'trauma Pill' Could Make Memories Less Painful Would you take the trauma pill?

[PureHeart 0]

(Jan. 14) - Suppose you could erase bad memories from your mind. Suppose, as in a recent movie, your brain could be wiped clean of sad and traumatic thoughts.
That is science fiction. But real-world scientists are working on the next best thing. They have been testing a pill that, when given after a traumatic event like rape, may make the resulting memories less painful and intense.

More detail at http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/'>http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

Notice from szupie:

Please use the quote tags on quoted content.
Also, please say something of your own, instead of just giving us a link to the article. (like saying how you feel about the news or adding any additional information you know)

szupie, Jan 16, 2006

Edited January 16, 2006 by szupie (see edit history)

[Khymnon 0]

I trust this study, along with the proposed drug, will induce major controversy, especially in the media.

 

First, I'll talk about the medical aspect of this drug ...

 

Propranolol -- which is the active ingredient proposed for the drug -- is basically a beta-blocker. Beta-blockers affect the heart and circulatory system (e.g. arteries and veins). It's normally used to reduce hypertension, treat angina, tacchycardia (i.e. irregular heart beats), migranes, tremors, and reduce the risk of recurrent heart attacks. These are the most common uses of Propranolol.

 

The problem is that it has many contra-indications and many side-effects, which might prevent a siginificant sector from using the drug.

 

But even though it's relevant to my work, I'm not really interested in the medical aspect. Like I said, I believe the media will have a field-day with this drug, and I trust the issue of "should or should not people use it!"

 

I firmly believe that such an issue is fundamentally and practically a personal issue. Eveyone has the right to choose whether he/she wants to forget. I utterly detest those so-called authorities who are so in love with their voices that they keep coming back on TV shows and soup-operas, telling us what we should or shouldn't do. It's not only condescending, but it's unbelievably idiotic as well.

 

I believe the movie that dealt with that subject -- the one that's mentioned at the beginning of the article -- is Eternal Sunshine of A Spotless Mind, starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. A splendid movie, really. It portrayed so well what it is that makes memories, good and bad, such an essential part of our very existence.

 

Well, I'm talking too much. I should save it until the thread interests more people.

[Sarah81 0]

 

I firmly believe that such an issue is fundamentally and practically a personal issue.  Eveyone has the right to choose whether he/she wants to forget.  I utterly detest those so-called authorities who are so in love with their voices that they keep coming back on TV shows and soup-operas, telling us what we should or shouldn't do.  It's not only condescending, but it's unbelievably idiotic as well.

 

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I agree. We should be well informed, but when the talking heads and wannabe TV celebrities stop talking about information that we need (like a drug's potential side effects) and start trying to dictate our decisions to us, I lose interest, not to mention any respect that I might have initially held for those guys and girls.

 

And is it just me, or do a lot of the talking-head types start with valid points, like drug side effects, but quickly descend into idiocy? Ultimately, do we really need to listen to these people for more than the first two to five minutes of their speeches?

[tadroptopgirl 0]

Well yea that would be a great thing, but the bad memories you learn from. I would want some of them deleted, but not all of them.