Warning. Rant ahead.

America is one seriously over-medicated society. I mean, so over-medicated that you actually invent new diseases to buy drugs for.

Let me put it this way, before I moved to America, I’d never even heard of ‘Acid Reflux Disease”. If I had that “disease”, I’d probably just call it heartburn and lay off the greasy and spicy foods for a while. ‘Restless Leg Syndrome’? It couldn’t be that you’ve spent all day sitting down or drank too much coffee…it’s a ‘disease’ that only taking a pill will make go away.

That’s what the American health-care system is all about. Popping a magic pill that makes everything better.

Little Timmy being a little highly strung and not behaving at school? That doesn’t mean he’s a normal 6 year old who needs more discipline and less sugar…he has a disease and needs daily medication. Forget punishing him when he’s bad and taking away the candy and soda…that’s hard work. Just zombify him with some good ole Ritalin. I mean, that’s obviously the right course of action, because telling little Timmy he can’t have that candy will probably make him throw a tantrum…and dealing with kids is hard.

Nah, forget parenting. It would make little Timmy grow up to be a well-adjusted and disciplined adult, but hey, let’s start him on drug dependency early, that way we won’t have to miss any of our favorite TV shows because of that pesky responsible parenting.

I mean, fuck analyzing your lifestyle and working out what your real problem is…call it a disease and go see a doctor. The guy who spends all day on his ass, drinks way too much caffeine during the day and eats nothing but fast food doesn’t need to get a little exercise, cut back on the coffee and eat a salad once in a while…he has acid-reflux, restless leg syndrome and obviously needs prescription sleep medication to sleep at night.

I see the ads on TV for heartburn medication where someone is eating a gigantic portion of fried food in a diner and reaches for the Tums, because apparently they work faster than those other OTC acid reducers.

Here’s a novel idea…If that food gives you heartburn, don’t fucking eat it!

Then again, it’s tasty, and eating something healthier would require a modicum of self-discipline and self control. Discipline? Control? Fuck that! That sounds hard.…pass me the magic pill that makes it all better instead!

The absolute worst thing are these bullshit drugs for ‘depression’. You know what? Sometimes you’re depressed for a reason. Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to work out your problems and actually deal with your fucking emotions. It means you have to go visit your doctor…because he’ll give you a pill to make it all go away.

Of course, you’re not actually treating the root of the problem and will probably be taking a pill for the rest of your life (and quite possibly ending up dependent on them), but it’s all about that magic pill. After all, dealing with your emotions is hard. Why sort out the actual problem when you can spend the rest of your life using a medical crutch?

Sure you have some issues, you’d probably be fine if you actually faced them and spent some time dealing with your emotions, but again, that’s hard. Just pop that magic pill.

It’s exactly the same as loading up on morphine so you can walk on a broken leg. It’ll let you function, but you’re not actually fixing the problem. Rather than spend a month or so being inconvenienced by a cast and crutches, you spend the rest of your life popping those pain-killers. It’s easier, so it must be better, right?

At this point, some smart ass is likely to say to me that “I don’t know what it’s like” and that I’d change my tune if I experienced it.

Well, I had ‘acid reflux’…know what I did? Cut the amount of coffee I drank by three quarters. Guess what? It went away, and I didn’t need to take prescription meds for the rest of my life.

As for depression, I spent two years in constant uncertainty about whether I’d be allowed to stay in America and be with my wife. I’ve been out of work for nearly four years. I have no car, no real friends and haven’t seen most of my family in coming up on three years.

You think I went through that and never once felt depressed? You bet your ass I did.

I suppose the difference between me and a large percentage of the American public is that I know why I was depressed and knew how to fix the problem.

Sure it’s a lot harder than taking a pill and feeling great about everything…but I’d rather fix the problem than treat the symptom.