Honors College Art & Science of Emotions Fall 2017 (1:20 p.m.) Sadness Journal | Page 24

dio, or other methods of advertising. Our Facebook feeds, Youtube channels, and street corners are all
covered with ads. Catchy jingles and clever advertising allow depression commercials, like Cymbalta
(Duloxetine) to connect with people that may be feeling sad. Psychiatrists are trained professionally to
diagnose and treat mental disorders like depression, although general practitioners are also able to pre-
scribe antidepressants. Upon visiting a family doctor, drug advertising allows patients a direct role in
choosing their medications. While the physician still has ultimate control over the prescription, drug com-
panies play a persuasive role in the process.
Our country is suffering a pharmaceutical epidemic from overusing pain medication known as the
opioid crisis. The addictive nature of these drugs, their side effects and withdrawals lead to their overuse.
Similar rationale leads to the overprescription of drugs like antidepressants (Conti, 2011). The intent of
this claim is not to suggest in any way that antidepressants are not helpful to those with depression. How-
ever, when drugs are overprescribed to those that are not truly suffering from depression, changes in body
chemistry could ultimately lead to the decreased levels of neurotransmitters that are associated with emo-
tions. Since expressing emotions allows us to connect more deeply with the world around us, the suppres-
sion of any emotion, including sadness could lead to isolation within society.
This feeling of seclusion is exacerbated by the use of technology. While Facebook may allow us to
connect to those we are not in close proximity with, your screen often distances you with those nearby.
Failing to feel close to one another elicits anxiety, the feeling that you are alone in the world and is also
known as anguish (Sart). Humans use empathy to relate to others, creating a social community free from
anxiety (Empathy and Sympathy, 19). Tears, and other nonverbal gestures act as social cues to alert others
when we are sad. Their aim is to initiate empathy and emotional connections to others (Theories of Emo-
tion, 7). As technology further secludes people, experiencing emotions like sadness are therefore para-
mount to fleeing feelings of anguish.
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