Daily Mail
John Naish
march 30, 2010

Ten years ago, if you described shyness or restless legs as a bona fide illness, people would have laughed.

But these conditions are just part of an epidemic of newly-invented illnesses sweeping Britain.

And we take them so seriously we’re prepared to swallow handfuls of strong and sometimes harmful pills.

As the Mail reported yesterday, we have become a nation of pill poppers, picking up more than 16 prescriptions a year on average, twice as many as 20 years ago.

This is despite the fact that we live longer and healthier lives than ever before.

The figures are a tribute to the power of drug company public-relations teams, who have convinced doctors and patients alike that there are new illnesses emerging that can be treated by their drugs.

This has been labelled ‘ disease-mongering’ by the respected journal, Public Library of Science Medicine.

Read entire article:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1262136/Can-pill-cure-Bashful-As-Britons-pop-tablets-drugs-companies-turning-personality-traits-ailments.html