Pharmaceutical Drugs and Happiness

Everyone becomes depressed in one point in time, but some people decide that just because they are a little depressed that they can just automatically take pills. Some do not know the risks or the other outcomes that come along with taking the antidepressant. Some people just simply take it because they assume that it would automatically make them happy and use it as a “happy pill”. When actually antidepressant pills can do more harm than good in regards to happiness and living a better lifestyle. Even while taking the medication can sometimes mess up the way you function because of the different symptoms that come with it. Sometimes people get too carried away and become dependent on the drug that they are taking, and without it, it becomes hard to function in everyday situations.   

Most people usually just take prescription drugs without actually knowing the benefit of it. Sometimes people try to look for a better solution in regards to their own personal problems but sometimes taking medication is not the best solution, especially if the person is using them for a different purpose:” Antidepressant drugs are not happy pills, and they are not a panacea. They are prescription-only drugs that come with risks as well as benefits…” (Healthyplace.com) This explains how antidepressant pills are not just pills that you take just to get a little happy. It’s a serious drug that should be taken under medical supervision. Some just automatically assume that since they are feeling a little bit depressed and have access to certain drugs that it is okay to go on antidepressants. When in reality it can actually harm certain people, because of the risks that come with it. Finding natural ways to help rid of their depression or anxiety can be both helpful and beneficial to that person.

            Antidepressants are very common pharmaceutical drugs especially in America. Antidepressants are drugs for relieving depression. “Depression is an affecting mood disorder characterized by episodes of deep unhappiness or lost of interest in life, and other symptoms” (Lahey 487). Antidepressants are drugs that also alleviate depression or extreme feeling of sadness or melancholy for instance if a person feels or experiences episodes of deep sadness, they can go to a psychiatrist and they may prescribe an antidepressant in which case it will make them “happy.” The most popular drugs to treat depression are, Prozac, Zoloft, Norpramin, Paxil, Lexapro, etc.

            On the other hand, antidepressants often cause serious and unpleasant side effects. Some of the side effects of antidepressants are: blurred vision, constipation, dry mouth, urinary retention, sleep disruption, increase of appetite which results in weight gain, nausea and loss of libido and many more. Many of the side effects last only a few weeks and then go away, if it doesn’t then you can learn ways to manage it. One should not stop taking their antidepressants or reduce the dosage without consulting their doctor or mental health provider. If a person stops suddenly then it can cause withdrawal-like health problems. A person should always tell their health care provider about their side effects because some can be serious and can even risk their lives too.

 In many cases, side effects can be so bad (or risky) that it can cause a threat to someone’s health. While the antidepressants can fix one problem in the brain, it can harm the body by the side effects that come along with it. This can also sometimes lead to other health problems too, which can cause someone to take other drugs as well: “Norpramin with Inderal (to lower high blood pressure caused by Nopramin); Prozac (at first to counteract the Inderal, which made me depressed); Prozac and Nopramin; Prozac, Norpramin, and Yocon (to alleviate sexual dysfunction caused by the Prozac)”. (Critser, Greg, 37) Therefore these side effects can lead to more risks than benefits in regards to living a better life. All of the side effects mentioned above can make a person feel more unhappy because if someone is sick they don’t feel well or happy. If it affects someone’s physical health, it can affect their emotional health too which will make the situation worse. Although there are many side effects to these drugs, many refuse to give it up because of the dependency.                                                                                                

Another potential harm is the development of a psychological addiction to anti depressants. So mental dependency can be dangerous because it may lead to over dose and sometimes it can lead to death. A person dependant on this drug is unhappy because their happiness revolves around that pill. “Any drug that we rely on to produce false emotions can become psychologically addictive; some individuals feel that they cannot function effectively without taking antidepressants and even go as far as ‘demanding’ repeat prescriptions from their GP; they are now addicted to their medication”. (Steps2rehab.com)Becoming dependent doesn’t always mean that your happy because without that pill, one feels that they cannot function and life can become very difficult. What if you need it and it is not available? The outcome can become quite tragic which can lead to unhappiness in life.                                                                                                                                                                                           

