48 million taking Xanax

 48 million taking Xanax

Watching one of the morning shows, I was surprised to learn that 48 million Americans take Xanax to "take the edge off" of an otherwise stressful day. But Xanax is only one type of medication used for such purposes. With this in mind, is there any wonder we're so unresponsive or apathetic toward others who might need emotional support? Or is it any wonder we fail to see signs of emotional upheaval in friends and family?

We're living in hectic times. School bullying, harassment, or other causes of stress often go unnoticed by others. Many who know and love us don't have time to notice changes in our behavior or demeanor, especially if they're taking meds to manage their own levels of stress. We all must learn to handle stress in our lives, and meds are not the answer. They are prescribed for temporary relief from serious emotional trauma and designed to work with exercises to build emotional resilience.

The point here is, medication only lasts for a short while before the dosage must be increased. This makes medications like Xanax highly addictive. So if you're like the 48 million taking Xanax to reduce levels of stress, BUYER BEWARE. Taking a prescribed mediation can be helpful in the short term, but if you don't learn to manage your own levels of stress and anxiety and build your emotional skills, meds can be deadly. There are far better ways to build emotional competence.
(c) M.D. Johnson (2012)