Fear of Medication

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Fear of Medication

(June 20, 2007) -- Englewood Cliffs, NJ,--The recent rash of tainted pet food, toothpaste and cough syrup preparations and now the concern regarding both imported finished pharmaceuticals and imported ingredients for medications made in the United States has led to even more concern about medications, according to Dr. Patricia A. Farrell, a psychologist and consultant.

"I’ve seen too many people with anxiety and stress disorders who were very reluctant to take needed medication before this scare," Dr. Farrell said, "but now it’s going to be like a rising tide of resistance." Farrell stated that medication has always been felt to have side effects which increased resistance to medications, "but when you think a medication can kill you because it contains lethal ingredients, what does an anxious or depressed person do? They won’t take medication."

National Institute of Mental Health statistics indicate that 57.5 million Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental illness. Forty-five percent of these individuals have a second disorder in addition to the primary illness. The NIMH states that these disorders "are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for ages 15-44."

Forty million Americans, ages 18 and older suffer from an anxiety disorder. Mood disorders such as major depression, dysthymic disorder and bipolar disorder affect 20.9 million adults in the U.S. and many patients with depression also suffer from anxiety. Major depression, in fact, is the leading cause of disability.

Both depression and anxiety disorders are seen as two of the most prevalent, and often undiagnosed disorders, in the U.S., according to Farrell, "and the quality of life of these people suffers significantly. It not only affects them, it affects everyone around them, so multiply the number of potential patients times their circle of family, friends and co-workers and you come up with a truly staggering number.

"When you consider both the quality of life and the loss of production to the economy and the cost of hospitalization, it can be more than staggering. How, then, do we not provide our medication oversight departments with adequate means to monitor imported pharmaceuticals? To my mind, it’s penny wise and pound foolish."

Dr. Farrell is the author of "How to Be Your Own Therapist" (Barnes & Noble, 2007), a licensed psychologist and medical disability consultant. She has appeared on major TV shows such as The Today Show, The View, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper 360 and is quoted in national newspapers and magazines. Her website is: http://www.drfarrell.net where she provides information for consumers.

By: Dr. Patricia Farrell
Source: NewsReleaseWire.com

Last updated 06/07

Fear of Medication

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