Laziness or post-holiday syndrome?

2009/09/05 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Osasuna
• Farmakologia
• Etika

Although it seems absurd to many, the situation that appears in the previous lines is not very rare. As it is a seasonal theme in the media, the name itself is increasingly known and, although only for this reason, it seems that it is more and more widespread in society, that is to say, it is more and more frequent that by the return to work there has been psychic or physical discomfort.

Thus, according to a report published last year by the Spanish Group of Mental Health of Family Medicine (semFYC), 15% of adults suffer from postholiday syndrome. However, no other relevant data appear in the report. For example, how many had this syndrome before? And those who never have a vacation, for example, those who take care of the house and those at home? Or those who are unemployed?

Many questions can be asked, but perhaps the main one is that the postholiday syndrome is a disease or simply a transient alteration that feels at one time and in a given situation. Another similar question can be raised with alterations of menopause, dysfunction of erection, anxiety, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, hyperactivity of children, osteopenia, alopecia or hair loss, a kilo more than enough in the body or a little more cholesterol in the blood.

The concern of many researchers

In recent years, doctors and journalists have strived to make this issue known, as they suspect that the pharmaceutical industry is becoming a disease to sell drugs in normal life situations. Among them is the book published in 2006 by biologist and scientific journalist Jörg Blech: Inventing Disease And Pushing Pills , that is, Invented Diseases and pills for everything.

In addition to the books, numerous articles on the subject have been published in specialized journals, such as written last year by Ray Moynihan in the medical journal PloS, in collaboration with the Australian Research Council. Title: Title: "Disease mongering is now part of the global health debate" ; in Basque, "The commodification of diseases has now become part of a global debate on health."

Moynihan, a journalist specializing in health issues, explains in his article that in recent times the debate on invented diseases has intensified and expanded, both in society and among researchers. However, the pharmaceutical industry continues to spend a lot of money on the promotion of drugs (25% of the sale), so Moynihan proposes to investigate even more especially to know better the impact of these promotions on the health of consumers and decide what to do before marketing strategies. In this sense, Moynihan believes that, in addition to consumers and experts, politicians also have a great responsibility.

The professor of the University of Alicante, María Teresa Ruiz, has also focused on gender differences and has come to the conclusion that there is a greater tendency to give a touch of illness to situations, experiences or alterations related to the condition of woman than to those of men. In addition, advertisements of drugs aimed at men are more rational and objective than those directed at women. A question to take into account in the next time we feel sick.

Published in Gara