Last year, 807 people died in the UK due to taking anti-depressants and painkillers – nearly 100 more than those who died from heroin and cocaine abuse combined. These startling statistics not only demonstrate a worrying trend in over-the-counter and prescription drug addiction, but also bring in to question why the pills designed to help our health are actually killing us. Should doctors really be relying so heavily on the use of strong drugs? Or should patients simply take greater responsibility for their medication?
Findings show that addicts usually begin taking the drugs in small doses as a result of minor ailments. However, as time progresses, so does the strength of their dependency. Arguably, pain-relief of prescription level should be reserved purely for those with major discomfort or ill health, rather than given as a quick fix for something minor. However, with the NHS stating that the average doctor’s appointment lasts between 8 – 10 minutes, doctors don’t physically have the time to work out more individual and alternative treatments. Let’s face it, it’s much easier to sign off a prescription than to delve in to root causes and create patient specific plans.
This is particularly concerning in cases of depression, where, often, patients are left to rely almost completely on anti-depressants to cure their condition. Dr. Des Spence, a general practitioner from Glasgow, echoed this, remarking: “We use antidepressants too easily, for too long, and that they are effective for few people (if at all).” He also claimed that the lack of individualism in diagnosing each case of depression is leading to “widespread medicalisation” – meaning that a number of patients are not receiving the right medication for them. Not only would this not help with their original condition, it could, instead, leave them with a worrying addiction.
The Mirror makes the accusation that more anti-depressants are being handed out as a result of people overcoming the stigma attached to mental health issues. This is no excuse. Doctors should ensure that their patients are receiving the help and support they need and, in many cases, this could be given in the form of counselling as opposed to pills. Tablets may be able to suppress a condition, but they can’t remove the underlying causes of it.
However, we must also take into consideration the expectations of the patient. In today’s society, we see it as weak to be upset, grieve or take the time we need to get over something. We feel that we should carry on as efficiently and as normally as possible despite our circumstances. In this light, it may seem tempting to take a drug in the hope of masking the problem quickly, rather than curing it thoroughly.
Undoubtedly, then, patients should also take a significant amount of responsibility for their own addictions. Especially as the fatalities linked to anti-depressants and painkillers also include over-the-counter medication, for which, there is no doctor involved.
Particularly worrying is the substance, codeine, which is part of the same family as heroin and morphine. Codeine is present in around 15 different products and approximately 27 million pills containing it are sold each year, despite it being able to cause addiction in just three days. With figures like this, it is almost unsurprising that so many people fall into a downwards spiral of addiction.
So what needs to be done? It is too easy to assume that just because it is prescribed by a doctor or bought from a pharmacy that a drug is harmless. People need to be made aware of the dangers that certain medications carry, in the same way as other, illegal, drugs. The current economic climate is placing strains on the health-care system and, in some cases, eight minutes is just not a feasible amount of time to properly resolve an issue. As a result, we need to be more aware and make more use of the other options available to us – such as Nightline for mental health conditions, or physiotherapy for more physical problems. Ideally, drugs should be used as a last resort.
807 deaths is 807 deaths too many. It’ll be a long road to remedying these figures, but then again, a quick fix isn’t always the answer.
Interesting article. I agree with much of it.
However:
“Doctors should ensure that their patients are receiving the help and support they need and, in many cases, this could be given in the form of counselling as opposed to pills. Tablets may be able to suppress a condition, but they can’t remove the underlying causes of it.”
Although counselling will no doubt help some people, the ‘underlying causes’ of many mental health problems will be a combination of factors outside the control of an individual. It may be things going on in society generally, or even genetic factors, which are known to play a big part in an individual’s propensity to suffer depression or other mental health problems.
In the long-run, one attractive possibility is to develop less addictive prescription drugs. Yet according to some who work in this area (such as Professor David Nutt), the laws against taking drugs such as ecstasy make it harder for scientists to do research on substances that may well help improve mental well-being with lower risks of addiction.
Excellent article,
Ive been on anti-depressants for about a year now and i remember a few months ago i forgot to take them for 4 days and the withdrawal was horrendous. Despite the withdrawal symptoms i have managed to overcome depression and anxiety whilst taking them and seeing a counselor at my college. I’m planning to come off my meds once Ive settled into york (as I’m a fresher) but I’m not looking forward to it at all and if anything its making me more anxious. i feel like meds are the lesser of two evils really.
Nightline alone won’t help mental health problems in a lot of cases.
I know from personal experience, that of my friends, and research that anti-depressants can be very effective, not as a cure, but something to give you enough energy to focus on getting other sorts of help, such as CBT.
They shouldn’t-usually- be the only form of treatment that one uses for depression & similar illnesses but they also shouldn’t be completely written off. They can be effective when used properly, and when you have a good Doctor & Counsellor.
Perhaps they are prescribed too easily, and yeah, the withdrawal and side-affects aren’t very fun, but more fun than wanting to kill yourself, I’d wager.
@Helena Horton: I think the point that is being made is that people shouldn’t be left to “completely rely on anti-depressants to cure their condition”, and that “ideally drugs should be used as a last resort” if patients can’t be otherwise helped – not that they shouldn’t be used at all. Yes, they can be effective if used correctly, but from the statistics given its clear that this isn’t always the case and firmer restrictions should be in place as well as perhaps the development of less addictive drugs. The article suggests that perhaps things “such as Nightline” should be used before or alongside medication – read what is written not what you want to read.
Really interesting article, putting a difficult situation in perspective