Happiness is questionable in American society. People have more stressors in this society. They cannot deal with it and as a result, it’s harder to maintain happiness. Therefore, most Americans suffer from depression and are on antidepressant drugs. People should pursue other solutions which will create long term benefits, rather than short term happiness. People go directly and take the pill rather than even try to cope with stress. Searching for a solution can sometimes become difficult in times of desperation; people sometimes just seek out the easiest solution that might not even be long lasting but only beneficial for the moment. “But antidepressants aren’t a silver bullet for depression. Medication doesn’t cure the underlying problem and is rarely a long-term solution.” (Helpguide.org). Most people just view antidepressants as an easy way to “cure” depression, when in reality the feelings are only temporary. The depression and the problems are still there when they are taking the pill, but once someone stops taking the certain drug, it can become quite hard to function in life. Antidepressants are illusions for people which bring short term happiness. People are being tricked by it because the effect of the drug lies only for a short period of time. Some natural ways to get rid of depression and anxiety are nutrition and diet, exercise, hypnosis, yoga, and sound/music therapy. Also, “talk” therapy can be done one-on-one or in groups which will lead to long lasting happiness in some cases.                                                             
Antidepressants can sometimes feel like it can help some people, but in reality it is doing more harm than good. Most people go through life and whined up getting depressed then getting hooked on antidepressant drugs to help cope with their depression.  Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn’t, but by finding the right type of medication that suits that particular person and that can actually help them without any type of consequence or long term symptoms. As soon as someone goes through a crisis the first thing they turn to is drugs or medication, they do not know that many things can go wrong while using antidepressants, so sometimes it’s better to find natural ways to get rid of depression and anxiety.

Works Cited

           

Crister, Greg. “Oh, How Happy We Will Be”. Harper’s Magazine 0017789x, Jun96, Vol. 292, Issue 1753. Eng 101- The Pursuit of Happiness. Ed. E. McCormick. New York: LaGuardia, 2010. 37. Print.

Healthyplace.com staff writer."Antidepressant Medications for Depression - HealthyPlace." HealthyPlace.com - Trusted Mental Health Information and Support - HealthyPlace.  Accessed on 30 Nov. 2010 http://www.healthyplace.com/depression/antidepressants/antidepressant-medications-for-depression/menu-id-68/

Helpguide.org "Antidepressants: What You Need to Know About Depression Medications." Helpguide.org: Understand, Prevent and Resolve Life's Challenges. Accessed on 30 Nov. 2010 http://helpguide.org/mental/medications_depression.htm

Lahey, Benjamin B. Psychology an introduction Tenth edition

Steps2rehab.com "Antidepressant Addiction." Drug Rehab Clinics and Alcohol Rehab Clinics. Accessed on 30 Nov. 2010 http://www.steps2rehab.com/addictions/prescription-drugs/antidepressants/

antidepressants

Intro:  

            Everyone becomes depressed in one point in time, but some people decide that just because they are a little depressed that they can just automatically take pills. Some do not know the risks or the other outcomes that come along with taking the antidepressant. Some people just simply take it because they assume that it would automatically make them happy and use it as a “happy pill”. When actually antidepressant pills can do more harm than good in regards to happiness and living a better lifestyle. Sometimes people get too carried away and become dependent on the drug that they are taking, and without it, it becomes hard to function in everyday situations. Even while taking the medication can sometimes mess up the way you function because of the different symptoms that come with it.

Body:

            Most people usually just take prescription drugs without actually knowing the benefit of it. Sometimes people try to look for a better solution in regards to their own personal problems but sometimes taking medication is not the best solution, especially if the person is using them for a different purpose: “Antidepressant drugs are not happy pills, and they are not a panacea. They are prescription-only drugs that come with risks as well as benefits…” This explains how antidepressant pills are not just pills that you take just to get a little happy. It’s a serious drug that should be taken under medical supervision. Some just automatically assume that since they are feeling a little bit depressed and have access to certain drugs that it is okay to go on antidepressants. When in reality it can actually harm certain people, because of the risks that come with it. Finding natural ways to help rid of their depression or anxiety can be both helpful and beneficial to that person.

           

Conclusion:

            Antidepressants can sometimes feel like it can help some people, but in reality it is doing more harm than good. Most people go through life and whined up getting depressed then getting hooked on antidepressant drugs to help cope with their depression. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it doesn’t, but by finding the right type of medication that suits that particular person and can actually help them without any type of consequence or long term symptoms. As soon as someone goes through a crisis the first thing they turn to is drugs or medication, they do not know that many things can go wrong while using antidepressants, so sometimes it’s better to find natural ways to get rid of depression and anxiety.

antidepressant drugs

Thesis: Antidepressant pills can actually do more harm than good in regards to happiness and living a better lifestyle.

Article: Antidepressant Medication for Depression

Quote: “Antidepressant drugs are not happy pills, and they are not a panacea. They are prescription-only drugs that come with risks as well as benefits…”

 Source: http://www.healthyplace.com/depression/antidepressants/antidepressant-medications-for-depression/menu-id-68/

This explains how antidepressant pills are not just pills that you take just to get a little happy. It’s a serious drug that should be taken under medical supervision. Some just automatically assume that since they are feeling a little bit depressed and have access to certain drugs that it is okay to go on antidepressants. When in reality it can actually harm certain people, because of the risks that come with it.

