I'm not going to argue that there is a problem with over-prescribing by docs going on, but a few things about your statement seem either inaccurate or exaggerated. Regardless of the type of bachelors degree associated with an undergraduate education, psychology is not an "art", it is a science, albeit a soft science, say in the way that economics is. Universities vary as to whether it is a BA or a BS, with some offering both options. But that is hardly the issue because prescribing of such medication is done by either a full doctor (often a psychiatrist), but not a psychologist. The former has a full medical degree not just a BA or BS.

As for fact vs theory, that pretty much describes science as a whole. Gravity is a theory. The Germ Theory of Disease is a theory. The question is if the theory is well supported and in the case of benzos or other psychiatric meds, are the chemical mechanisms known. You seem to be suggesting that they are not, that doctors stumbled across these chemicals and found that the produce X result much of the time without knowing how. This is just not true. The mechanisms for Xanax and the rest are quite well known. Which is not to say that they are not overprescribed, addictive, contain variable side effects, have varying efficacy for different individuals, and must be weened off to avoid a bad and dangerous chemical imbalance. They also have great value for quite a number of people.

I have also experienced exactly the opposite in terms of doctors willingness to prescribe much of anything. I suspect this may be a function of being on Tricare rather than having access to an actual military clinic now, but the last primary care doc my wife and I had was about as stingy with even the most basic prescriptions, and wreaked some havoc for us when we were trying to continue a course of treatment for allergies after moving to his area. I can't imagine what we would have had to do to get him to prescribe something like Xanax.

Pain medication is a funny thing. For many injuries, not having the pain med significantly interferes with the healing process due to an inability to relax the muscles around the effected area, sleep, or work through rehabilitation. I want to repeat that I believe you about overprescription for plenty of people, and abuse by even more, but pain treatment has become pretty demonized, and doctors specializing in it are getting harder to find as they become more afraid of being raided based on bad or manufactured evidence, and caught up in a politically charged overreaction by the government when all they are trying to do is manage real patient pain. Which brings us full circle.

Quote Originally Posted by Marlin View Post
This makes me think of the DUI concept,if a person gets busted with a DUI, its probably their 100th time driving drunk, and certainly not their first. How many similar cases are there each day in America? Even if it was for psychosis, who is the government to tell the mom that she has to drug her daughter?
Also keep in mind that psychology is an art, not a science. A psychology degree is a BA, not a BS. Everything in psychology, especially meds, is not fact, but theory. They are not sure how all of those drugs work, only the results.
It drives me up the wall how a doctor will give a 30 day supply of xanax to a housewife knowing that 49% of patients are addicted in less than 14 days. The xanax website goes on to say that withdrawal can be fatal if not tapered after long term usage, with they defined as 12 weeks. 12 weeks!? They had my wife on that stuff for months, enough pills every 30 days for a pill a day, phone in refills. The doctor was also not aware of the severe long term effects of benzos. Upon further research,UK strictly limits xanax and other benzos to 5 pills per month without admission to a hospital. The same can be said about ambien, lunesta, vicodin and so on. These drugs are highly addictive, potentially brain damaging and life destroying. I refer to them as recreational housewife drugs.
When did doctors get into the business of making people happy vice making them better? That was rhetorical, once drug companies started giving kickbacks/incentives for pushing "sponsored" meds, that is when. In some places, its illegal for a doc to get a kickback form the company, so they "rent" bulletin board or table space for advertisements. Drives me crazy. When I broke my hand a few months ago, the doc tried to prescribe me vicodin, it only hurt if I squeezed hard, such as a hand shake. I said "no way, wouldn't it be safer to just tell me not to squeeze hard till its completely healed?" He said that would work too. Here he was, ready to give me a narcotic, just to make me happy?