There is a war on drugs. I’ve seen it on the news. People go to parties and take drugs. The drugs are dangerous. I’ve seen that on the news too. They have all sorts of adverse affects on people, including depression, mood swings, manic episodes, sleep disorder, possibly even death. You have to watch out, because many of these drugs are physically addictive, which means, you start taking them and end up trapped.

Aropax is not one of the drugs you’ll find teenagers taking at raves. It’s an anti-anxiety medication that had been prescribed to me by my doctor, who happens to be a pretty nice guy. And he knows what’s good for me. So I get these drugs and take them home. Strangely enough, this drug can cause all sorts of side effects including depression, mood swings, manic episodes, sleep disorder and suicidal tendencies. And I have to take it every day, but it's not addictive, so I’m safe.

I should mention a lot of people also experience sexual side effects, including loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, difficulty ejaculating…and that’s just the women! Okay, maybe not, but you get the idea.

Of course, if you want to get off them, you might contend with any of these symptoms:

Dizziness, sensory disturbances (including paraesthesia and electric shock sensations), sleep disturbances (including intense dreams), agitation or anxiety, nausea, tremor, confusion,sweating, headache, diarrhoea have been reported. Generally these symptoms are mild to moderate, however, in some patients they may be severe in intensity. They usually occur within the first few days of discontinuing treatment, but there have been very rare reports of such symptoms in patients who have inadvertently missed a dose. Generally these symptoms are self-limiting and usually resolve within 2 weeks, though in some individuals they may be prolonged (2-3 months or more).

I’m not making this up. This is right from the product data sheet. It’s a good thing they’re not addictive.

Now, I’ve recently had my dose of this drug reduced from maximum to nothing in a record amount of time, so the doctor can put me on a different drug. That’s because one of the most common side effects of Aropax is weight gain, which isn’t really good for you if you’re a diabetic, which I am. So, off with the old and onto the new…that’s the theory.

Unfortunately, I have to be off the old for three days before the new is even prescribed. Since I’d come off so fast, I’ve had many of the withdrawal symptoms listed above, and a few that aren’t.

Why can’t withdrawal symptoms be weight loss, hair growth and increased virility? This is the kind of drug we need to invent. Even if it’s not effective as a drug, everyone will want it.

What’s the deal with people wanting to fix their lives with a pill anyway? It’s so prevalent now, so many people take them, and I don’t think we’re getting a whole lot happier. As long as we’re having a war on drugs, why not start with the most prevalent drugs—prescription drugs.

I guarantee you more people take prescription drugs than recreational drugs, and they have just as many problems. I can vouch for that. In the old days, you spoke to a therapist, and tried to work out your problems, not pop a pill and forget about them.

And what are these pills really trying to prevent?

Not everyone who's sad is necessarily depressed. Sometimes, we’re sad for a reason, and I’m guessing it’s not only natural, but it’s good. Sure, people do suffer from clinical depression and very often proper medical treatment can help these people, but do doctors really take the time to understand your depression? Is it something going on in your life, or are you really depressed?

I’m on new meds now, which is a good thing. Hopefully, in week or two, these symptoms-that-aren’t-withdrawal-symptoms-because-this-drug-isn’t-addictive will go away.

Just in time for me to greet the inevitable slew of new side effects waiting in the wings until I’m feeling well enough to suffer them.