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Too many people take too many pills

economist.com

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Re: Too many people take too many pills

#91

Post by trollthrowaway4 »

birdyrooster wrote: post #59
local_crmdgeon wrote: post #2

I hate these articles. While yes, this is true, it's also true that _many_ people have severe, untreated illness that they're just "toughing it out." My friend with BPD ruined his life because he's "stronger than the disorder, I don't need to take my meds" Spent millions foolishly, genius engineer - horrible story. Easily fixed.

Who are you to say that spending your millions is foolish this way or that way? We all end up as dirt. Why not live eccentrically and take risks? It makes for a good story which you have conveniently cast as horrible. I bet that story is plenty interesting and worthwhile as is yours.

[flagged]

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#92

Post by badpun »

amanaplanacanal wrote: post #77
inglor_cz wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the developing world, where highly processed food is usually too expensive for a normal family to live on, people cook regularly. Like, every day. How come? They certainly don't work any fewer hours than Westerners do.

I bet most families have an unemployed adult that cooks. Grandma or older child or some such.

In communist Poland, both of my parents worked, and yet my mother cooked every day after work. Work + commute took her around 9 - 9.5 hours per day. On top of that, there were long queues to buy anything at the stores, so you were spending easily an extra hour shopping per day (not to mention spending time bartering with family and neighbors the goods you managed to buy, but didn't need for stuff you actually do need).

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#93

Post by gms7777 »

asdfman123 wrote: post #10
local_crmdgeon wrote: post #2

I hate these articles. While yes, this is true, it's also true that _many_ people have severe, untreated illness that they're just "toughing it out." My friend with BPD ruined his life because he's "stronger than the disorder, I don't need to take my meds" Spent millions foolishly, genius engineer - horrible story. Easily fixed.

There is a fine and very important distinction to be made here. If you have a health problem, you should do your best to get exercise, eat healthy, etc. However, that doesn't mean medicines are wasteful or pointless. People often greatly benefit from them. I've struggled with ADHD, depression, and anxiety my whole life. And indeed, yes, the best treatment I've found is diet, weight training, and long-duration cardio.…

Yeah, as someone with ADHD, good diet, exercise, sleep, etc. are critical for managing symptoms. They're also effectively impossible to maintain consistently without medication.

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#94

Post by clnq »

etempleton wrote: post #64
omginternets wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people do not work 10-12 hours a day. Those who do have far bigger problems than regular exercise.

In the US it is fairly common.

It is admired. “First in, last out” and sleeping in the office are virtues to be signalled!

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#95

Post by fire »

slowmovintarget wrote: post #90
manuel_w wrote: post #37

Slightly related: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16252372 I noticed that taking pain-killers is a very common thing in american TV shows. The main protagonist (male hero) gets hurt, goes to the bathroom, hastily pours a handful of pills into his hand and pops them into the mouth. Not one, but a hand full of pills, cleary too many. I've seen it so much, I'm starting to wonder if it's a TV trope. I'm wondering if…

With the toxin they put in Tylenol (to prevent abuse), you'd blow out your liver if you did that. In books, you get "chewing asprin without the water." So yes, it's dramatic, but not realistic. It's just a way of conveying through action "Ouch, that really freaking hurts."

> With the toxin they put in Tylenol (to prevent abuse)

...acetaminophen itself is what kills your liver in an overdose, there is no "toxin they put in tylenol"

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#96

Post by Moissanite »

eastof wrote: post #78
Moissanite wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Don’t drink more than 2 drinks in a day Just to clarify, because this one tripped me up: you specifically mean alcohol, right?

In american english "drinks" is a common colloquialism for alcoholic drinks. You should definitely drink more water than that with your cardio haha.

Good; I was worried I'd stumbled into some some paleo-esque "only drink from puddles at dawn and dusk to maximize your gut flora development" nonsense.

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#97

Post by [deleted] »

fire wrote: post #95
slowmovintarget wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With the toxin they put in Tylenol (to prevent abuse), you'd blow out your liver if you did that. In books, you get "chewing asprin without the water." So yes, it's dramatic, but not realistic. It's just a way of conveying through action "Ouch, that really freaking hurts."

> With the toxin they put in Tylenol (to prevent abuse) ...acetaminophen itself is what kills your liver in an overdose, there is no "toxin they put in tylenol"

[deleted]

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#98

Post by gs17 »

quintushoratius wrote: post #81
SturgeonsLaw wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like the way toothpaste ads show them squirting 3x as much paste as you actually need onto the toothbrush

That's just like how shampoo companies advise you to "lather, rinse, repeat". It's a great way to boost sales, but besides being unnecessary it's terrible for your hair, your water bill, fish living downstream, and your wallet.

Personally, I've had much better results with repeating, but I haven't bothered to experiment enough to see if it's from "rinse, lather, rinse" or the full "lather, rinse, lather, rinse".

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#99

Post by throwaway743 »

Zircom wrote: post #79
doodlesdev wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You clearly never met anyone with BPD.

When you say BPD are you referring to borderline or bipolar? Because borderline is usually treated with therapy as the first-line treatment, while meds are definitely the norm and most effective for bipolar. OPs description of his friend ruining his life by not taking his meds seems more like bipolar.

Eh, could be either really

Re: Too many people take too many pills

#100

Post by bluefirebrand »

hnburnsy wrote: post #21
hnburnsy wrote: post #18

I believe the headline is a play on the line from Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC... > Shoot to thrill, play to kill, Too many women with too many pills

Note the song was recorded in 1980.

And was probably referencing recreational drug use, not over-prescribed drug use.
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