The video news broadcast in the following article is a spoof from The Onion.com. But it makes a great point, which is that the geniuses behind modern medical science have made a "disease" out of every little quirk and characterisictic in human life, and have come up with an expensive pill to cure us of all of our little idiosyncracies.
For example, your kid can't sit still in class at school, while the other kids in the class manage to sit there like brain-dead zombies? He or she must be inflicted with ADHD, right? Hey, don't worry. We have a whole plethora of prescription drugs for that problem. And you'd better let us put your kid on one or more of them, or we'll label him dysfunctional, and investigate your parenting habits.
Or...could it be possible that for some kids it's just not normal, nor productive, to have to sit still on a hard wood chair for eight hours a day, five days a week, while listening to some government-trained bureaucrat we call a "teacher" rattle on about how we all evolved from amoebas millions of years ago, and are, therefore, nothing more than animals in need of a little training (and drugging).
But never mind that, you parents. Put your kids on the drugs. And by the way, if you've feeling a little bit tired and lonely, or maybe a bit frazzled, or blue, we have drugs for you, too. You're probably just suffering form an imbalance of serotonin levels in your brain. You must be in need of one of our nifty new psycho-therapeutic agents called Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors (read: prescription antidepressants). Don't be concerned that all of those mass murderers who shot up malls, post offices and work places all over the country were all on these same types of drugs. Just take one a day and watch all of your cares melt away.
The bottom line is that people have indeed lost touch with what is natural. For example, getting regular daily sunlight is one of the best cures for lack of energy and "the blues" (it increases levels of Vitamin D, which in turn boosts immunity and gives energy). And in children, periodic outdoor exercise throughout the day is the best cure for an inability to sit still in class. But why go through all of the trouble to get a little sunshine and exercise, when we have a drug for the problem?
We have become a society in which synthetic prescription drugs rather than natural means are the answer for every little foible. And we need to reverse the tide, quickly, or we risk becoming the "Soma" society described in the book Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley.
-- Spencer
A Prescription Drug for the Annoyingly Cheerful?
http://www.drcarolyndean.com/2009/04/17/a-prescription-drug-for-the-annoyingly-cheerful/
Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND April 17, 2009
Today, I have a news (video) clip about a new drug that helps people who have a "persistently positive outlook on life."
The following ONN news clip reports that the FDA approved the first ever depressant drug. (Note: NOT an anti-depressant.) It’s a proposed treatment for the "approximately 20 million Americans who are insufferably cheery."
The depressant treats a wide range of symptoms including: "Participating in Community Theatre" and "Organizing Neighborhood Potlucks."
Click the play button below to watch the 2-minute video clip and then make sure to read my commentary afterward.
Please note: The video contains profanities (one written, one verbal)…
Are You Too Happy?"Despondex Could be Right for You…" Real or Spoof?
When I first saw this video I wasn’t sure if it was real or a spoof. We’ve already seen so many crazy drugs and treatments approved by the FDA – this is hardly unbelievable. Which is why it’s so funny – it exaggerates just a bit what we’ve come to expect.
It may even be on Big Pharma’s cutting room floor. I can see this striking the money cord with some "marketing genius." They’ve already created diseases out of so many afflictions (e.g. "restless leg syndrome," "shyness," "heartburn from overating")… why not add "excessive happiness" to the list.
The Standardization of Moods
A growing theme with world powers is the "standardization" of how we live. Where a select few get to decide what is "normal" and then require everybody else to conform. We are even seeing that with the new agriculture bill (H.R. 875) that aims to force all farms to use GMO seeds and pesticides (under the guise of food safety).
In this Depondex spoof we are seeing a different kind of standardization. The standardization of moods. As "Eva Hendry" said in the clip: "Now Jeff and I can just waste a night sitting on the couch watching a TV show neither of us enjoy – like a regular couple."
The "Natural" Way to Feeling Crummy
But, as the video points out, a "natural" alternative would simply involve feeding people a diet of corn syrup and white bread while denying them any form of exercise. Based on that statement, one may conclude that doing the opposite would alleviate depression.
Is happiness that simple? Probably not for everyone, but it’s definitely a good start. People who eat real food, exercise every day and watch little TV tend to feel happier than the norm.
Sadly, when you are already feeling bad, junk food and an evening with the TV remote seem more attractive than going for a swim, preparing healthy food or reading a good book.
But everything comes down to habits and what you are used to. You can get trapped in a cycle of unhappiness or in a cycle of happiness.
Unhappiness or happiness can be a choice! I choose happiness and always try to look for the best feeling-thought that I can think.
P.S. By the way, I wrote the Personal Power column, this month, for Dr. Christiane Northrup’s Women’s Wisdom Circle. It’s called the “The Magic Mineral: Magnesium Supports Women at Every Stage of Life."
