A Life Insurance Look At Stress!

If asked what the drug of the 90’s was, my guess is that most answers would sway to the wrong side of the alley and go with crack or methamphetamines. Being the cleancut, right side of the alley kind of guy, my vote went to Prozac.

I was researching the different uses of the drug in preparation to do battle with a life insurance underwriter. Insurance underwriters tend to bulk anti-depressants all into a real problem category. Their attitude is that someone must be practically unable to function due to depression or anxiety to be moved to taking medication.

Having used Prozac for a short period of time after a divorce, I can tell you that it’s effect on me was not dramatic. It did just what the doctor said it should. It took away some of the lows and kind of leveled out the feelings I was going through.

This same doctor, a good friend of mine, also told me that he had prescribed Prozac for sexual dysfunction, weight loss, anxiety and, no kidding, writer’s block. Maybe the drug is still working 13 years later since I have never had writer’s block of any lasting significance.

This battle I am gearing up for has to do with the use of Prozac to increase a person’s ability to concentrate. I’m not talking about attention deficit disorder or anything like that. This is simply a case where the CEO of a very successful company has found that he is better able to concentrate and be more effective when he uses the drug. He is not depressed, nor does he suffer from any anxiety disorders.

In searching the web for the proper context I came across an article that described stress as a normal part of life and that managed stress can be a very productive thing. At first I thought that was kind of stretching things a bit, until I put it into the context of my own business.

There is definitely stress in a sales business with multiple employees. It’s not a bad thing. I am certainly not stressed out or anxious, but rather I have a God given abiltiy to channel that stress into productivity. Maybe I would be even more productive on Prozac!

Bottom line. I think this is one of those situations where you are far better off to use an independent agent, and one that can think and believe outside the box. Underwriters, at least some of them, are not all black and white and there is room in their minds to move and do something bold like give a better rate than the book calls for.