Is this true? I can’t actually think of any examples of this off the top of my head. I can think of examples of popping anxiety pills to show weakness and lack of resolve, pills that suppress their acuity in some way, or some sort of amphetamine because they need energy.

But pain pills don’t ring a bell. The classic move is strongly taking a swig of hard alcohol and then pouring it over a wound and wincing.

In my opinion, people shown to be taking pills are usually portrayed as weak or digging themselves into a hole.

Perhaps with some exceptions to people shown taking pills which I interpreted as a display of competence and experience more than anything.