For example, your kid can't sit still in class at school, while the other kids in the class manage to sit there like brain-dead zombies? He or she must be inflicted with ADHD, right? Hey, don't worry. We have a whole plethora of prescription drugs for that problem. And you'd better let us put your kid on one or more of them, or we'll label him dysfunctional, and investigate your parenting habits.
Or...could it be possible that for some kids it's just not normal, nor productive, to have to sit still on a hard wood chair for eight hours a day, five days a week, while listening to some government-trained bureaucrat we call a "teacher" rattle on about how we all evolved from amoebas millions of years ago, and are, therefore, nothing more than animals in need of a little training (and drugging).
But never mind that, you parents. Put your kids on the drugs. And by the way, if you've feeling a little bit tired and lonely, or maybe a bit frazzled, or blue, we have drugs for you, too. You're probably just suffering form an imbalance of serotonin levels in your brain. You must be in need of one of our nifty new psycho-therapeutic agents called Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors (read: prescription antidepressants). Don't be concerned that all of those mass murderers who shot up malls, post offices and work places all over the country were all on these same types of drugs. Just take one a day and watch all of your cares melt away.
The bottom line is that people have indeed lost touch with what is natural. For example, getting regular daily sunlight is one of the best cures for lack of energy and "the blues" (it increases levels of Vitamin D, which in turn boosts immunity and gives energy). And in children, periodic outdoor exercise throughout the day is the best cure for an inability to sit still in class. But why go through all of the trouble to get a little sunshine and exercise, when we have a drug for the problem?
We have become a society in which synthetic prescription drugs rather than natural means are the answer for every little foible. And we need to reverse the tide, quickly, or we risk becoming the "Soma" society described in the book Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley.
-- Spencer
A Prescription Drug for the Annoyingly Cheerful?
http://www.drcarolyndean.com/2009/04/17/a-prescription-drug-for-the-annoyingly-cheerful/
Dr. Carolyn Dean MD ND April 17, 2009
Today, I have a news (video) clip about a new drug that helps people who have a "persistently positive outlook on life."
The following ONN news clip reports that the FDA approved the first ever depressant drug. (Note: NOT an anti-depressant.) It’s a proposed treatment for the "approximately 20 million Americans who are insufferably cheery."
The depressant treats a wide range of symptoms including: "Participating in Community Theatre" and "Organizing Neighborhood Potlucks."
Click the play button below to watch the 2-minute video clip and then make sure to read my commentary afterward.
Please note: The video contains profanities (one written, one verbal)…
Are You Too Happy?"Despondex Could be Right for You…" Real or Spoof?
When I first saw this video I wasn’t sure if it was real or a spoof. We’ve already seen so many crazy drugs and treatments approved by the FDA – this is hardly unbelievable. Which is why it’s so funny – it exaggerates just a bit what we’ve come to expect.
It may even be on Big Pharma’s cutting room floor. I can see this striking the money cord with some "marketing genius." They’ve already created diseases out of so many afflictions (e.g. "restless leg syndrome," "shyness," "heartburn from overating")… why not add "excessive happiness" to the list.
The Standardization of Moods
A growing theme with world powers is the "standardization" of how we live. Where a select few get to decide what is "normal" and then require everybody else to conform. We are even seeing that with the new agriculture bill (H.R. 875) that aims to force all farms to use GMO seeds and pesticides (under the guise of food safety).
In this Depondex spoof we are seeing a different kind of standardization. The standardization of moods. As "Eva Hendry" said in the clip: "Now Jeff and I can just waste a night sitting on the couch watching a TV show neither of us enjoy – like a regular couple."
The "Natural" Way to Feeling Crummy
But, as the video points out, a "natural" alternative would simply involve feeding people a diet of corn syrup and white bread while denying them any form of exercise. Based on that statement, one may conclude that doing the opposite would alleviate depression.
Is happiness that simple? Probably not for everyone, but it’s definitely a good start. People who eat real food, exercise every day and watch little TV tend to feel happier than the norm.
Sadly, when you are already feeling bad, junk food and an evening with the TV remote seem more attractive than going for a swim, preparing healthy food or reading a good book.
But everything comes down to habits and what you are used to. You can get trapped in a cycle of unhappiness or in a cycle of happiness.
Unhappiness or happiness can be a choice! I choose happiness and always try to look for the best feeling-thought that I can think.
P.S. By the way, I wrote the Personal Power column, this month, for Dr. Christiane Northrup’s Women’s Wisdom Circle. It’s called the “The Magic Mineral: Magnesium Supports Women at Every Stage of Life."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment