Michael Tubbs: Cash or Prozac
on Wednesday, March 3, 2021Michael Tubbs Money Quote saying as former mayor of Stockton, California, that money in the form of a guaranteed income is a better form of anti-depressant than prescription pills. Michael Tubbs said:
“Cash is a better way to cure some forms of depression and anxiety than Prozac. So many of the illnesses we see in our community are a result of toxic stress and elevated cortisol levels and anxiety, directly attributed to income volatility and not having enough to cover your basic necessities. That’s true in the public-health crisis we’re in now” — Michael Tubbs
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In this quote, Michael Tubbs seems to be arguing that financial stability and security can significantly impact people’s mental health and well-being. By comparing having enough cash to cover basic needs to Prozac, he suggests economic stability may in some cases be just as, if not more, effective at alleviating depression and anxiety as medication.
Tubbs also notes that stress, elevated cortisol levels and anxiety caused by income volatility and inability to afford necessities contribute directly to poor public health outcomes.
Overall, the quote portrays the perspective that ensuring people have their basic economic needs met can powerfully address mental illnesses that stem from toxic stress related to financial insecurity or poverty.