The Wake

Dear Mr. Michael G. Myer:

Reading your article in The Wake about depression being a cultural myth really caught my attention and sparked a lot of interest in me. This is a very important topic because overmedication is spreading rapidly and affects many people that we meet every day. In a way, I felt like this overmedication of people was only happening around me, and I didn’t realize that someone else feels the way I do about the whole situation. It was interesting to see your viewpoint, and some of the things you mentioned really shocked me.

It seems that every time someone has a blue day, they “pop a pill,” as you would say. I liked the part of your article where you mentioned how so many people are quick to get on medication but aren’t willing to sit down and evaluate their lives. People are trying to take the easy way out, and I just wish that more people would come to their senses like you and I have. Life has ups and downs and there is not always going to be a pill for everything.

Your point about children accounting for 90 percent of global consumption of these medications made me wonder what this world is coming to. In this society, children are no longer allowed to be children because every time they get hyper or a bit out of control, they are put on a medication for ADD or ADHD. I think parents need to start spending more time with their children in order to see what’s really going on inside of their child’s head, instead of medicating them into zombies.

Contrary to what some people may think, an overmedicated society is not necessarily a good thing. Aside from the laid back personalities and the carefree attitudes, overmedicated people are not able to show who they really are. Like you said in your article, if Zoloft or Paxil continue to be the answer to every problem, we will end up with a world full of emotionally detached zombies, like Andrew from Garden State. There will be no reality to life and really no point in living if there will never be a challenge. I say if people are truly depressed or out of control, put them on medication, but otherwise let them be who they are.

I really hope that this article impressed others like it did me because our overmedicated society is a serious problem that needs to be thought about. I agree with everything that you had to say and I want to thank you for your opinion.

Sincerely,

Nicole Bilski
“U” Student

Thanks, Nicole.

Dear Andy Tyra,

Thank you, thank you, thank you! The article [”In Search of the Monopoly Man,” April 6] perfectly sums up my own metamorphosis from anti-corporate, plaid pants, dreadlock girl to, well, something more “normal.” It’s nice to see a little growth from the characteristic extreme left and right articles in school news.

Well done, Mr. Tyra.

Katie Kocha
“U” Senior”

Thanks, Katie

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