≈Introduction to Prozac | Discovery of Prozac | Structure and How it Works | How Prozac Affected History | How History Affected Prozac
It is hard to say whether the invention of anti-depressant drugs created a culture that is more accepting toward psychological issues or vice versa. Before the end of the 21st Century it was not acceptable to seek out psychological help; it was seen as a sign of weakness. I would like to think that the creation of Prozac, and other anti-depressant drugs, have caused people to think more about depression. Increased knowledge about depression has helped many people seek help for themselves and others and has increases the understanding of the disease.
The natural advancements in the worlds of biology, chemistry and technology have made created a world that was able to support the use of drugs like Prozac. Our world that is dependent on media and advertising is perfect to support the quick spreading of information that is essential to Prozac’s success. But, many people do not think Prozac is a good thing. Many people believe that Prozac is being abused by people who don’t need it and that Prozac creates a complacent society. The concept of the “Prozac Nation,” is a society that is always popping happy pills and doesn’t care about anything. While this does not have much basis in fact it is true that Prozac does have an affect on the personalities of its users because it affects mental and emotional states.
Another way that Prozac has affected history is that it has created a world that thinks it is normal to medicate children. In the past, children would never have been medicated for behavioral problems, but between the years of 1994 and 2002, the rate of children ages 5 to 12 that used anti-depressants jumped from 2 to 6 percent. Many people believe that this contributes to the early maturation of our children and an increased loss of innocence due to factors such as drug use and negative familial influences.
