Bad memories

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:07 pm

Would you take this drug to make you forget bad memories well i suffer from depression but i still don't think i would take it...I still think you need bad memories but it could be good for some people that have been at war..What if took it away memories you wanted to keep... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7892272.stm

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:12 pm

How about a pill for embarrasing moments. If they do i'm all up for it Very Happy

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:47 pm

I saw a documentry on the telly about this the other night, the pill does not take away memories. The theory is -

Over time the thought of bad memories fade somewhat, not dissapear, but the impact of them diminishes, ie your mum diying yesterday is traumatic, but as time passes it is still a sad memory but it is no longer traumatic, the adage time heals all wounds, the idea of this pill is to mimic that process. The idea being if someone was raped for example, they may have trouble giving a clear account of what happened because recalling the memory scares them to think about it, but in 10 years, while the still recall vividaly what happened, the trauma of it is somewhat blunted by time, this pill may aid the recovery process because the victim could talk about it.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:48 pm

Our memories, good or bad are fundamental to our sense of self, to our personality, our history and the ability to navigate through our world.

But i think you raise a good point with regard to soldiers and post traumatic stress disorder etc..

My fiancee told me about a friend of hers who had ECT (Electroshock Theropy Treatment) to rid her of some deep seated bad memories... but it also made her forget she had 2 children Crying or Very sad

The brain is still the most misunderstood part of the human body and whilst neuroscience has come a long way i still think messing about with it is very precarious.

It depends on the implications, and who you are as a person... what you'd gain versus what you could lose.. for me i'd steer well clear so my answer is no.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:52 pm

I don't think i have ever done or will i ever do something that bad that i would risk it.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:55 pm

trollster Made a good comment on this and had me thinking it has some really good points to take this drug but i still don't think i would take it

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:01 pm

I have no reason for it personally but I can think of many situations that could make it a viable option for people. I think it's nice to have the option available, assuming there aren't any bad side effects like forgetting that you have 2 children for example. So I'll say no, but I would probably say yes if I had some seriously bad memory I was struggling with.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:12 pm

That's completely counter-intuitive. Bad memories will get repressed because they're so painful. If you repress a painful memory, it may affect you externally. You may develop a problem like anxiety under certain situations. This anxiety could be directly related to repressed memories. I've found this to be true. I've recalled memories that I've previously repressed, and recalling them and analyzing them has actually given me insight into why I experience a certain type of anxiety. I wish I could remember all of those repressed memories because then I could understand why I've been suffering from anxiety. So to answer the question, hell no I wouldn't take a drug that repressed memories and exacerbated anxieties. The best way to get over bad memories is to confront and accept them. Then you can talk to a professional and work out the problems it has caused. If you get rid of the cause, you make the effect permanent.

Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:45 pm

Thats what i was thinking you don't know what this drug could do to your head

Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2009 12:30 pm

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?
no thank you,
learn to deal with your own transgressions
that which does not kill you only makes you stronger
if yer already dead then you can't really dispute this argument; unless...

Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 12:27 am

This ia a very complex question. How does one define "bad memories"? Good as well as bad memories are part of the ups and downs of our lives. Some bad memories may help us learn and others too traumatic to bear... Who decides or draws the line the definition of "bad memories"? Can one erase just part of a bad memory?

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 5:29 am

After reading the article, I have to say, it is probably just a side effect of Beta-blockers. The study only covered 60 people incredibly small, I'm positive there's millions of people being prescribed the blockers every day for blood pressure etc.... My feeling is be more concerned but the possible acelerated Alzimer's (spelt wrong I know) effect.

Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:56 am

Maybe if I was buttraped by guy, I would go ahead and take it.

But far as other things like breaking up with a gf, I probably won't.

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:37 pm

you could take loads of these pills and in the end become fearless? Very Happy

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:58 pm

Did we learn nothing from the matrix?.......seriously though if we took away the bad memories what would make the good memories so great?