A Piece of my Mind
Mark Bennett
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Op/Ed
I tend to have problems
sleeping at night. I'm not an
insomniac, but for some reason,
no matter when I try to
go to sleep, I only get about
six hours of rest at best.
Sometimes I can't sleep at all,
and I had one of those nights
only a few days ago. So when
I gave up trying to sleep early
in the morning, I got out of
bed, grabbed a cup of coffee
and lit a cigarette at the
kitchen stove. My mom was
already awake and doing the
same and asked me what's
wrong. I told her I couldn't
fall asleep and she suggested
that I should try one of those
sleeping medications that are
advertised every other TV
commercial.
For some reason America
has become a country where
no matter what problem you
have, there's a pill for it. It's
absolutely disgusting. I've
seen firsthand what prescription
pills do to people, prescribed
to them or not. Right
now I have a brother and an
uncle in methadone clinics
because of oxy cotton addictions,
I know people that
vomit every time, every single
time I see them because
they're abusing their prescribed
"medicine" and it
makes me sick. Not the puking,
the dependence.
One friend of mine was prescribed
Xanax for his depression
which I personally
thought was a horrible idea.
Everyone gets a little blue
now and then, some more
than others, I'm no exception;
but I swear to you that when
he took those little blue pills
he was more depressed then
when he was clear headed. I
think that's a bit odd, that my
friends' doctors prescribed a
"cure" for his depression
actually made him more
depressed.
The next time a pill commercial
comes on pay attention
to the side effects. If that
pill is supposed to cure your
depression one of the side
effects is suicidal thoughts.
Isn't the pill supposed to suppress
that particular urge? Is
it just me? Am I missing
something? Was a memo sent
sleeping at night. I'm not an
insomniac, but for some reason,
no matter when I try to
go to sleep, I only get about
six hours of rest at best.
Sometimes I can't sleep at all,
and I had one of those nights
only a few days ago. So when
I gave up trying to sleep early
in the morning, I got out of
bed, grabbed a cup of coffee
and lit a cigarette at the
kitchen stove. My mom was
already awake and doing the
same and asked me what's
wrong. I told her I couldn't
fall asleep and she suggested
that I should try one of those
sleeping medications that are
advertised every other TV
commercial.
For some reason America
has become a country where
no matter what problem you
have, there's a pill for it. It's
absolutely disgusting. I've
seen firsthand what prescription
pills do to people, prescribed
to them or not. Right
now I have a brother and an
uncle in methadone clinics
because of oxy cotton addictions,
I know people that
vomit every time, every single
time I see them because
they're abusing their prescribed
"medicine" and it
makes me sick. Not the puking,
the dependence.
One friend of mine was prescribed
Xanax for his depression
which I personally
thought was a horrible idea.
Everyone gets a little blue
now and then, some more
than others, I'm no exception;
but I swear to you that when
he took those little blue pills
he was more depressed then
when he was clear headed. I
think that's a bit odd, that my
friends' doctors prescribed a
"cure" for his depression
actually made him more
depressed.
The next time a pill commercial
comes on pay attention
to the side effects. If that
pill is supposed to cure your
depression one of the side
effects is suicidal thoughts.
Isn't the pill supposed to suppress
that particular urge? Is
it just me? Am I missing
something? Was a memo sent
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