More and more Americans are being drugged up for ADD, ADHD, depression, anxiety and chronic pain, but is this progress? Or a way of “drugging America”? Even “shyness” is being reclassified as Societal Affective Disorder (SAD) - treatable with antidepressants.

Almost 20 percent of our soldiers in active duty in Iraq are believed to be taking antidepressants. The use of antidepressants, pain meds and anxiety drugs has increased on college campuses while addictive pain meds use increase at alarming rates - often prescribed by college docs.

Is this why we are so docile? Are we being weakened intentionally? Is this a way for doctors to have more control over your life and for drug companies to make more money? Do we need the drugs? Is the government a partner in a greater scheme or just stupid?

China certainly does not mind that we are “like mellow “if you know what I mean. That makes us poor competitors. Where’s the juice? Are we fast becoming a country of prescription junkies? Progress or conspiracy? What do you think? You already know what I think!!!!!!!

Pass the Prozac, Valium, OxyContin and sleeping pills please - I’m nervous about my kid’s Little League game tomorrow - thanks!

A crazy thing. The Arizona Medical Board requires me to have it in writing that when I perform something like acupuncture or use homeopathy, I give the patient an explanation of what I am going to do, what their options are, etc. and then ask them to sign that they fully understand. I fully comply with this. Now, at first, it makes sense. I do not blame the board in wanting me to provide my patient with informed consent. But, here’s what I do not understand:

Why doesn’t the board require the same kind of informed consent when a doctor prescribes Zetia (may increase your risk of death even if it does lower cholesterol), anti-inflammatories (increase your risk of heart attack, atenolol (beta blocker that can increase your heart attack, stroke and death risk) and say coronary artery stents (full of controversy around the world) - to name but a few.

I know that this is hard stuff to address, but far more have dropped dead from these drugs and procedures than from the use of a couple of acupuncture needles or a few herbs.

I am soooo confused!

I am a licensed homeopath as well as licensed by the Arizona Medical Board. I am really upset over the ‘New Times’ article published not long ago that exposed some frightening facts about the homeopathic and integrative medical board.

With regard to some lunatic members I want to be supportive and am proud to be a part of a group of physicians who are pushing the frontiers of medicine (yes, even with unproven therapies like homeopathy, acupuncture, nutritional medicine, etc.) in response to the demands of the American consumer. (There are more visits to alternative docs than there are to conventional physicians in this country - some 250,000 more annually).

More money (greater than $12 billion) is spent out of pocket for alternative medicine services than for conventional services in this country. Medicine MUST respond to the consumer and I am proud to do so in my practice where I combine alternative therapies with Western (conventional) medicine.

HOWEVER, the board cannot be a place to harbor dangerous docs. The board cannot protect those who may have had criminal or grossly negligent activities in their past and regardless of the reason since the board supports what may be seen as unorthodox medical practices and since it should always be under the microscope of our state government, it CANNOT license anyone who has lost their license elsewhere. PERIOD. The board was created to protect unconventional medicine that might save lives or treat human suffering but it was never intended to protect the providers without protecting the consumer.

I am going to watch how the board addresses the directions placed on it recently to determine if I stay licensed or just maintain my medical board license.