Not-So-Total Recall
Medical experts debate the ethics of distorting or erasing traumatic memories. Read article here: Original Article
"Propranolol, a common "beta blocker" blood pressure drug often prescribed after heart attacks, is an unlikely miracle drug. It blocks adrenaline, which makes it useful to ease hypertension and anxiety, and is often used by performers to counter stage fright."
A common blood pressure medication that can almost wipe your memories of traumatic experiences. How useful is that? It's not a perfect wipe, it's partial at best. It's mostly for present trauma, not past. Still, they're using it in trials to see how it works and how reliable it's prognosis.
My personal concern, the research it's being conducted at Mc'Gill University and Douglas Institute, both were involved in some really shady research in the 50s-70s. Stuff that was documented, where folks sued and won. Where it was discovered our own CIA was pushing and paying for ways to wipe memory even back then. A doctor named Cameron did some really nasty experiments to wipe the mind and reprogram it with drugs and ECT.
So would you (gen) take a drug that could erase bad memories?
Not so sure this would work for someone multiple, since our memories may be scattered in the brain with each person that resides in that physical. It could wipe a broader set of memory then planned. If the drug only works for on-set memory it's not much good to those of us with PAST memories (PTSD). Still I know I'm very grateful for the medication given before my surgeries, there's no memories of procedures. In the past there's always been an open door in our brain where we were awake. I'm not completely sure it's the same medication in this article, since the one we were given wiped everything.
Would I want to erase all trauma memories?
For us that would take a HUGE chunk of our memories, there is little that was normal. Most days I would say sure, when the past is making my life miserable with triggers and flashbacks. BUT when I think about how that would impact our knowledge of self I'd turn it down. If it could take the edge off the re-trauma experience but not wipe the total memory, now that might be worth looking at for those of us with past trauma. That I would jump at in a moment.
NOW, if we were to experience a severe trauma today, say a rape, I would take the drug in a minute! There's any number of trauma situations that I would drop the dime on to avoid having to relive it in the manor of PTSD.
Then I thought about M's death, what about using it for that memory?
I know the system would never have taken it to wipe that experience as traumatic as it was or still is across the board. Tho it does seem this experience is just the sort of trauma doctors are looking at for administering the drug. (Yes, I know the article focus is on soldiers, but the trials are being done on civilians so that makes it probable for this kind of memory at some point.) There's no one here that would have accepted a wipe of any kind. Call it masochistic, but it would be seen as a personal affront to the memory of M, a loss of even more of him. There's no way anyone would want that no matter the possible dulling of the pain.
Like everything medical and drug related I turn to the over use and abuse. Using this sort of medication has a serious potential of abuse by authorities, as a 'quick-fix' for what ails people and for cover-ups of bad, bad things. I don't have the luxury of believing that our government and military would be beyond the ethical wiping memory for nasty things done to or by soldiers/those in service. Even without that seeming paranoia, just in the most benign way this drug could be used to take the place of actual resolution of a traumatic experience. For soldiers this means being given the drug without any follow-up or work thru. Since that's already happening some would say this drug would at least give soldiers a chance at leading a 'normal' life. It's that thinking that sends young Vets off on their own without support for their injuries physical and mental. Iraq has brought more wounded then ever before and we as a country are supplying less and less support. If the Viet Niam Vets were screwed, we better steal ourselves, today's Vet is getting even more of a screw. This drug could make it even easier for them to be marginalized. I don't trust bureaucracies to do the RIGHT thing. Still the drug has potential for enormous relief of suffering, I do hope it gets the trials needed and good parameters set for treatment in conjunction with standard care.
Ravin
"Propranolol, a common "beta blocker" blood pressure drug often prescribed after heart attacks, is an unlikely miracle drug. It blocks adrenaline, which makes it useful to ease hypertension and anxiety, and is often used by performers to counter stage fright."
A common blood pressure medication that can almost wipe your memories of traumatic experiences. How useful is that? It's not a perfect wipe, it's partial at best. It's mostly for present trauma, not past. Still, they're using it in trials to see how it works and how reliable it's prognosis.
My personal concern, the research it's being conducted at Mc'Gill University and Douglas Institute, both were involved in some really shady research in the 50s-70s. Stuff that was documented, where folks sued and won. Where it was discovered our own CIA was pushing and paying for ways to wipe memory even back then. A doctor named Cameron did some really nasty experiments to wipe the mind and reprogram it with drugs and ECT.
So would you (gen) take a drug that could erase bad memories?
Not so sure this would work for someone multiple, since our memories may be scattered in the brain with each person that resides in that physical. It could wipe a broader set of memory then planned. If the drug only works for on-set memory it's not much good to those of us with PAST memories (PTSD). Still I know I'm very grateful for the medication given before my surgeries, there's no memories of procedures. In the past there's always been an open door in our brain where we were awake. I'm not completely sure it's the same medication in this article, since the one we were given wiped everything.
Would I want to erase all trauma memories?
For us that would take a HUGE chunk of our memories, there is little that was normal. Most days I would say sure, when the past is making my life miserable with triggers and flashbacks. BUT when I think about how that would impact our knowledge of self I'd turn it down. If it could take the edge off the re-trauma experience but not wipe the total memory, now that might be worth looking at for those of us with past trauma. That I would jump at in a moment.
NOW, if we were to experience a severe trauma today, say a rape, I would take the drug in a minute! There's any number of trauma situations that I would drop the dime on to avoid having to relive it in the manor of PTSD.
Then I thought about M's death, what about using it for that memory?
I know the system would never have taken it to wipe that experience as traumatic as it was or still is across the board. Tho it does seem this experience is just the sort of trauma doctors are looking at for administering the drug. (Yes, I know the article focus is on soldiers, but the trials are being done on civilians so that makes it probable for this kind of memory at some point.) There's no one here that would have accepted a wipe of any kind. Call it masochistic, but it would be seen as a personal affront to the memory of M, a loss of even more of him. There's no way anyone would want that no matter the possible dulling of the pain.
Like everything medical and drug related I turn to the over use and abuse. Using this sort of medication has a serious potential of abuse by authorities, as a 'quick-fix' for what ails people and for cover-ups of bad, bad things. I don't have the luxury of believing that our government and military would be beyond the ethical wiping memory for nasty things done to or by soldiers/those in service. Even without that seeming paranoia, just in the most benign way this drug could be used to take the place of actual resolution of a traumatic experience. For soldiers this means being given the drug without any follow-up or work thru. Since that's already happening some would say this drug would at least give soldiers a chance at leading a 'normal' life. It's that thinking that sends young Vets off on their own without support for their injuries physical and mental. Iraq has brought more wounded then ever before and we as a country are supplying less and less support. If the Viet Niam Vets were screwed, we better steal ourselves, today's Vet is getting even more of a screw. This drug could make it even easier for them to be marginalized. I don't trust bureaucracies to do the RIGHT thing. Still the drug has potential for enormous relief of suffering, I do hope it gets the trials needed and good parameters set for treatment in conjunction with standard care.
Ravin