Take Your Pills: Xanax is a documentary directed by Blair Foster about one of the most popular anti-anxiety medication: Xanax.
Anxiety, formerly referred to as melancholia, the vapours, the English maladay, neuroses, nervous breakdown, nuerasthenia. It has always been there, and affects a third of the population, and something has always been taken to suppress that fight or flight response that makes us feel stressed-out, sleepless, etc. Xanax came along in the 50’s early 60’s to replace the barbiturates. Their prescription and consumption took off.
A cure for some and a curse for others, widely prescribed anti-anxiety medication is examined by patients and experts in this revealing documentary.
About the Documentary
An informative documentary that counts on interviews with professionals in various medical fields, psychiatrists, addiction specialists, and people who have or have had anxiety give their testimonies on how they had to recur to Xanax (a benzodiazepine).
Benzos, or benzodiazepines were invented in the 50’s to replace barbiturates due to the latter’s deadliness. By the 70’s benzos were a norm. Until, the pharmaceuticals admitted that benzodiazepines have serious side effects, especially when taken long-term. Think Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Drugs that were meant to take short-term are by many taken long-term. The segment of the population taking them is becoming younger, and it is no longer “just housewives” who take them.
So, with this well produce documentary we are given a good overview of this medication and how modern man uses and abuses it. The difficulties of tapering off of this medication, see the Asthon Manual, which describes some of the withdrawal symptoms.
The documentary also covers what has helped some people to control anxiety without having to take psychotropics.
Release Date
November 30, 2022
Visitor Rating: 2 Stars