If you're really listening, if you're awake to the poignant beauty of the world, your heart breaks regularly. In fact, your heart is made to break; its purpose is to burst open again and again so that it can hold evermore wonders. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
Those of us who’ve been on med merry-go-rounds know that this sort of mix and matching of stimulants and sedatives continues to happen today. If one drug makes you drowsy, another will make you perk-up, sort of rational. No need to ever consider going off anything! Just add something to mitigate the side effect of the last drug. I found it amusing (and disturbing) that this article is written with the suggestion that such heinous care doesn’t continue today. Med cocktails (of all combos) are all about this sort of house of cards.
I’ve just found a fascinating article in the American Journal of Public Health on ‘America’s First Amphetamine Epidemic’ and how it compares to the current boom in meth and Ritalin use.
The first amphetamine epidemic ran from 1929–1971 and was largely based on easily available over-the-counter speed in the form of ‘pep pills’, widely abused decongestant inhalers and amphetamine-based ‘anti-depressants’.
The idea of giving speed to depressed people seems quite amazing now, especially considering its tendency to cause anxiety, addition and psychosis in the doses prescribed at the time, but it was widely promoted for this purpose.
The following is a 1945 advert for Benzedrine showing a gentleman who has just been treated for depression and is now a proud and dynamic member of society. Thanks pharmaceutical grade crank!
As an aside, when patients complained about the agitation associated with amphetamine treatment, the drug companies brought out new medications which…
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