Do you believe the drug industry has invented disorders?

1. 79

   BenWritingsposted 13 years ago

   Do you believe the drug industry has invented disorders?
   
   Do you believe that many chemical imbalances and disorders are simply created for profit? Brainwashing us into thinking there's always something wrong with everyone, requiring pills?

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2. 67

   BetteMacheteposted 13 years ago

   I believe that pharmeceutical companies push medicines and make them seem more necessary for a larger number of people than these medications actually are.
   
   Some of the craziest commercials are for sleeping medicines. Of course there are people who truly must have these medications, but they are filmed in dramatic ways, making the viewer feel like they are ill equipped for sleeping without their pills.
   
   I think they push their medicines as magical cure alls, and not everything is like that. Often medicines must be used in conjunction with a good diet and exercise to be effective. Medicines don't advertise this as actively. They don't shed light on any work the patient needs to do, they just creat commercials that showcase how much of an instant solution their product it.

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3. 71

   RealHousewifeposted 13 years ago

   I think the drug companies are pill pushers that will invent anything they think they can sell to everyone in the country they can.  My great grandmother lived to be 98 - she never took any meds - and often it is the drug manufacturer that "pays" the research centers to do these FDA approval studies.  Now, if the research lab doesn't make the drug look like there aren't many adverse effects, who will that manufacturer employ to do their next research study?  Great question!

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4. 0

   sinisa_sinaposted 13 years ago

   I believe they do so. Because who create the drug, he create the virus to. Pharmacy companies, instead healing people, they are poisoning them, and robs along the way. And in wile they earn millions, people dies. Why, because of money, because someone needs new car or bigger house, or whatever.

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5. 70

   Ralph Deedsposted 13 years ago

   With help from professors from several prominent medical schools they sure have. Then they invent drugs and spend billions advertising them on TV in order to persuade listeners to ask their doctors for them even though much cheaper generics or even diet and exercise will do the job as well.  Pfizer's Lipitor is a perfect example. Also, the current welter of "Low T" commercials. .

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6. 56

   vettergtposted 13 years ago

   let me answer with a question:  Do you think the greeting card industry has invented holidays in order to sell more cards?  What is Sweetest Day anyway?

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7. 61

   Freethinker79posted 13 years ago

   No, they are real disorders  but they can be cured without the use of pills and medicine.

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8. 77

   capncrunchposted 13 years ago

   One has to wonder.  It is sad that our elderly are so dependent on medications.  Studies have shown that even doctors can be influenced by advertisements for drugs.

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9. 70

   robincoeposted 13 years ago

   yes and no.
   there are people with severe disorders -- who have trouble functioning day to day -- and drugs are the only way they can get by.
   
   but -- Social Anxiety Disorder?
   Attention Deficit Disorder?
   
   It seems strange to give drugs to someone who is "shy" or "can't sit still". Maybe we should take a closer look at "bullying" or the way classes are taught first. Perhaps that would reveal a little more about these so called "personality disorders".

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10. 64

    tomy101posted 13 years ago

    Conspiracy question on pharmaceuticals is a great way to start the day.I believe that some of the drugs cause bad reactions and therefor drug companies have to find a remedy for their screw up and that we are the rats that try them out for a high price.Take for instance mercury and autism and how they have linked these together and how many Autistic Children there are in the US. Yes a very bad screw up on part of a drug company. We are human and some are not so human, and for drug companies to admit they did something wrong is not human, its big business. I take Adderal and it cost about 600.00 for a months supply without insurance, that's a lot of money for one RX. Someone is getting filthy rich. So I will go with your answer and say Yes you could be right.

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11. 38

    Borsiaposted 13 years ago

    Of course there is way too much hype in the drug world. I love the one where they just ask "Is the Purple Pill is right for you?" without ever saying what the purple pill is for, not even a hint? Why they don't say it is for GERD I have no idea. GERD (sever acid reflux) is a real problem for millions of people.
    I also like the required warnings. My favorite is "sudden bowel movements and the inability to control them". Now tell me that is going to be good at a job interview.
    But there is another side. At present only about 30% of people suffering from clinical depression can take medication to help control it.
    People tend to think that because it is called depression it has to do with feeling depressed, but it is a physical problem caused by chemical imbalances in the brain that usually can't be altered by other means than drugs. And the happiest person in the world can have it just as easily.
    Any doctor that tells you they understand how the mechanics work or can do anything more than trial and error is lying. It is a matter of finding what is off and there aren't any tests. There are 7 major brain chemicals and a host of others and if you find something that works it is great.
    This means that more drugs that influence those in different ways will mean that more of the 70% who have the problems can be helped.
    Likewise true insomnia is a real problem, it doesn't mean not sleeping well every now and then, it means getting less than four hours of sleep four nights or more a week so finding different ways to relieve it is always good.
    People are also confused by acronyms and often don't really understand what things are.
    ADD is a good example. It doesn't mean that you can't sit still. It means that your brain disconnects with the task at hand. It is more similar to short time memory loss but on a second to second level. People who have it do things like going to get something then once up not remembering why they are up. We all do this once in a while, but imagine doing it 20 or 50 times a day.
    These things are very real to millions of people. The ones who say its all in your mind or that diet and exercises will fix it don't have to deal with it.
    Exercise, therapy, meditation, diet and all of the other things can help some. But if you have the more sever forms of these things they do very little.
    We all like to think that we are immune to such silly things and that we are stable as a rock,,, until it happens to us.

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12. 70

    stanwshuraposted 13 years ago

    Impossible.  Disorders, pathologies et al are discovered and/or defined based on clinical research that is placebo-controlled, double-blind, published, peer-reviewed, and ultimately when identical (or very nearly so) research is repeated and identical or similar findings are confirmed.  Then, through some "official" process and beaurocracy (which professional standards, ethics, and federal law mandates is completely separate from and uninfluenced by interested and unobjective parties - such as the pharmaceutical industry) is scrutized, vetted, and ultimately made official, public, and part of medical training and practice.  THEEEN, more research, by and within a completely separate professionwithin NOT the medical field, but within CHEMISTRY, where hypotheses about chemical reactions and effects are simulated or (unfortunately) tested (on innocent lab animals).  When a certain chemical formulation produces results that confirms a hypothesis that asked what biochemical processes are involved in the functions proven causative to a theorized disorder, by improving or "curing" said signs and symptoms, and, ideally, their root cause, human trials (with voluntary, fully-informed, consenting adults of sound mind) are conducted.  When acceptable (or hopefully wonderful) results are reached, again, a beaurocratic, evaluative process happens so that production is given the green light.   THEN...whichever pharmaceutical company's R&D has successfully produced a product that passed the aforementioned rigor, gets the opportunity to claim (or may bid on - I don't know) a patent, which, during the length of said monopoly, allows them to charge us (or our insurance companies) through the nose (to fund more R&D, of course!) to get relief from our ailments!

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