Blog 7

I love the fact that I have a family that can always back me up if I ever need anything or if I am ever in any danger I can count on at least one of my family members to help. I am also very grateful for being able to go to LaGuardia Community College with my best friend from middle school. We didn’t have a chance of going to high school together, (although I did go to her prom) but being able to experience college with her and the possibility of graduating with her makes my college experience a whole lot better. She actually means a lot to me and sometimes I don’t really show her how much I appreciate her always being there for me when I need her. I’m also grateful for having a four legged animal in my house! My mom doesn’t really like cats all that much but by a miracle, my cat Kerli was able to fit right into our family. It’s mostly because she is too darn cute. =]

             Everyone goes through life wondering about the future, whether they will grow up get married and have kids. Or just simply stay single and do the things that they want without ever worrying. Becoming a parent though can really change the point of view or beliefs of what people generally expect about having kids. People do not know what to expect in regards to having kids, it can go either way depending on how they raise them. Some feel stuck when deciding on whether or not to have children because of the unknown outcome. Having kids can make some people happy or others miserable, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes things do not go as planned and have to put things to the side just to support a child, and people become overwhelmed with stress and unhappiness.

            When thinking about having children in the future, most would see a happy family like they would show on the television, although things aren’t always what they seem to be. People also try to aim for that level of a happy family and strive for perfection, but sometimes things get complicated along the way. “As a rule, most studies show that mothers are less happy than fathers, that single parents are less happy still, that babies and toddlers are the hardest, and that each successive child produces diminishing returns” (Senior). This states how difficult things can become for a parent. Happiness can be deprived and many things can become difficult, especially when raising that child alone. It can also go either way, for we do not know what the future holds for us     

            As humans, most tend to already assume things about the future. People sometimes tell themselves that something is probably going to be a positive experience without actually going through the process. “Gilbert and his collaborator Tim Wilson call the gap between what we predict and what we ultimately experience the ‘impact bias’-- ‘impact’ meaning the errors we make in estimating both intensity and duration of our emotions and ‘bias’ or tendency to err… Worse, Gilbert has noted that these mistakes of expectation can lead directly to mistakes in choosing what will give us pleasure. He calls this ‘miswanting’ (Gertner). Most of the time people overwhelm themselves with the thought of having kids, putting too much thought without actually knowing what will happen in the future. Things can get harder when having kids, but some will never know unless they have kids themselves.

            A lot of the time though, it is hard raising children because we sometimes go through life with the idea on how things should be, but as it turns out, it becomes something else. Many things become complicated and it becomes a process and a long lasting job. Here is what maybe expected: “Children may provide unrivaled moments of joy. But they also provide unrivaled moments of frustration, tedium, anxiety, heartbreak” (Senior). These things can really put a lot of pressure on a person’s life. Always trying to provide, give your all and making this child just as happy as many may want it to be. Raising the child is just a part process, for there are many emotions that come along with raising a child. All families go through their ups and downs, but learning how to deal with them and handling them is the key. Some try so hard to support their child, that sacrifice is needed in order to feel a need of completion.

            In general most people believe that when giving up dreams for that person that you care about most, will bring forth happiness. Sometimes though, it can actually be the opposite. “They believe, mistakenly, that sacrifice is synonymous with virtue, failing to recognize that staying in the relationship for the sake of the other will lead them both to frustration and unhappiness” (Ben-Shahar). In life, when things unexpectedly happen, some choose to just let go of everything they have, just to make everyone else happy. They end up depriving themselves of their own happiness and future because they have to worry about another life. Sometimes people even try to live their lives through their child’s and control every aspect of their life because they sacrificed their own for them. All the while it makes both the child and the parent extremely unhappy and frustrated.

            Overall, people go through life with an image of parenting and living a happy life with children without exactly knowing the outcome. Most think they know what will make them happy, but most cases fail to prove it right. Things become complicated and we are forced to make decisions based on how we feel about it. In the long run, some make sacrifices because they feel it’s the best outcome for everybody. Children can really change the way a person truly feels about life and how they think, but going through the process is the best way to find out for yourself.

Works cited:

Ben-Shahar, Tal. Happier, New York: McGrawHill, 2009   

Gertner, Jon “The Futile Pursuit of Happiness” New York Times, September 7, 2003        

Senior, Jennifer “All Joy and No Fun: Why parents hate parenting.” New York Magazine, July 4, 2010

relationships.

