Winter Blues? Let’s Medicate!

Posted on November 9th, 2006 by Christine.
Categories: Current Events & Politics.

This article is about happiness (which we’ve already established is impossible if you’re a liberal). )

I’m somewhat appalled that we have come up with medical conditions for pretty much everything these days. We Amercians have been on this road to personal unaccountability for quite some time, and declaring that we have a “condition” for every goddamn little thing that goes wrong in our lives is just another symptom of that trend.

Can’t sleep? There could be lots of reasons. Maybe you need a new bed. Maybe you’re stressed about something going on at work. Maybe you’re drinking too much coffee before bed. Oh no, wait… you must have “insomnia.” Luckily, there’s a pill for that. Overweight? Maybe you aren’t exercising enough. Maybe you’re eating the wrong foods. No, no… it’s a medical condition. If you don’t have the willpower to control your eating, we can give you a pill that does it and there’s even a surgery. Feeling anxious? There’s a pill for that too. Think you might be an alcoholic because you binge drink every chance you get and black out afterward. We have a pill. Can’t get a hard on? There’s a pill. Basically, any unpleasant experience we have, we attribute to some kind of condition and if it’s a condition, it must therefore, be treated… and of course, is not our fault. We are simply victims of whatever “medical conditions” fate has inflicted upon us, right? Oy ve.

Here’s the latest…

The FDA has finally approved– yes, you guessed it– a medication to treat SAD (a “condition” that affects 10 million Americans who get depressed in winter due to decreased sunlight). 10 Million? That’s practically an epidemic! Thank God there’s now a pill I can take so that the gloomy weather and darker days and colder nights don’t make me feel “depressed.” Wtf?

Before you start to bitch and moan about how horrible depression is and how it affects everything in a person’s life, please note that I’m one of these ten million. I love sunny, balmy weather… I’m inherently happier on beautiful, sunny days. I do get a bit down in the mouth when the sky is gray and cloudy for days on end. And yes, there have been Januaries where I am downright depressed because of the weather. But the truth is… I only appreciate the great days because they aren’t always like that. And since when did feeling a little less happy today than yesterday hurt anyone? Do we really need to start introducing drugs into our bodies to overcome this feeling? Or can we just recognize it and look forward to sunny days a couple months off? There are enough great things in my life– people that I cherish, accomplishments I’m proud of, hobbies that I enjoy– that my world won’t collapse because my favorite season is months away.

Did I miss the memo where it was required that we are happy all the time? That it is absolutely wrong to feel anything negative… ever? Isn’t it human to experience good and bad… happiness and sadness… anxiety, fear, joy, elation…? We’ve become a group of people who take the easy way out in every situation… because God forbid we should spend one moment of our lives in a state that isn’t 100% happy. I think by doing that, we’re missing out. We were intended to experience all kinds of emotions for a reason– it’s human to do so. And there’s nothing wrong with it. If you can’t sleep, maybe that’s a sign that you need to adjust something in your life– take time to address an issue– whatever it is that prevents you from sleeping. If you’re overweight, that’s the result of not properly taking care of your body nutritionally or physically. Instead of a pill or a surgery, focus inward and see what you’re doing to cause that result.

It’s okay to not be happy all the time. It’s okay to look up at a gray, cloudy sky and look forward to June when you can splash around at the pool or fall asleep on the warm sand. That is all okay. It’s part of life. It’s part of growth. It’s part of what allows us to empathize with other people. Suck it up.

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