For a while now, I have been a firm believer in not suppressing your thoughts, emotions or words. People love to edit what you say, despite the proverbial right of "freedom of speech".
If you cannot use the words that you are most used to to convey your deepest thoughts, then what's the point, really! But then again – the absence of 'censorship' can only exist in an ideal world… and we're a long way from getting there!
Often, suppression of what one desires to express results in disaster, and I mean, an outright revolt that goes 'viral' in no time. Perhaps all the revolutions of the past are a beautiful example of this… yet these very acts of violence can often be self-defeating in its purpose, with the only example being Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence that worked like magic!
Perhaps, as self-defeating as immune suppressants that are normally used to prevent the immune system from attacking a new organ that is transplanted into one's body.
A Note on Immune Suppressants
Immune Suppressants are nothing but medication that is administered to patients after a surgery (which normally involves an organ transplant) that suppresses the immune system from attacking this new organ as it adjusts to its new environment.
Another reason why these drugs are used is for people who are struggling with auto-immune diseases, and by God, there are a few of these diseases around these days where prevention remains the only cure.
As you should know, the immune system's function is to protect the body from infections but this ability is seriously hampered during this time and is otherwise known as "being immunocompromised" in medical circles.
This recent story about little Jess' fight to live should give you a decent picture of how it usually ends if there is an infection… yet there's no option but to deal with such a situation with these really strong drugs that can easily knock your lights out!
And to complicate matters further, these drugs also come with side effects… but perhaps, new technology is coming up with ways to deal with predicting adverse side effects. Read this article to find out more…
Types Of Immune Suppressants
Immuno-suppressant drugs exist in two forms: internal and external, an example of the former being testosterone produced by the body itself and the latter being drugs that are administered to patients.
1) Glucocorticoids – Used to suppress allergic, anti-inflammatory, auto-immune diseases.
2) Cytostatics – Used for the treatment of malignant diseases.
3) Antibodies – Used as a quick and strong form of immunotherapy in order to prevent acute rejection reactions.
4) Drugs acting on immunophilins – Ciclosporin,Tacrolimus, Voclosporin and Sirolimus are some of the most commonly used drugs as calcineurin inhibitors.
And the funny thing is that if you are any of these drugs, you have to be careful about not taking any other medication that can cause a serious reaction with immunosuppressant drugs. Of course, your doctor will prescribe what is safe to take and what isn't – when you are on immune suppressants!
Here is a list of common immune suppressants at this link if you are interested in knowing more about anti-rejection drugs.
In Closing
And thus just as in the case of drugs as well as in the case of freedom of speech, suppression often can be devastating yet in some case is considered a "necessary evil".
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Immune suppressing drugs do seem to be a necessary evil but as you rightly point out the need to take them has grown enormously over the last few decades.
Can it possibly be that our affluent lifestyle and the multitude of choices we have available to us are not always in our best interest? Maybe that simpler, “harder” lifestyle was one that our bodies actually thrived on.
And moving on to suppression in other forms – here in New Zealand we have just had a slight relaxation of what can be said in victim’s statement in a court of law. Can you believe that until very recently although a victim of a crime was allowed to read a statement to the offender they were not allowed to say anything that might offend the criminal!