Different forms of unnecessary medications are being prescribed by doctors of various branches inappropriately and in excessive amounts; those medications usually being narcotics, antibiotics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, or statins. This method of “treatment” has become a fairly common practice in the medical realm and affects nearly all walks of life, especially children, U.S. veterans, and the elderly. Due to their vulnerability, desperation, and mostly naive nature, these groups of people tend to fall victim to taking multiple medications for conditions that are either nonexistent or much more benign than deemed to be. As a hypothetical example, the elderly are usually taking the most medications, as their physical and mental health is continuously declining the more they age and they are the most gullible of individuals just aside children. In most circumstances, some of the various doctors they see recognize this fact and take advantage by fabricating or exaggerating their declining health. This creates a sense of fear on their patient or a placebo that they will live a …show more content…
At first, those suffering with the condition were treated with antidepressants often called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil), according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Baker, 2011, pg. 1). However, those authors also noted that “an [S]SRI study in veterans produced negative results so antipsychotics (SGAs) are now commonly used medications for PTSD symptoms ‘despite limited evidence supporting this practice’ (Baker, 2011, pg. 2). Since SSRIs did not prove to properly treat PTSD, doctors have resorted to “drugging tens of thousands of U.S. veterans” with antipsychotics, which are much stronger and more mind-altering (very ironic), that have tangible evidence proving they do not do anything for those individuals (Baker, 2011, pg. 2). These psychoactive medications, including risperidone (Risperdal) and quetiapine (Seroquel), are usually prescribed and successfully treat those with schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorders, but trail behind many side effects; the most bizarre being breast growth in men to the most severe obviously being death. Yet, more veterans are being prescribed the medications much more than seeking