Drugged

As I read the health section in the news, I see the same stuff over and over - another ground-breaking study on drugs, vaccines, etc. done on animals. I don't know about you, but when I see that a test has been done on an animal, and I don't conclude that it will work the same way on human beings. I do, however, see the cruelty and lack of respect for the lives of other species. I don't care that it's "science"; it's speciesism. With their actions, scientists are saying that the lives of animals are expendable especially if experimenting on them could possibly help human beings. It is the same mentality that allowed experimentation on black people in America. It was wrong then, and it is wrong now. The best cure for anything is prevention. Instead of figuring out what causes certain diseases, and trying to eliminate the problem at its root, we are busy trying to find a "cure" - a bandage to put on the problem.

I find it amazing that there seems to be a drug for almost anything. Have you ever seen those drug commercials for people with high cholesterol - you know, the one that blocks the cholesterol from food? This is the same commercial where the so-called patient has said he has tried "diet" and exercise. I'm thinking that if he ate foods that didn't contain cholesterol, then he would have no need to take a drug that blocks cholesterol from foods from entering his system. Doesn't it just make sense? Their idea of diet is probably having a diet coke with their grilled chicken.

Now, I am seeing in the news that drugs that were thought of as safe are proving not to be safe, and there is a great debate over vaccinations as well. I think humans are far too dependent on drugs. It seems to me that we've lost touch with ourselves. When we are sleepy, we consume caffeine. When we are in pain, we take drugs. When we can not deal with our emotions or problems, we take drugs. We even think sleep and pain are our enemies. Sleep is necessary, and pain is a message. Pain usually occurs when something is wrong. It is a call to pay attention to our bodies, and pain doesn't disappear because it is suppressed.

Don't get me wrong. Sometimes medication is necessary when there is no other alternative. I remember a time when I was in the hospital and in a lot pain. At the time, morphine was my savior. The nurse at the hospital gave it to me when she realized how much pain I was feeling. I've never had it again, but at that time it helped a lot. I just think people should not abuse drugs. Drugs that seem harmless can still be abused. If you have an addictive personality or you're looking for an escape, and that drugs makes you feel good, you may have trouble stopping the use of the drug.

I understand the desire to feel good, to escape, to take ones mind off of stressful thoughts, but sometimes we look for an artificial solution for our problems and the problems don't go away because we haven't solved them.