Natural Alternatives to Prescription Drugs Oxford

Happy Pills or a Happy Lifestyle?

Happy pills are no substitute for a happy lifestyle!

Happy pills have become almost the standard response to life's ills and spills. It seems so easy to just get a little prescription for the blues!

But do drugs such as Prozac really work effectively?

And what are the long term consequences for our health if we take this easy route? What are the alternatives? And are there any environmental concerns arising from these drugs?

What's here?

Here are some thoughts on the use of prescription medicines for depression and anxiety. There's a very brief look at some of the disadvantages of Prozac and Valium (diazepam) in treating depression and anxiety and some suggestions for alternative routes to mental health and happiness.

Happy pills: a fix for depression and anxiety? Clearly, anyone who does beat a path to the doctor's to get a prescription for anti-depressants has taken the trouble for good reasons. With the credit crunch being felt by almost everybody, stress and anxiety are at record levels in 2008.

According to the mental health charity Mind there were 31 million prescriptions for anti-depressants in the UK last year. And yet experts declare that anti-depressants do not even work.

"The antidepressant Prozac and related drugs do not work in the majority of depressed patients" - David Healey, New Scientist (February 2008)

We can't just change our life circumstances at the flick of a switch; mortgages have to be paid and bills settled, the day job has its usual quota of stresses and more. And most of the alternatives do take time - and sometimes money.

Here's a look at why "happy pills" are not the answer to these kinds of life stresses - and a few suggestions for other places to turn for help.

Happy pills: Valium - the not-so-happy pill

Valium was announced with great fanfare in the 1960s. Since then its reputation has suffered a steady decline, especially once it became apparent just how addictive it can be. Valium is still prescribed for dozens of conditions, including anxiety, tremors and some kinds of muscle stiffness.

But there are literally millions of people who have suffered addiction and misery because of this supposed wonder drug. One man even secured compensation after his doctor prescribed Valium for more than 10 years for muscle spasms. The drug left him anxious, depressed - and addicted.

There are more than 17 million prescriptions for Valium issued in the UK each year.

In the US around 1 in 10 people use Valium and there are as many as 3 billion pills being consumed by US citizens.

People in Europe, too are consuming Valium in prodigious quantities.

Happy pills: What does Valium do?

Valium helps allay muscle spasms and anxiety. It has a range of effects upon the central nervous system and as it is used, it builds up in the body tissues. It is classed as a depressive.

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