiagnosis is real and prevalent. Psychiatrists today are often medicating an illness free population rather than prescribing drugs to those who actually suffer from a condition. Misdiagnosis can be very harmful if gone unseen and can result in several negative effects. In Rajput and Singhs article entitled, Misdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, they discuss how the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is often overlooked and labeled incorrectly. The initial misdiagnosis of this disorder leads to further treatment complications like with any illness that demands correct actions to be taken right away. Rajput and Singh argue that the most common incorrect diagnosis for bipolar disorder is unipolar depression (Singh). This can result in the prescription
Comment [AP2]: A very clear and straightforward thesis. Comment [AP3]: Again, I like the clarity here. Comment [AP1]: I like the way you introduce this paper, with ideas that are compelling and immediately engaging.

of anti-depressants which can result in manic episodes and trigger rapid cycling (Singh). This means that the person suffering from bipolar disorder has more extreme episodes at a faster rate. Misdiagnosis in this instance is harmful for the patient as well as anyone around them. Some of this blame is due to the DSM. This stands for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The manual, a once crucial diagnostic tool, has become controversial. In Kutchins and Kirks book, Making Us Crazy, they argue that the debate is not over who can avoid falling into the diagnostic categories of the DSM, but how can one directly land into a disorder qualification. No matter the connotation of these classifications, people in our society feel the need to belong to something that is common. In the beginning of the book, they bring attention to the fact that, DSM-IV says five percent of the population (about 12 million Americans), two-thirds of them women, will have Generalized Anxiety Disorder [] in their lifetime (23 Kutchins). This statistic only encourages the pharmaceutical companies to push their products at physicians and patients alike. The physicians/psychiatrists will then take their knowledge of the DSM and how their patient is suffering from a normal discomfort and assign to them this disorder. This is far from acceptable due to the fact that the vague definitions of the DSM influence doctors to skip thorough evaluations. Along with this, Kutchins and Kirk also point out that, the meaning of an anxiety-based mental disorder has been officially changed in the DSM three times just since 1979 (24 Kutchins). With this information, one can determine that the DSM is unreliable and often invalid. If diagnostic qualifications change that often, who is to say that the most current DSM (the DSM-IV created in 1994) is even up to date on its definitions? With incorrect diagnosis comes incorrect prescriptions to a population that may not need them. Prescribing an unnecessary amount of medication is resulting in an overmedicated society. Being overmedicated only reinforces an unnecessary dependence on prescription drugs

Comment [AP4]: Interesting.

Comment [AP5]: This too is interesting. And surprising.

Comment [AP6]: I like how you hammer your point home here.

and causes people to feel that their everyday function relies on a pill. In Walkers book, A Dose of Sanity: Mind, Medicine, and Misdiagnosis, she confronts several important problems associated with overmedicating our people as a nation. She asserts that not only are people taking medication that is inappropriate, they are taking medication that is potentially dangerous. One of her examples is of the drug Ritalin that is prescribed to hyperactive children. Walker shows that, 200,000 prescriptions for Ritalin and other stimulants were written in 1993 for pre-school aged children, although the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) specifically states that Ritalin should not be used in children under six years[] (90 Walker). Ritalin is a powerful drug that can harbor several negative effects and it can be harmful to young children. Ritalin is often associated with decreased appetite, insomnia, as well as what is known as rebound and even Tourettes syndrome (3 Ahmann). Rebound is defined as the excessive hyperactivity that a child on Ritalin might experience when the drug has worn off. While some might argue that Walkers information is outdated, it is still very relevant due to the fact that this number of children prescribed this harsh drug could now potentially suffer from a Ritalin addiction or other substance abuse problems as shown with her evaluation of a drug and rehabilitation study. She discusses that a recent study found that, 98 percent of subjects randomly selected in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center were labeled as having learning disabilities, and 89 percent were labeled as having attention deficit disorder (91 Walker). The main qualifications for the prescription of Ritalin are the ailments mentioned in this statistic. The people who are part of this study have most likely used Ritalin and due to the possible abuse of Ritalin, and later abuse of other drugs such as alcohol, they were admitted to rehab. This shows that this drug, along with many others that provide a fleeting feeling of enablement, are often abused for that very reason. This statistic seems especially hard to swallow given that so many children are on this harmful
Comment [AP7]: I like how you clearly define your terms here.

