Josiah Nelson's reading response to The Antibiotic Paradox chapter 5, the Antibiotic Myth

I think all of us have either misused anitbiotics, or know someone who has, probably on multiple occasions. As I see it, the problem isn't just one of ignorance towards the risks of antibiotic misuse. Society today, especially in the U.S., seems to have evolved into a culture that's all about the quick fix. People in this country take medications for virtually everything. Are you too happy? There's a pill for it. Are you too sad? There's a pill for it. Your kid is a little hyperactive? Give them a pill for it. Work making you tired? There's something for that too. Most of these problems have simple natural solutions and don't require medication so it's not surprising that when people get a little sick they think they should just be able to take a pill or get a quick shot and be done with it. "Dr. T" in TAP casually took antibiotics to prevent possible infections from casual sexual encounters. It's this mentallity, I feel, combined with lack of knowlegde of the risks that leads to antibiotic misuse.