What if a pill could make your traumatic memories less so?

Question

That is exactly the findings w/ the BP drug Propranonol. If you were the victim of a car crash, rape, or any other traumatic incident; it could make it seem as if it happened to someone else.

What are the ethical questions that should be raised if any?

Will this be impactful in a positive or negative way?

Answer 1

Propranonol is apparently a drug to block adrenaline with some tentative evidence it reduces memory associations (rather than blocks memories).

Have you ever read the two books by Aldous Huxley, "Brave New World" and "Brave new World revisited"? SOMA was the drug taken by the population of this ultra modern society (fictional in Brave New World but ours in the second revisited book) to make them all happy. The fact is we are about there with modern day SOMAS because everyone is asking for some kind of a pill in order to feel better. If it isn't a serotonin re-uptake inhibitor it is a tranquilizer. The drug propranonol is just another drug suggested for avoiding reality.

Reality isn't all that bad and the negative things about it like PTSD causing experiences are a part of it from which we recover and learn. The various SOMA like drugs we are using or hoping for and our dependence on them will be just a modern type of alcoholism I think.

I'm not a stoic and I know anesthetics are wonderful but if we become too dependent on these "drug crutches" we will have many new problems like the taking of drugs like cocaine and the drinking of alcohol causes. All these new drugs have serious side effects because they interfere with the natural way the body functions.

I think propranonol is not a desireable drug for "erasing memories".

Answer 2

@Boofuswoolie: LMAO "the average vet knows more about chandeliers." I don't have this problem with pills as I own a Beagle (aka vacuum eater). Dogs are a lot smarter than we make them out to be sometimes. I would say your little peke definitely remembered the smell and texture of the peanut butter as being associated with the pill. Food associations can't really become extinct behaviors like many other learned associations can. Food = survival. It is a very evolutionarily important for an animal to be skeptical about foods and to remember certain foods that made them sick before. Sorry that was the psychology student coming out...i guess i have retained some knowledge this summer :)

Answer 3

Where can you go in this entire country where there isn't a Walgreen's or an Eckard on the corner? In this country a pill can fit anything. Didn't you ever wonder why the pill industry is a multi-billion dollar business?

So your "what-if" question is moot. I have no doubt whatsoever a Dr. can prescribe a pill to fix trauma memories too.