In life we go through our ups and downs, we have friends, we lose friends. We get into relationships and we get out of them. We fight and then we make up. Everything is just a whole back and forth, a vicious cycle that seems never ending. So I always ask myself… Why do I even bother with people sometimes? Everyone just seems to over complicate things and make things more difficult than it already is. Then again, I might be a part of that problem as well. I’ve never been one to be into anything long term. My friendships don’t last too long because that always means that I would have to keep in touch with people, which I’m bad at. I like to move around and meet new people and find out interesting things about them.

            While doing that, I tend to lose track of friends, so I usually try keeping things at an acquaintance level, its hard sometimes because people become close and attached to who you are. The thing is that we always go through changes, we go from middle school to high school and then to college. I only keep in touch with one person from middle school, and that’s my only best friend that I have. It’s also funny, because she goes to the same college as I do, so I don’t really have to keep track of her because she is always there. It’s not all bad though, people just sometimes get really annoying, until you surround yourself with the right ones. :]

Me, Myself and I

So, I just found out that I'm a composer or an artist in a personality test. And i'm not sure that im that type of person. Im still trying to find myself as a person. People are always trying to figure me out and it seems like they get no where. To be honest, I don't really care about who I am or how other people look at me. Im just this thing that fits everywhere but has no specific place. I like it that way though. =)

Happiness in Work

 

People always make it seem like work is such a stressful environment where you can't really have fun. It seems like everyone complains about the job that they are in because they either feel stuck, or feel like it's not where they belong. They want to do more and contribute more, but do not have the time, materials or education to do so. Most people are stuck at their jobs because they need that financial back bone to support their family. While thinking about all these things, it brings more stress and more pressure while at their job. This makes them unhappy with everything around them. It seems like a lot of pressure to hold a steady job, especially when the economy is the way that it is.

I've never really had a job before, so I wouldn't know the about the stress and frustrations while working at a job. It does however, seem like a lot to handle when you have too much on your plate. That is why I’m more focused on my school work then getting a job. I don't want to have to try and juggle everything together. It seems like it would be a whole bunch of running around, getting things together and trying to make it everywhere on time while being punctual. These things will probably help with sharpening my skills for the future and it will probably be a good learning experience to have, but for the most part, education has to come first.

blog 3

Over the years, education has had different meanings in my life. Sometimes I enjoyed the education I was getting, and sometimes I would dread the mornings of waking up for school. It seemed like the older I got, the harder school became and it seemed like a lot of pressure was building. I think that by managing stress and changing my attitude can help me become a happier student by looking at things in a positive prospective. Pressure is something that I never enjoyed, I would always get headaches and would want to stop everything that I am doing. That is why I constantly try to find ways of distracting myself while working on homework or schoolwork. Although, I noticed that if I am being entertained while learning, I stay focused and there is no need for a distraction. I can be open-minded when it comes to learning new things and trying to find what suits me.

            Math is one thing that frustrates me the most when it comes to my education. It seems like every time I go into a math class, I already assume the worst. Therefore, I already have this thing in my mind where I think, “I will always hate math and math will always hate me.” Then again, I could always be wrong and try to find ways of getting along with my enemy. “The problem, as gilbert and company have come to discover, is that we falter when it comes to imagining how we will feel about something in the future… What Gilbert has found, however, is that we overestimate the intensity and the duration of our emotional reactions -- our “affect” -- to future events.” (The Futile Pursuit of Happines 8) So maybe if I just try to push myself a little harder and try not to think about math as a form of an enemy, I can become friends with it and try not to overwhelm my thoughts.

            One thing that I can try doing while in school, is trying to reach that point of “flow.”  So that I can feel satisfied with everything that I am doing and enjoy every aspect of it. Instead of beating myself up for thinking that, it is hard work and that hard work is frustrating. “When in a state of flow we enjoy both peak experience and peak performance: we experience pleasure and perform at our best. Athletes often refer to this as being in the zone.” (Happier 86) Instead of always overwhelming myself with negative feelings about something, I should rethink and try to find the positive in that thing that I am doing. By changing my mindset about school and trying to make everything a good experience, I can enjoy the effort and the work that I put into a class, homework or anything that could be beneficial for me in the future.

            Something that I would always do the most, is distracting myself when things are getting too hard or too complicated. Especially when I am at home. There are so many distractions and sometimes I lose focus. But that is only when things get too complicated and I take breaks so that my brain does not fry. Some of the things I do are text, watch some television or simply just fall asleep because I become exhausted. Sometimes these things can help ease my stress for a short while. But then if I distract myself for too long all the work starts piling up and it becomes even more stressful then it was in the first place. So maybe trying to find out a balance where I can take breaks that are productive, instead of taking a lot time away from the things that I should be working on at home.

