I have been looking at my health a lot recently and what I can do more naturally to help myself be in the best condition, whether that be exercise or eating right or even the use of herbal remedies to fix common illnesses like colds and flu, especially at this time of year. So to watch a documentary about Xanax, a pill that has become prolific in America mainly, was fascinating because it really goes to show how sometimes what we think should help us is actually the one thing doing the most damage.

Xanax is an anti-anxiety drug a lot of people take when they are feeling anxious to help them feel calm again, but because people enjoy that sense of calm in their otherwise turbulent lives people can easily become addicted to it and constantly want that relaxation again and again, to the point where they could almost ruin themselves because they are no longer a functioning person in society.

In this documentary we get to meet lots of different people who examine Xanax and what it is and how it became so popular in America, especially in the rap scene, and how so many famous artists have died from it and what that could mean to the common people. We’ve seen in America with the opioid crisis that there does seem to be a big issue and need for drugs to be in the market to help people feel good, when more natural remedies such as exercise, fresh air and eating correctly is not in the forefront of anyone’s minds.

I think these documentaries are great to watch to realise what is actually happening in the drug industry and how prolifically horrible it can be in that it is at its heart a business, it wants to make money, and so they’re going to get people addicted to these drugs just so they know that they constantly have a flow of money coming in regardless of whether they make you feel better or not. There is always a slight evil to it in that no act is truly selfless and most of the time when people go to the doctors with mental illnesses like anxiety of depression they are immediately put on drugs instead of being offered other lighter remedies that could help them in the long run a lot more.

As someone from the UK and watching everything going down through a window into that world it’s absolutely shocking to me that more isn’t being done to help people’s mental health in a way that is more natural and long-lasting. I understand that getting people to eat right and exercise isn’t going to help the businesses of hospitals and doctors make all the money that they do, especially in America where free healthcare is not available, but how are we really helping our society and giving people a good life if they are constantly struggling with either an invisible illness or one that is physical?

It’s an absolutely fascinating documentary that opens your eyes and definitely makes you rethink your health and mental well-being on a scale that maybe you haven’t before, and maybe you can look at the drugs that you are constantly taking and wonder if they’re really worth it. I know for me with my arthritis the medication I take does absolute wonders and that has been shown in my blood results, but if I was someone who was severely depressed or dealing with horrific anxiety just peddling me full of drugs I don’t think is the right option, and other areas should be explored. It’s shocking that in America healthcare costs the average man so much yet it still seems that hospitals are severely underfunded and so these long-lasting life-changing natural medicines that could be given to people, whether that be sunshine, exercise or healthy eating, are so readily pushed under the rug to keep pedalling these drugs that just make the top employers rich.

What do you think of the documentary?

Until next time.

Published by shonaharding

Media graduate with a passion for reviewing film and TV. View all posts by shonaharding