Annoying News Items: is it just me?

To clarify, it is not the actual News item. It is the ‘facts’ they use to support it.

Today I read a News item about buying medication online. It is, potentially, a very dangerous thing to do and should be discouraged. Actually, it should be stopped. It can ruin lives.

The drug in question was diazepam (Valium). It is a drug that is prescribed for severe anxiety and depression, amongst other psychological conditions. It is also addictive. Very additive.

As I stated it is not the actual article that concerns me. I have seen people in psychiatric units whose main problem was being addicted to Valium.

So what concerned me about the item?
It was the example that was offered.

At first it appeared to be a salutary lesson in not self-prescribing/self-administering serious psychiatric drugs.
A young woman suffered serious anxiety and was prescribed Valium. She felt she needed stronger doses but her doctor would not prescribe them.
Terrible, heartless doctor or maybe one who knew better.
Young woman starts buying online. When interviewed for the News items she states that because of her self-medicating “I lost a decade of my life.”
Terrible lesson to learn, but at the very least a lesson learned. Let us hope she was able to turn things around.

Then she admits that during the ‘decade’ lost she managed to gain a first degree and study at post-graduate level. Now I do not consider that a decade lost. Quite the contrary.

Why do I feel confidant in making such a judgement?

I never bought drugs online. I was never addicted to prescription medication. But I was on medication. I was hospitalised while at University. I too ‘lost a decade of my life’. But during that decade there was no way I could study. It was one and half decades later that I was able to get back on track and start studying again; by the end of the next twelve years I had gained four degrees including a Masters.

It is not that I have no sympathy for the young woman. She probably had a really tough time. But compared to many young people with debilitating mental health issues her story comes across as being not exactly news-worthy. I do not classify my story here – I did get back on track, had a sometime career, and am OK about where my life led me.
My thoughts are with the young people who never got back on track. Who did not get support from any quarter. The ones who might legitimately think ‘What’s her problem? What’s she got to moan about?’

Do you have a story to share? What is your take on this? Perhaps you were born behind the 8 ball? I’d really like to hear from you. Just to even up the stories that get out there.

Thank you for reading my Thursday Thoughts.