            While in the classroom though, it seems to be a different story. Sometimes I think it is because of the enviornment. On the other hand, maybe because everyone’s main focus is to atleast try and learn something new. I have always liked listening to people and learning new things, whether it is about them or something that can be useful or helpful towards me. I also feel that if I am having a good time while learning, then it is not so hard and it gives you a sense of calmness. “..there are two distinct ways of hurting students’ prospects of experiencing flow. First, by creating a stressful enviornment, leading to anxiety; second by creating an enviornment that is devoid of struggle and challenege, leading to boredom.” (Happiness 88) In my case, it is usually the first one. I do not know why it happens, but I am guessing it is because I cannot really handle many things at once. Taking things one-step at a time would work better for me. However, since im an expert at procrastinating, it gets difficult to prioritize and organize the things that need to be done first.

            Overall, I just need to try my hardest to stay focused and feel good while doing the things that I need to get done. Learn how to manage my time so that I do not procrastianate with the most important things. I can ease the pressure and tension by getting all the important things I need to get done out of the way early and try not to distract myself as often. Also, trying to be “in the zone” while dealing with school and hard work. While also taking the time to change the way I feel about any particular subjects that I dislike. As for math, I know that we are enemies, but who knows, maybe I will grow to love it and we can become the best of friends!

blog 2

Education is a major factor in everybody’s life. We all need it, and we depend on it to get the things that we want in the future. But does education make us happy? Or do we think of education more as a form of torture? Over all, I have mixed feelings about education in general. I think that while I was growing up, I never looked at school as a privilege, but more of a place you go to just to make friends and waste time. On the other hand, I had some great teachers that really kept me focused on what I needed to do. Being a freshman in college is a different story because I have to look out after myself and I won’t have those teachers to motivate me. I have to be self motivated and keep myself focused on the things that I need to get done.
    Although I am confused about education and the feelings I have towards it, I know that it will take me somewhere eventually. I think that the reason I was never really motivated in school was because I rarely experienced “flow.” This is where we experience something and enjoy every second of it. “Because many students experience either boredom or anxiety in school, they neither enjoy it nor perform at their best.” (88 Happiness in Education) This explains why students either get so stressed out and just quit, or get so bored and don’t even want to bother with their education in the future. In my case I pulled through to go on to college and pursue my dreams of working with animals by helping them.
    In order to get to that place where I can start a career, I need to get all the education that I need in order to succeed. But our future is never promised, according to Ken Robinson, there is an “unpredictability for the future.” So we could just be getting an education for the future for no entire reason. He also expresses how education takes away from our creativity, by schools only focusing on the “most useful subjects,” such as Math, English  and Science. Schools barely focus on the arts and the creative parts on the brain, which can overwhelm students because they are always put under stress and barley have any “flow” moments.
    My problem is just finding ways to experience “flow” while working on homework or being in class. I need to find out what makes me happy or what are the things that draw my attention while learning. I know that I like to be hands on and get into things. I enjoy reading because I think that you could learn a lot about the world by just paying attention to another persons insight and perspectives. I also like putting things together and having “aha” moments when I am satisfied with what I come up with. But it’s really difficult to find happiness in education because most of us have bad experiences and view it as a form of torture. When in reality it’s a privilege and will help benefit us in the future.

Blog 1

We all want something in life, but what are we really after? We all just want to be happy, but does anyone in this world know what it even means anymore? How could a person know what they want if they don't even know what it is that they are looking for? Sometimes we think we know what it is that we want and desire and then it turns out that we don't care too much for it. This is where the word "Impact bias" comes about, in an article by Jon Gertner called "The Futile Pursuit of Happiness" discusses how Daniel Gilbert studies "emotional and behavioral prediction." Where we think about how a situation would make us feel, and come up with a decision based on that feeling.

One time I went to Six Flags with the youth group at my church and it was my first time ever going. I was nervous because I have not been on a roller coaster since God knows when. So we went on almost every ride except for when it came time to ride Superman, it was starting to rain and I had flip flops on, so I didn't want to sacrifice losing them and then having to wait for a ride that was probably going to shut down. So I waited and then the rest of the youth group came out talking about their experience and I probably missed out on something that I wouldn't be able to do in a while. I haven't set foot on Six Flags since. I still have my flip flops though. I should have went on the ride regardless of the way I felt, because it's something that i missed out on.

Hey :)

Lisbeth Lucky Charms in the housee!! Woot woot! :)