I wrote the following piece after watching the documentary 'Take Your Pills' on Netflix.. Most of the material in this writing piece is a reflection on the facts presented in the documentary as well as what I have seen in my own life and the lives of those around me.
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The culture that we live in today in America is all about results and speed. The obsession with bigger, faster, better results has resulted in a nation of people hooked on opioids and stimulants. Opioids drown out pain and ‘contain’ the stress, while stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin allow people to keep up with the never ended workload demands. This has led to the question of how to find healthier and more natural ways to enhance the mind and body and many companies are now selling brain enhancers and supplements. However, are mind enhancers and supplements really the solution? While the mind is an amazing organ with great potential and seeking to strengthen it to reach full potential is not necessarily harmful (rather, it can be, of course, beneficial) the constant need for bigger, better, and faster results in society and especially in the workforce creates a community of people being pushed beyond healthy limits.
What if the solution to this opioid and stimulant crises that this nation is facing is not simply a different way to enhance the mind or numb the pain? Perhaps instead, it would be more beneficial to take a step back from the fetish this country has with constant busyness, success, and productivity and refuse to participate in it any longer. Maybe instead of seeking out ways to keep up with such a chaotic and exhausting system, seeking ways to ‘fit in’ to a system that demands so much of oneself (and demands more than oneself has to offer on their own) one should simply cut the chaos out of their lives In essence, what if individuals stopped running themselves ragged in order to keep up with the demands of society to perform better, faster, and more - a system that has driven people to stimulants in order to keep up with such demands and opioids to numb pain and stress? What if, instead, individuals stopped and evaluated what it is they care about most in life and what they view as most valuable and meaningful in life, and poured their energy into that? For instance, if one finds that family and friends, writing, and time spent in nature is what they value most, then one can put those at the top of the list and cut out the things that are less valuable to them. If one finds computer programming, video games, and music to be at the top of their list of things they value, then they can put those above other things in life and cut out the things that are less meaningful to them. This does not mean abandoning duties or responsibilities in life but rather, cutting out unnecessary aspects of life that society has pressured one to take part in because it is the ‘normal’ thing to do. While work is an important and necessary aspect of life, when other valuable and meaningful parts of our life begin to suffer from how much we invest into work, the question that must be answered is, “Is this worth it”? If one places what they most value at the top of their priorities, then these are the things that one's time will be most spent. All other aspects of life will filter down below the things one most values, there to partake in if time allows after focusing on the aspects of life that one most esteems rather than focusing and spending time on so many activities in life that hold no meaning or value to a person. When one focuses on so many expectations and duties in life that hold no meaning to them other than societal norms, it is not wonder that one would turn to stimulants, opioids, and brain enhancers to cope with such a cluttered and busy life. Perhaps it is time for people to step back and slow down and declutter their lives and throw societal norms and pressures aside and focus on what truly matters to each of them individually.
