CNN had this article today about Antidepressants are the most prescrived drugs in the U.S.

The CDC study suggests at 2.4 billion drugs were prescribed to doctors and hospitals in 2005, and of those 2.4 billion, 118 million were for antidepressants. That's more than drugs prescribed to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma and headaches.

The study also seems to indicated that 25% of adults will have a major depressive episode in their lives, as will 8% of adolescents.

So many thoughts come to my mind when I read the article: Is it a sign of the times? Are people, seriously more depressed today than 20, 50, 100+ years ago? If, so, why? Is it because Americans are being conditioned that drugs are the answer for even the simpleset mood maladies and looking for an easy way out? Or, is it because this world mired in its corruption and ignorance and shunning of God the reason? Is it possible with more and more people neglecting their spirituality an their eternal souls, that they are sucumbing to Satan's seeds of hoplessness and thus creating a society of listless, depressed people?

Yeah, that may sound a bit crazy, but I personally think there is some truth to my logic. I know when I am depressed, the first thing I did was forget about God. I tried to control things. Instead of asking for God to intercede and take on my burdens, I tried gaining back control, and failed. This led to even more mounting frustrations.

These frustrations and hurt then drove me to drink, and have heart hardening thoughts. For others, they may look to recreational drugs, or a wanton attitude towards other things including family, careers, friends, etc.

I truly believe that Satan will do what ever he can to take our focus of God and His promises, and I'll be the first to tell you, he often gets me. The problem is, in the 'moment' I really have to be conscious of Christ otherwise I fall faster than a lead brick.

Are we 'depressed' as a culture because we are looking for a easy way to get by instead of taking responsibility for our actions and those that are directed towards us from the world? Are we depressed because we have yet to truly 'commit' to the Lord even though we say we did, and therefor the Holy Spirit is not indwelled within us? Have we foresaken the gifts of God that He gives to us for free? Or is there really a tangible and growing influx of chemical imbalance in our heads?

If it is indeed the chemical imbalance, what causes it moreso today than before? Is it only because we can measure it better today, because we understand our brain and science better, or is the world really becomming much more agressive, crowded, and unforgiving?

I think it's all this and more.

The last week had been a struggle again for me. I have faltered a few blatant times as a Christian, often realizing only after its too late, and thus can only ask for forgiveness instead of asking God to remove me from temptations. I am off the drugs right now....Lexapro was my friend. But I'm not suggesting if you are depressed to get off them because God is the answer.

A pastor once told me that God gave intelligence to doctors for a reason....to create drugs that will help mankind. And it is quite possible that Prozac, Lexapro and the like are God's blessing to those who truly do suffer, but like all things, they can be abused. Remember, the scientists who created these drugs were given a gift from God on how to better understand the brain, its emotional states, what goes wrong, and possibly a way to alleviate some issues, ergo, the creation of these meds.

Anyway, not really sure where I am going with this, but check out the article.