drug. The DSM has such vague qualifications for hyperactivity that many normal children could potentially earn this label and with the label comes the drug. This only promotes the idea that drug use is the solution to boredom and other normal feelings that are associated with attention deficit disorder and like disorders. This is not only resulting in an overmedicated society, but a mislead one. The image of mental illness has increasingly altered itself from a negative to positive appearance. In this way, our culture is steering people into a misinformed state. According to a statistic in Barbers Comfortably Numb, 33 million Americans were prescribed at least one psychiatric drug in 2004, up from 21 million in 1997 (8 Barber). The difference of 12 million Americans is really astounding and accurately depicts the rate at which the popularity of this is growing. The rise in prescription drug use does nothing but idolize its image, especially when these drugs are used by those who are in the publics eye- celebrities. This happens in their real lives as well as what they portray on screen. In fact, Barber points out that, In almost every year over the last decade, actors have either been nominated for or won Oscars for portraying a psychiatric disorder (11 Barber). People viewing these programs see that these films are winning awards due to their captivating, mentally ill characters. There has really been no other period in Hollywood where mental unsteadiness can be found in almost every film. This depiction of illness and drug use only confuses the public and causes them to recognize it as popular and faddish. The curiosity surrounding this topic is even shown through the internet where Barber says that, almost a quarter of American Internet users have searched for mental health topics like depression and anxiety (14 Barber). The searches for these topics arent always positive. The internet is filled with false information and bloggers who could steer a nave subject to self-diagnosis and thinking they are in need of help. This fascination does more
Comment [AP9]: The glorification of prescription drug use is an interesting idea. But what about people who would argue that these kinds of movies are helping to remove the stigma of mental illness? Isnt that worth something? Comment [AP8]: Good transition here.

harm than good and causes people to believe that medication is a cure all rather than something that is assigned to people who cant overcome everyday life. The answer to this problem lies within the relationship between the patient and physician as well as improved communication and reciprocal understanding. In Richard Bentalls Doctoring the Mind, he brings up several ways in which our society can mend itself while still acknowledging the time and place for prescription drugs. One proposition that Bentall makes is that, When drugs are introduced, there should be an explicit agreement with the patient that they will be discontinued if, after a trial period, they turn out to be ineffective or intolerable (282 Bentall). By using this approach, psychiatrists will be inclined to monitor their patient more carefully. The patient also needs to be informed of the side effects that come with each drug and they should also be able to determine consent to the use of the drug after its effects are made clear. If the doctor really knows the patient, the DSM should serve as a reference rather than the only tool of diagnosis. According to the Dsm-iv-tr Handbook of Differential Diagnosis, created by Michael First, Allen Frances and Harold Pincus, separation anxiety disorder is diagnosed on the definition of, Refusal to attend school related to fears of separation (99 First). To make this diagnosis simply based off a childs refusal to go to school is outrageous due to the number of children that dont like to go to school- that is normal. There are many examples similar to this in the DSM. If the psychiatrists really took the required time to get to know their patients they would find underlying reasons on why or why not they are feeling a certain way. And most of the time, prescription drugs would not be necessary. Thomas Edison once said, The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease. Medicinal drugs should not be the answer to all ailments. While life can appear to be
Comment [AP10]: In what way do you want this to be different that it currently is? Are those tings listed on the bottle and in literature printed with the prescription?

unbearable with ones current stress, there is often a simpler remedy to the problem. According to Edison, the doctors of the future that he mentions, alludes to our doctors of today. Yet, when one looks at our physicians and psychiatrists, medication is still the prime tool of treatment rather than the alternative and holistic treatments that Edison predicts. Several substitute treatments exist such as acupuncture and other wellness promoting methods of treatment, however, Edison refers to an even simpler methodology- supplying a physician that cares. While one might argue for the positive effects of medication in that they are advancing us into the future, the facts show that they are inevitably doing more harm than good. In order to properly comply with Edisons theory, our doctors would need to communicate with their patients and understand them on an entirely new level. Prescriptions will still be given, but only when they are necessary to that persons health and wellbeing as determined through tests and observations. All along, these medications that are believed to help have been inhibiting us as a whole. Too many people are taking advantage of the system and too many doctors are to blame that ultimately lack the concern necessary to fix this. It is time that our society provides an adequate medical system that knows and cares what its doing. Carly,
I think you have done some really great research here. I really like that you have a strong thesis and you actively argue for that thesis throughout the paper. You offer interesting insights to the research you have shown in the form of direct quotes and you have really, by doing this, achieved an amount of authority on the topic. You do a great job defining your terms and constructing a conversation here. I would be curious to see you engage another perspective here, maybe one that you disagree with. So, in other words, broaden the conversation. Otherwise, great work here.

Works Cited Ahmann, PA, SJ Waltonen, KA Olson, FW Theye, Erem A. J. Van, and RJ LaPlant. "Placebocontrolled Evaluation of Ritalin Side Effects." Pediatrics. 91.6 (1993): 1101-6. Print Barber, Charles. Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry Is Medicating a Nation. New York: Pantheon Books, 2008. Print. Bentall, Richard P. Doctoring the Mind: Is Our Current Treatment of Mental Illness Really Any Good?New York: New York University Press, 2009. Print. First, Michael B, Allen Frances, and Harold A. Pincus. Dsm-iv-tr Handbook of Differential Diagnosis. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, 2002. Print. Kutchins, Herb, and Stuart A. Kirk. Making Us Crazy: Dsm : the Psychiatric Bible and the Creation of Mental Disorders. New York: Free Press, 1997. Print. Singh, Tanvir, and Muhammad Rajput. "Misdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 3 Oct. 2006. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2945875/>. Walker, Sydney. A Dose of Sanity: Mind, Medicine, and Misdiagnosis. New York: Wiley & Sons, 1996. Print.