Woman: Mrs. Haines, I don't know how you manage all the things in your life and still make time for charitable work.
Mary Haines: Oh, well pharmaceuticals.
So you see above a quote from one of my best loved movies, "The Women" a witty and provocative movie with fabulous Actresses including an all time favourite, Meg Ryan.
Those of you who have an average or above IQ will note that the name of my blog shares a name with this movie. Co-incidence? I think not. I'll share with you all a little story. After seeing the movie a couple of times I started having ideas about our place in society and how things have changed through the years - as there is also a 1939 Original version of the aforementioned film. Also, after reading possibly my absolute favourite book, White Oleander again most recently I again started having these thoughts. So, how do you express such things? Create a blog, of course!
I suggest you read White Oleander (or see the movie) and also watch The Women.
Moving back to the title of this post. Holidays have just started and I am still getting over a particularly nasty chest infection/pleurisy (now on my 4th set of antibiotics) and was watching my favourite movie again. This quote came up and it made me come to think, do we all rely on pharmaceuticals these days to keep up with the ever speeding up world in which we live?
This being my blog and all I'll share my experiences with you all. So this chest thing had been going on for possibly 7 weeks before I headed to the doctor. And do you know what? I seriously was struggling to do everything I had to with school and everything else in life. It was so difficult that by the time I was booked in for the doctor I was begging to go. Mum was worried about how long it would take for me to get over it, because this illness was just getting in the way! Antibiotics (well, seemingly...) to save the day!
Do you, dear reader, take fish oil tablets? Do you take multivitamins? Do you take inner health plus? Do you take all these drugs that they claim to be so good for you on the television? Well, charming ol' Mr Young suggests you take fish oil tablets to help you stay smart. Joe Blow on the television says that inner health plus is good for you after antibiotics (and hey, the possibly are. Pardon me....its a bad example...) and blah blah multivitamins help you to remain alert and fabulous for your everyday life. True? Possibly. I'm not a complete cynic and not a complete believer. What I will say is that a wholeeee load of that stuff you are putting into your body with those (EXPENSIVE) tablets is going straight on out the other end.
This is where I start to put my foot down. Im fine with eating carrots to help my night vision, or blue berries because they are full of antioxidants but these pills just have so much stuff in them its a waste! AND they aren't a food group so don't go home and try to live off them.
See, I'd prefer to go have a good juice (but please, buy a juicer with all the money you would spend at boost during the next 5 years as there is now one in Albury, and some fruit and yoghurt etc and make some at home every morning...) to start the day and get all these great things the 'easy' way - straight from nature.
I'm the first to say that I take a whole heap of the above tablets. At one point during this enduring sickness I was taking 17 pills a day. Yes. You heard me right, 17. That included prescription drugs (such as antibiotics and chest decongestants) and health things (such as horseradish and fish oil and swisse women's ultivite). So yes, believe me I was dependant on them.
Now we ask ourselves, preventative vs. reactive medication? As with everything, preventative helps us in the long run. But, must we be dependant on these pills?
In order for our society's life expectancy to continue to increase, preventative medical action is needed. If anyone actually pays attention to our politicians they would see that all the health issues now aim at preventative action, such as the dental plans now in place with medicare.
Dependant on these pharmaceuticals? Yes. Yes we are. We wouldn't be the modern, western society that we are today without all of these things. And are they needed for our everyday lives, just like Mrs Haines needs them? For those who have perhaps longer lasting pressures then yes. We all can't go on forever continually pushing ourselves, and these fabulous drugs just push back when that time comes - to when it's convenient for us and our schedules. Possibly sometime during retirement I'd say, at this rate.
How many pills do you take a day? Do pharmaceuticals keep you going?
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