A lot is being made of a recent statistic that 1 in 4 American women are taking mental health prescriptions: medicine for depression, ADD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and the like. People are offering a lot of criticisms of women and of the medical community over this statistic, because it seems so outlandish. But you know who's leveling the criticism? For the most part, it's people who have never struggled with depression, anxiety, or any other psychological issue. 

 

Let me point out another statistic: 1 in 4 American women has been sexually assaulted. 

 

Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it? Because there is a significant correlation between sexual assault and PTSD, a condition which is often controlled with medication. Maybe if we could address the root cause - sexual assault - we wouldn't have to medicate so many women later.

 

It's pretty easy to criticize someone else's medical situation. It happens all the time. Are you fat? Then don't eat so much! Do you smoke? Well, stop smoking! Financial issues, too. Are you poor? Then save more money instead of spending it! Duh!

 

And that's just PTSD and anxiety issues. As a general rule, most people do not understand depression. They think you should just cheer up. They fail to understand that depression is an issue of brain chemistry, and that antidepressants literally save people's lives.

 

But what if we flip this discussion on its head: what if it isn't that American women are spoiled and overmedicated. What if it's the rest of the world that is suffering from antiquated ideas about psychological well-being. In other words, maybe it's everyone else that has the problem.

 

Just look at suicide rates around the world. The United States may be leading the world on psychiatric medication, but we are only 39th on the list of countries by suicide rate. It's hard not to see a connection there! We have a total suicide rate of 11.1 per 100,000 people per year. The #1 country, Lithuania, has three times as many cases of suicide per year. Japan's suicide rate is over twice as high as ours. 

 

We are fortunate enough to live in a country where, if you are experiencing a psychological problem like bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, or PTSD, you can take a medicine for it. Maybe it's not that women are being sold a bill of goods on what "normal" means.  Maybe it's that American women can get the treatment they need - and that women in other countries are suffering unnecessarily.