5 ms·

Why is the idea to "just pop a pill" on a daily basis not wrong? It is. It totally is. You should not need to drug yourself to get through the day.

chimen 7y ago
It is wrong but this is big pharma we're talking about. I find it very hard to trust their "suggestions" and subtleties. That's how you go into these drugs, with someone telling you it is ok to take a pill when the day does not go according to plan.
- tempguy9999 7y ago
  Oh god yes. But you can't trust any organisation in general that's grown large and is profit-oriented. This isn't quite in line, as it's about the 1960s when they were going mad with new drugs, IIRC a sleeping pill was sold that had a barbiturate shell that knocked you out. This was designed to take ~8 hours to dissolve away, and at the core was a lump of amphetamine to bounce you back to eager wakefulness. Granted people were a bit naive back then but it must have been obvious such things were not intrinsically safe, but dammit we have sales targets! I worked in the area and I remember being told a story about a drug being approved for use based on the word of the top exec of the drug's manufacturer that it was safe, and a handshake. That's all. This would be in the late 70's. Things have been very much tightened up since then, but still.
smabie 7y ago
Like caffeine or nicotine? And why not? Better living through chemistry, what’s wrong with that? Also everything is a drug. Food, water, whatever.
- ganzuul 7y ago
  It becomes a way to endure difficulties which should not be there in the first place.
  - tempguy9999 7y ago
    True, but "should not be there in the first place" is a moral judgement - no-one should have to deal eg. with clinical depression or intense anxiety, or psychosis. Or painful arthritis or the rest of the evils a biological entity is prone to. But reality cares not for your or my opinion.
    - ganzuul 7y ago
      We create our own reality. In the EU we subsidize diary production so that powdered milk is cheap and artifically kept at a stable price, which makes food manufacturers use it as an addative in many traditional recipies which it doesn't belong in. It makes a lot of people sick, inflaming the gut, which leads to depression.
      - tempguy9999 7y ago
        > We create our own reality Try living with long-term chronic pain, disability and flaky mental health. Then tell me it's all in the mind.
        smabie 7y ago
        I mean if a monk can light himself on fire and not make a noise or move at all, then anything must be possible, right? People have the ability to will themselves into almost any state, it’s just incredibly difficult. There’s been a number of studies on the effect of meditation on chronic pain, and it’s certainly more powerful (and healthy) than painkillers.
  - smabie 7y ago
    Should not be there? Life is hard, has always been hard, and always will be hard. Evolution doesn’t care about you, and minimizing suffering is not what’s important or drives selection.
    - ganzuul 7y ago
virtualritz 7y ago
What is a pill? Some substance that has a biochemical effect on your brain. Like sugars. Try keto/low carb diet for a few weeks and see what it does to your brain/mood/alertness. Every time you eat some bread you literally pop a pill. ;)

chimen 7y ago

It is wrong but this is big pharma we're talking about. I find it very hard to trust their "suggestions" and subtleties. That's how you go into these drugs, with someone telling you it is ok to take a pill when the day does not go according to plan.

tempguy9999 7y ago
Oh god yes. But you can't trust any organisation in general that's grown large and is profit-oriented. This isn't quite in line, as it's about the 1960s when they were going mad with new drugs, IIRC a sleeping pill was sold that had a barbiturate shell that knocked you out. This was designed to take ~8 hours to dissolve away, and at the core was a lump of amphetamine to bounce you back to eager wakefulness. Granted people were a bit naive back then but it must have been obvious such things were not intrinsically safe, but dammit we have sales targets! I worked in the area and I remember being told a story about a drug being approved for use based on the word of the top exec of the drug's manufacturer that it was safe, and a handshake. That's all. This would be in the late 70's. Things have been very much tightened up since then, but still.

smabie 7y ago

Like caffeine or nicotine? And why not? Better living through chemistry, what’s wrong with that? Also everything is a drug. Food, water, whatever.

ganzuul 7y ago
It becomes a way to endure difficulties which should not be there in the first place.
- tempguy9999 7y ago
  True, but "should not be there in the first place" is a moral judgement - no-one should have to deal eg. with clinical depression or intense anxiety, or psychosis. Or painful arthritis or the rest of the evils a biological entity is prone to. But reality cares not for your or my opinion.
  - ganzuul 7y ago
    We create our own reality. In the EU we subsidize diary production so that powdered milk is cheap and artifically kept at a stable price, which makes food manufacturers use it as an addative in many traditional recipies which it doesn't belong in. It makes a lot of people sick, inflaming the gut, which leads to depression.
    - tempguy9999 7y ago
      > We create our own reality Try living with long-term chronic pain, disability and flaky mental health. Then tell me it's all in the mind.
      - smabie 7y ago
        I mean if a monk can light himself on fire and not make a noise or move at all, then anything must be possible, right? People have the ability to will themselves into almost any state, it’s just incredibly difficult. There’s been a number of studies on the effect of meditation on chronic pain, and it’s certainly more powerful (and healthy) than painkillers.
- smabie 7y ago
  Should not be there? Life is hard, has always been hard, and always will be hard. Evolution doesn’t care about you, and minimizing suffering is not what’s important or drives selection.
  - ganzuul 7y ago

virtualritz 7y ago

What is a pill? Some substance that has a biochemical effect on your brain. Like sugars. Try keto/low carb diet for a few weeks and see what it does to your brain/mood/alertness. Every time you eat some bread you literally pop a pill. ;)