You would have to be a very cold person to not be emotionally moved, at some level, from the human suffering at the hands of hurricane Katrina. Except for the looters, (thugs), who stole items such as plasma televisions, thousands and thousands of people are worthy of aid and support. I won't even begin to insult their dignity by saying, "I know what you're going through."
However, Big Pharma will. And has done so without a second thought. And is doing so right now. And will continue to do so before they are flooded with enough lawsuits, protests, and headaches, that will make their itty bitty heads spin. I mean, leave it to Big Pharma and some alleged doctors, (those who are entrusted to first, do no harm), to invent yet another reason why as many Americans as possible need to be taking a particular drug.
Oh, I'm sorry. I meant, a "sleep aid." Yes, you heard me right. Our biggest problem this very minute is that we're not mentally or physically capable of sleeping properly. So, we all need to be taking drugs, (oops, sleep aids). This lunacy is going to take some getting used to. I guess Big Pharma has a difficult time sleeping at night knowing how many people are now falsely convinced that they have a mental disorder, and must wear chemical handcuffs. Maybe sleep is a tough premium for Big Pharma to come by.
Now, the Lunesta television commercials are completely stupid. I'm sorry, they just are. Asinine. Sheer lunacy. The premise of the television commercials and colorful full page print advertisements in national magazines such as Parade, (who, by the way, have a regular habit of publishing long "health" articles about an alleged "problem", that is ultimately followed a few pages later with a colorful full page print advertisement for one of the drugs specifically mentioned in the article), seems to be that we need Lunesta at night because our poor minds are racing.
The Lunesta television commercials highlight professional looking women, who for the life of them, cannot seem to fall asleep because they're worried that they might have forgotten to pay the electric bill. Can you imagine needing to take drugs, (oops, sleep aids), because you are that worried about whether or not a bill was put in the mail? Is this what Big Pharma is depending on? Are we so overwhelmed with RLR's, (regular life routines), that drugs are the answer?
Interestingly, we're told that Lunesta is not habit forming, but on the other hand, you can grow dependent on it. Come on, which is it? Why do so many people have vivid nightmares after taking their sleep aid, Lunesta? Why do so many people have a lasting awful taste in their mouth after experiencing the magic of Lunesta? Is this what we call a successful prescription medicine that the American Psychiatric Association was so proud of displaying in Atlanta at their convention this past May?
I just don't understand why we cannot get a handle on the simple reasons why it's sometimes difficult to sleep. Are we incapable of clearing our minds, or not drinking coffee at night, or not exercising too late, if we already know these things are going to compromise our sleep? Truth is, we pretty much know why we can't sleep at night, ok?
Big Pharma certainly wants us to religiously retain the "a pill for every ill" mindset that has such a powerful and damaging grip on our culture. Big Pharma wants us all to be treated like adult children who must make itemized lists before going to bed at night regarding what must be done tomorrow. Are you kidding me?
Again, large health articles in Parade magazine, like the one published this past August 28th, ("How To Sleep Better"), pepper us with the human interest side of the story of why a lack of sleep is hurting us, but hey, it's OK, because the FDA has approved some supposedly new sleep aid to cure us all. Hello Lunesta. I know you're glad you've got yet another colorful full page advertisement in yet another national magazine.
I think even problems like sleep apnea can be addressed without drugs, (oops, sleep aids). I told you this pharmaceutical political correctness was going to take some getting used to. One of the main causes of sleep apnea is weight gain. If you're a hundred pounds overweight, of course your breathing may be compromised, leading to difficulty sleeping. So, why not choose to lose weight? Get on an elliptical bike? Why not attack the problem at the source?
While I am not a doctor, as a health care consumer, I believe if we would all exercise more and be willing to sweat out stress, choose to eat healthier foods, and adopt a saner sense of life, perhaps we would not be so smitten with the latest drugs, (oops, sleep aids) that Big Pharma throws at us. We would most certainly not be watching professional looking women in television commercials tossing and turning in bed worrying about an electric bill. Or even think such a concern is cause enough for Lunesta to be a part of worrying, thus normal, people's lives.
Perhaps natural disasters like hurricane Katrina will put things in a better perspective for all of us. That is, despite massive hardship, our humanity can bring us all together. This what's called the human spirit. This is what we really need to hold on to, and work on. Or, am I just a meanie?
After all, Big Pharma will not stop telling us that we need countless prescription medicines to treat all that troubles us unless we actually take the time to listen to the crap we're being told. And thus, not accept it as fact. To believe that as adults we need Lunesta to cope with electric bills is lunacy. Think about it. Better yet, sleep on it.
Zizza serves as Vice President for the State of Georgia
for the non-profit organization,
Parents For Label and Drug Free
Education.
Read Zizza's "Think Twice" column at:
http://www.ablechild.org/newsarchive.htm
