The Reckless pursuit of short-term solutions: “THE QUICK FIX”
Artist statement

Prescription drugs are ubiquitous these days. But this phenomenon isn’t surprising as we have been self-medicating for centuries, utilizing mood-altering substances to sate our escapist tendencies and avoid harsh realities. The difference now is the vast array of “fixes” available – it runs the whole gamut – something for pain, anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, impotence, ect. Their miraculous, immediate pay-offs and glitzy advertising full of happy, beautiful people overshadow the potential risks and side effects, in a time when it seems more important to look good, rather than feel good; to superficially suppress symptomatology, rather than provide a cure that actually solves the underlying problem or maladaptive behavior.
Medication is seen as a panacea. More alarming, is the over reliance on prescription drugs, or “quick-fixes,” creating the fallacy of a miracle cure that influences other areas of life. This precipitates other ills that pervade contemporary society including apathy, impulsiveness, dependencies, diffusion of responsibility, externalized locus of control, low self-esteem and a lack of critical thinking. Is medication an innately bad thing?
On the contrary, some really do benefit from the effects of medication administered in a responsible, well-researched manner. Yet the administration of such drugs should be reserved for use when all other, less invasive, and less potentially destructive treatment options have been exhausted. Unfortunately these “miracle cures” are all too often driven by profit and convenience, as many are prescribed medications that they may not need. Consequently medications have the potential to be highly subject to abuse and deleterious results in this dangerous trend.

Jo Lundberg