America's mental health is a pandemic that is going unnoticed for the most part. Children are experiencing helplessness as they are forced to react to the ever changing tide of uncertainty and this continual state of fear is leading many to suicide at unprecedented numbers. Our young adults have embraced violence as a means of gaining attention, money, and status. Everyone is angry at someone else and acting poorly toward those they feel are responsible for their actions. Allegations are being made without any supporting evidence, and everyone is defensive and ready to fight back. All this turmoil is causing anxiety and depression to rise to critical numbers. The pharmaceutical research and manufacturing companies, stakeholders, doctors, are pharmacies are winning big as there is a lot of money to be made by increasing the pain and suffering. I believe there are times when medication is useful and there are times when it is not.
There is a purpose to pain, and yes, suffering is optional.
Many of the victims of the opioid pandemic are children who were once medicated for ADHD. They grew up but stopped taking the prescription medication when they couldn't afford it. Unfortunately, many children who were being abused displayed behaviors and doctors, parents, and schools mislabeled them as having ADHD. This resulted in children being medicated instead of helped. This medicating problems has become the norm as legalized Marijuana us used to numb feelings but it also it kills motivation for change. Other illegal street drugs are being considered for legalization and sale to the mass population as we continue to seek ways to not feel.
If a doctor prescribes medication to a patient to help them cope with depressive or anxious symptoms this can be beneficial if the patient has a chemical imbalance or if they are only taking the medication temporarily to help them cope with a sudden change in their life circumstances like a death in the family. When prescribed an antidepressant to suppresses emotions there usually is a blunting of all emotions. If the patient is not in therapy to help them find other means of coping with grief and loss the patient may continue to use the antidepressants longer than necessary because they never dealt with their grief. They often will remain in their depressed state and self-medicate by continuing to take the pills or by turning to non-prescription drugs or alcohol.
On the other hand, if the patient were directed to get therapy before they were prescribed medication (for situational depression not due to a chemical imbalance), the outcome could mean the patient would work through their grief, accept the things they can't change, and be able to live a life filled with both joy and sorrow without medication. Healing should be prescribed for the patient, not medications to stop them from feeling.