Are We Overmedicated? When Did We Stop Teaching People How to Function?

 

FACT: Western medicine has become very good at diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions. 

QUESTION: But are we, as a society, spending enough time asking why so many people are struggling in the first place?

We live in a society that wants everything now. Instant gratification.  We want faster food, faster internet, instant answers, overnight delivery, and immediate relief from anything that makes us uncomfortable.

Apparently, we want our brains to work in the same manner.

Can't concentrate? There might be a pill for that.

Feeling overwhelmed? There's a medication that might help.

Trouble sleeping?  Here, take two.  

Struggling to get organized, manage your time, or finish what you started? Perhaps it's time for an evaluation.  I'm talking about considering what's wrong or missing from your environment, as opposed to what's wrong with you.

Now, before anyone reading this accuses me of suggesting that ADHD isn't real (does anyone still read this blog?), let me be clear:  I believe that ADHD is very real, and medication can be life-changing for people who truly need it. I'm also not arguing that people should stop taking prescribed medication or that every mental health condition can be resolved with a planner and a good night's sleep.  So, let's get that straight.

What I am questioning is whether, as a society, we have become too quick to medicalize every single struggle or anything that makes us remotely uncomfortable without first examining the environments, habits, and expectations that might be contributing to them.  

The Society, the Environment, the Culture

We live in an environment designed to compete for our attention.

Our phones buzz. Notifications interrupt us. Social media feeds serve up an endless stream of new content. We switch between emails, messages, work assignments, and videos, often without giving any one thing our full attention.

Then we wonder why concentrating on a single task feels difficult.

It's worth examining the contradiction: We have created environments filled with distractions, yet we often expect ourselves to function as though those distractions don't exist.

Why Didn't Anyone Teach Us This in School?

Think about what we learn in school.

We learn state capitals, multiplication tables, historical dates, algebra, and the Pythagorean theorem. These subjects have value. I'm not suggesting we eliminate them.

But how much time do we spend learning life skills on how to manage our own lives?

Consider These Seven Practical Ways Worth Trying to Make Life More Manageable

1. Get a planner—and, yes, schedule your life, not just your obligations.

A planner is more than a place to write down appointments. It's a way to get the contents of your brain onto paper so you don't have to remember everything at once.

But schedule yourself, too.  Put exercise on the calendar. Plan time to read, take a walk, enjoy a hobby, or do absolutely nothing productive.

Yes, nothing productive.

2. Make lists, but stop expecting yourself to do everything today.

A to-do list should help you prioritize, not serve as a daily reminder of everything you haven't accomplished.

Write down what needs to be done, then identify the two or three tasks that matter most today. Other tasks can wait.

There is a difference between being productive and being perpetually busy.

You don't have to finish everything to make meaningful progress. Success is often the accumulation of small steps taken consistently over time.

3. Break big tasks into smaller ones.

"Clean the house" can feel overwhelming.

"Put away the laundry" is manageable.

"Update my résumé" can feel like a monumental project.

"Open the document and revise the professional summary" is a starting point.

Completing a small task and checking it off can also provide a sense of accomplishment and engage the brain's reward systems. That feeling of progress creates dopamine hits that can help motivate us to keep going.  The trick is to make the first step small enough that you can actually begin.  As Mark Twain once said, "The key to success is getting started."

4. Set realistic expectations.

One of the quickest ways to feel like a failure is to create a daily schedule that would require three versions of yourself to complete.

You are not a machine, and your productivity will not be identical every single day.

5. Reward yourself.

We don't have to turn every ordinary responsibility into a major production, but it helps to recognize progress.

Finish a difficult task? Take a short walk, enjoy a cup of coffee, listen to a favorite song, or spend a few minutes doing something you enjoy.  The reward doesn't need to be expensive or elaborate. The point is to create a positive association with completing something difficult.

6. Take sleep seriously.

Sleep is not a luxury or an optional part of maintaining mental health.

For most adults, regularly getting less than seven hours of sleep can affect attention, memory, emotional regulation, and decision-making ("executive skills"). 

Sleep deprivation can also make ordinary responsibilities feel disproportionately difficult.

7. Put some limits on social media.

Short-form videos are designed to keep us engaged. Endless scrolling makes it easy to spend far more time-consuming content than we intended.

Research has linked problematic digital media use with attention difficulties, although that doesn't mean watching short videos automatically causes ADHD or permanently damages everyone's attention span.

Still, it's worth asking ourselves what constant stimulation is doing to our daily routines.

Can you read for twenty minutes without checking your phone? Can you complete a task with notifications turned off? Can you sit quietly without immediately reaching for a screen?  Try setting app limits, disabling unnecessary notifications, and keeping your phone out of reach while working.

You may find that protecting your attention makes ordinary tasks less frustrating.

The Takeaway

Speaking from experience, holistic approaches such as environmental conditioning and learning new life skills are not easy and they do require time, but investing in yourself is worth it. 

What this means?

Establishing routines, 

Setting boundaries, 

Putting the phone away, 

Getting adequate sleep, 

Learning to tolerate the discomfort of doing something that doesn't provide an immediate reward.

What are your thoughts?  Drop them in the comments.

CK

Author's Note: A holistic approach doesn't mean rejecting medicine. It means refusing to assume that medicine is the only tool worth considering. The goal shouldn't be to medicate every single struggle. The goal should be to understand the underlying cause and oftentimes environmental deficits well enough to respond to it appropriately.

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Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, behavioral analyst, psychologist, psychiatrist, or medical professional. The views expressed in this article are my personal opinions and are intended for general informational and discussion purposes only. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, or provide medical advice regarding ADHD or any other mental health condition. ADHD is a recognized neurodevelopmental disorder, and treatment decisions should be made in consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. Do not start, stop, or change prescribed medication without consulting your prescribing clinician.