In previous chapters, I have repeatedly blamed the Medical-Pharmaceutical Industry for valuing their own profits above your health. Yet there are more “culprits” to be blamed – ones who are the best hidden, though they are hiding in fully plain sight. I am referring to us, “the people”.
How can I dare make such an accusation? Bear with me, and all will be made clear.
Thanks to the many conveniences that modern life has to offer – easy transportation in the form of cars, buses, trains, and planes; household appliances such as dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and the like; entertainment systems, and many more things to make life easier, and more pleasant – we have been brought up to feel we “deserve” to have it easy. Why should we have to make any more effort than absolutely necessary?
In the area of health, this demand of the public for “convenience” has motivated drug companies to do all they can to satisfy the whims of us, the people. Therefore, knowing that we are willing to shell out money for anything that will save us time and effort, those companies have specialized in coming up with “medications” for just about any sort of ailment imaginable – and some that you’ve probably never even thought about (“restless leg syndrome” is my own favorite example).
I once had a friend who suffered from migraine headaches, and I mean bad ones. Every time he was stricken, he would have to take some aspirin, and retire to a dark room for hours at a time.
Then he heard about a certain meditation technique that supposedly helped those with migraines. He already knew that smoking was bad for his condition, so he decided to give that up, and start a meditation routine. The result? The migraines largely subsided, and he began doing much better. But after a few months, he started smoking again, and quit meditation. The migraines returned, and once again, he was taking pain relievers.
We have come to think that there should be “a pill for everything”, so that we ourselves can get by without making any effort at all.
Do you enjoy eating to excess, and are you therefore severely overweight? Well, you could do the logical thing, and get on a healthy diet, but then, that would require effort, wouldn’t it? Instead, why not take some sort of drug to curb your appetite? (Though that drug most probably has undesirable side effects). And hey, if that doesn’t work, you can always get one of those operations to have the fat removed from your body!
What, by God, has happened to us?! I mean, really: getting an operation to have fat removed, instead of doing it the natural way (diet, and exercise)? How lazy have we become, anyway? If I put on more weight than desirable, I would merely exercise more, and eat less (and yes, it is that simple!). How can it be that we have degenerated to the point where we aren’t willing to put in any real effort at all to improve ourselves, so that we may lead long, healthy lives?
Though I have my theories about how these questions may be answered, this is not the place to expound them. There are more books about losing weight than anyone could count; even I myself wrote one a few years ago, in which I focused on little “tricks” that one can use to actually stick to a better diet (for anyone interested: it can be seen here.). Yet the truth is, though books can help, the basic principle is simplicity itself: to lose weight, change your diet, and be more physically active.
Here, I only wish to point out the degree to which we have become slothful (i.e., downright lazy!), and totally addicted to pills of all sorts, in order to avoid having to discipline ourselves.
Of course, there is a real “elephant in the room” here: namely, the use of illegal drugs (or legal substances such as alcohol) to get some kind of “thrill” or “pleasure trip”.
Maybe in reality I am from another planet, for when I see how many people are willing to poison their bodies – and their minds – in the pursuit of pleasure, I sometimes feel that I must be some sort of alien, since I just don’t quite understand it. I admit that I am exaggerating a bit here; I myself would be hard put to give up chocolate! Yet instead of popping pills, are there not enough natural and healthy pleasures out there that one might pursue? Walking in the forest; enjoying a good (and reasonably-sized) meal while watching your favorite TV show; sports; reading; listening to fine music… Why, I would think that sex alone can give just about anybody as much “natural pleasure” as he/she might desire! But to take substances that will alter your body’s chemistry, and may end up even severely damaging you, just for a kick?
Let’s face it: if there are in fact highly-developed aliens observing us from their flying saucers, we can assume that when they see how we behave, they must think we are a pathetic, sorrowful lot of creatures indeed!
OK, there: I just did it. I’ve committed that heinous “sin” that in a democracy, every politician, every salesman, and everyone else who wishes to persuade the public, must scrupulously avoid: I have dared to place blame for a terrible situation on… the people!
No matter; I am not a politician, so I have no need of currying favor before the next election. And my purpose is certainly not malicious. Quite the opposite. My goal is to make you think about what is happening in our society, as far as our health, and the health-care establishment is concerned. And in order to understand the complete picture, I feel it is necessary to not just blame “the others” (the industry, doctors, etc.), but also, to blame ourselves for our comfort-addicted attitude.
Anything worth achieving, is worth working for. Therefore, if you wish to achieve a state of health, is it not worth making a serious effort to improve yourself? If more people thought this way, so many of the questionable, and potentially harmful medications would be totally superfluous. The profits of the Industry would dwindle, and we would be much healthier, and happier.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, it is high time to leave your comfort zone and make a serious effort to change your habits, and do everything you can to strengthen your immune system, in order to regain your health. For if you don’t, that inevitable encounter with the Grim Reaper may come a lot sooner than you had planned.
Food for thought, is it not?