by Krystle Hernandez

Created on: May 22, 2007

Medically treating medical illness is becoming more common among individuals in today's society. Mainstream popular culture has created quite the controversial uproar with Elizabeth Wurtzel's benchmark memoir Prozac Nation, which conveyed the message that the majority of America suffered from severe depression and that a greater percentage of the population was saturated with prescription drugs to treat "psychological" issues.

While there may be critics who blame individuals for using prescribed medications to treat their psychological disorders, diseases, or subsequent symptoms; the reality is that doctors are typically extremely cautious when prescribing any medication, and much more so psychologically altering medication.

Many of these chemically driven drug treatments are specifically engineered to create or maintain certain biochemical balances within an individual. Some individuals will suffer from "psychologically" driven symptoms that result from disorders such as anxiety or depression. These symptoms, however, can be easily treated if certain biochemicals are adjusted in the brain.

In any case, biological imbalances are sometimes only treated or cured with the help of prescribed drug therapies. While psychologists are not licensed to prescribe drugs to their patients, psychiatrists should certainly continue to do so in their daily practices. Without some prescription medications to treat symptoms of psychological disorders, many individuals would be unable to lead happy, healthy, balanced lives.

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