Medicin isn't a bad thing, it helps people around the world on a daily basis with results that are hard to reach with other means.

But I noticed an ad campaign today for some headache medication, like "Don't forget to use our product when things are weighing down on your head", with images of people being weighed down by work, complicated family situations and all that.

But why are we treating it this way? Isn't this completely the wrong way to go about it? The headache in this case is a symptom of your lifestyle.

Is your work giving you headaches? Take some medication!

Is your family giving you headaches? Take some medication!

We're curing the symptom rather than the disease! It makes no sense!

Are people so blind to their own life styles that they think medication is the right solution? I know changing your life style can be hard, and maybe you want to keep your current lifestyle, even though it's bad for you. But I don't understand why anyone thinks this is a good idea.

If you have a stressful working schedule, but it brings you financial success, then I guess you chose to take a pill and get on with it, instead of taking a break, getting off work at reasonable hours, or managing your time so it can fit some sport in it.

Not all but most colds, viruses, etc are becoming resistant to medication (such as penicillin) because we use it too often. I believe either Norway or Sweden started decreasing its' use of penicillin and found that it helped prevent colds or whatever becoming resistant to it.

What I would like to see is that drug ads be banned (at least prescription drugs). There is zero reason why drug companies should advertise prescription drugs (besides them selling an overpriced medication). It is like trying to make the patient into the doctor. Patient goes to doctor... Hey, doc I think I need this drug because I saw an ad on TV. It should be the other way around. The person should notice they have a problem or the doctor notices a problem during check up then prescribes a generic drug for them to take. The branding and advertising of prescription drugs in the USA is sickening.  Prescription drugs (use of brand name over generic) are another reason why our healthcare costs are way out of line compared to other nations. 

I don't even use Asprin so i say im not dependent on medication at all i let the cold run its course and let my body fight it off now if it was something serious i had like lets say Cancer, or some serious cold then yes i would take medicine for it other wise i would likely die. 

I can understand wanting financial success, but not at the cost of my own well being.

Money is important, but it's not as important as being happy. If my job is giving me headaches, then that means I'm probably not happy about it. So instead of taking a pill to "fix" it (which it really doesn't), I would get to the root of problem and fix that instead.

@sethnintendo

Exactly. Pharmaceutical companies are trying to sell us something they really shouldn't be selling us.

@ GuiltySpartan77

I was referring to society as a whole, not your personal experience.

Yes. Medicine is taken too lightly. Headache? Take a pill. And then there's that bacteria/viruses get resistant to medicine.

I don't take headach tablets (or anything else unless I REALLY need to) I like to think it's better for my body to work a way around the problem.

That said I've had about 3 headachs in my life.

I try to refrain from taking medicine unless it's necessary. Maybe one or two times a year and that's it.
It's funny, in the drug commercials the side effects seem worse than the cause lol.

The entire "Healthcare" system is broken in the western world ...

The bulk of our medical system is built around treating preventable illnesses rather than preventing this illness in the first place. And, much like replacing an engine in a car rather than getting an oil change, the cost of treatment of the illness is far greater than the cost of preventing the illness in the first place.

Beyond that, there is a certain disturbing trend where drug companies are focusing on fixing "problems" that require a pill a day for life to ensure a steady cash flow then creating the drugs that actually cure diseases.

Painkillers for headaches don't even fight bacteria/viruses so I don't know how you came up with that idea.