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Tim’s DVD Reviews






                              Medicating Normal                        the brain lead to depression and mental illness,
                              Produced and directed by                 but they point out that this theory has one critical
                              Lynn Cunningham and Wendy Ractliffe      flaw: it has no actual scientific basis.
                                                                           We live on a planet that will stress you out
                                 One in five Americans is on some kind of  sometimes, maybe often. I grew up in a primi-
                              psychiatric drug. The typical experience with  tive era known as the twentieth century. I had
                              psychiatric drugs starts with stress caused by  a pretty easy childhood. I don’t remember any
                              work, war, school, family or watching too much  exceptional traumas that now keep me awake
                              TV news. This video follows several specific  at night, but when I think about it, there are
                              cases—some ex-military, some average working  things I had to deal with that created stress.
                              people and some children or teenagers.   After being cooped up in school all day, many
                                 Most people do not enjoy stress and make  kids like me liked to break out and run home.
                              good targets for companies and professions that  “School is over, so we can run now, right?” Oh
                              claim to have an easy fix. These fixes go by  no; safety patrols yelled at us to walk. Give me a
                              names like Zoloft, benzodiazepines and other  break. Kids have energy and need to run. That’s
                              really weird names. Many “work” quickly. . . for  what they do. Now healthy kids with energy are
                              a while. The perfect sales scam is a quick benefit  considered hyperactive, and that is a medical
                              to distract customers from considering the long  condition requiring drugs.
                              term. “Open a new bank account and get a free   College students get stressed out trying to
                              toaster.” Never mind constant ridiculous fees  maintain high grades with a heavy course load
                              and low interest rates—you get a free toaster!  being taught by dry professors who couldn’t
                              “Buy this car and you get free floor mats!” Yeah,  teach chickens to cluck. People who work for a
                              the car may be on the wrong end of a tow truck  living sometimes end up working for someone
                              in six months, but you got free floor mats.  who makes Scrooge look like Santa Claus. And
                                 These pharmaceutical magic bullets may  then there are those who serve in the military.
                              seem to work great at first, and many of the  America has been in a state of open war for
                              people in this video felt much better for about  almost twenty years. You know. . . war. A front-
                              a month. After that, things go seriously wrong.  row seat in hell. Apparently that stresses some
                              Depression, suicidal thoughts and homicidal  people out. The video features a sergeant whose
                              tendencies often come next. Once customers  life has been pretty wrecked by war. She just
                              find out what the long-term ride is like, they  won an F-bomb contest. That’s not my thing
                              usually wish they had never taken that first  (most of the time), but I get why many people
                              pill. Discontinuing these drugs is always dif-  are pushed to that point. No question, it can be a
                              ficult and sometimes deadly. That information  tough world to live in. And of course, there are
                              is usually not included in your psychiatrist’s  earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanos, lions, tigers
                              sales pitch.                             and bears. Oh my.
                                 I’ve mentioned before that some of my fa-  Back in the twentieth century, we had a
                              vorite sources of information are retired experts  quaint, old-fashioned word for stress caused by
                              or professors who can spill the beans without  the challenges of living on this planet. The word
                              worrying about what it might do to their careers.  was normal. Yes, you may need help, but this
                              Allen Frances, chairman of the psychiatry de-  was not a medical condition requiring pills. You
                              partment (emeritus) at Duke University is one  got help from family or friends, your church or
                              such person. He and other experts explain the  a bartender. Things certainly weren’t perfect,
                              prevailing theory that chemical imbalances in  but when you look at where we are going in the
         80                                       Wise Traditions                               SUMMER 2020
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