In today’s advanced, fast-paced, globalized world, we favor quick fixes and immediate solutions. This culture applies to the world of medicine in addition to broader societal norms: If you’ve got a medical problem, just solve it with pharmaceuticals.
This ideology is especially prevalent in America. We are a reactionary society when it comes to medicine. Rather than looking at the underlying causes of a medical problem, whether it is stress, diet, environmental causes or other factors, the solution for us is usually to have a prescription written out.
This phenomenon is apparent in all aspects of medicine, even with small aches and pains like headaches or muscle cramps. It’s especially visible in those with chronic conditions. While we often hear about eating a balanced diet and exercising in the public health awareness campaigns that have been spreading in recent years, many Americans still rely heavily on pharmaceuticals to manage their diseases and maintain their health. US News reported on Oct. 7, 2010 that 61 percent of American adults take at least one drug to treat a chronic disease.
An especially relevant example was discussed in a March 8, 2012 Psychology Today article titled, “Why French Kids Don’t Have ADHD.” The author compared the rate of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children in America and France. While at least nine percent of American children have been diagnosed with ADHD and are being treated with pharmaceuticals, only 0.5 percent of French children have been diagnosed with the disorder.
The difference is in our respective attitudes. In France, ADHD is a medical condition rooted in psychosocial and situational causes; in America, ADHD is viewed as having biological causes. The treatment of the disorder varies as a result of the different perspectives, such that American children are prescribed medication to right the chemical imbalance in their brains and French children undergo psychotherapy to address the underlying social issues they believe cause the problem.
The example presented by ADHD and other chronic diseases also parallels the broader issue of preventative medicine; as a society, we’re much more focused on emergency and life-saving medicine than preventative medicine. Reuters reported on Jan. 29, 2013 that nearly 75 percent of health care costs in America are associated with preventable chronic diseases, like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
We can learn and benefit from the comparison to France and other countries. Rather than taking a prescription for every health issue that may arise, we should think about the possible underlying causes and lifestyle choices that may lead to chronic illness. What might be the catalyst in one’s behavior or environment that could be the cause or contributing factor in a negative change in health?
Pharmaceuticals are tools; they are very useful and relieve much stress and pain, but they are frequently used as the sole method of managing a disease. The idea of moderation in lifestyle and the impact of a person’s environment on their health have been lost and we’d do well to pay attention to such things again instead of just relying on a bottle of pills.
