Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my favorite movies- what a great story! The power to erase painful memories from one's mind. In many ways, our lives shape our characters, who we are today..then again there are things we would like to forget; some of us have things we can't bear to remember. Is the solution to erase these events from our mind?
Scientists are testing a new drug called Propranolol that may be able to help victims suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to make peace with their memories. Matt Bean of Men's Health writes:
"Extremely traumatic events can unleash a torrent of stress hormones, searing the memory into the brain. That's where propranolol enters the picture. It blunts the impact of stress hormones on the amygdala, the small, emotional control center in the middle of your brain. As a result, the brain is able to encode the traumatic memory as a factual event, a garden-variety horrible memory, rather than a world-changing, panic-inducing schism in consciousness. It's like removing the crescendo of violins from the climax of an action movie: You still know what's happening, but you're able to focus on just the facts."
The article quotes Dr. Roger Pitman, a co-researcher on the project:
"Nobody knows when they're going to be in a car accident, or be raped, or be kidnapped, so trying to give them a pill within 6 hours of the trauma is difficult," he says. "But we can control the memory now, bringing it back to the point of sensitivity no matter when it occurred. This could have implications for all kinds of problems: drug addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or anything where you need to change the wiring in the brain."
My memories matter to me, as painful as they may be at times. But then again, we're talking about people who have lost a limb, been in life-threatening situations- along with the actual memory itself is the guilt, the self-recrimination, the loss of confidence, of hope...the endless, futile `if only.....'. No doubt there will be a fallout to this new drug, if and when its introduced. So the question is- is that something you would be willing to risk? If the stakes are high enough, or the memories bad enough, it may well be worth striving for a spotless mind. And a good night's sleep.
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10 comments:
Love the way you write!!!
Thanks Entrepreneurni:)
I agree with you, a pill to wipe off memories just seems wrong!!
The pills the researchers are talking about are not to remove memories about a bad break-up or a failed exam. While these are bad memories they are not life threatening and a person can cope with them.
These pills are meant to be used on memories created during a major trauma that makes it difficult for a person to cope with regular life. e.g. a person who was attacked as a kid and now can not stay alone or a rape victim who is having trouble coping with the aftermath.
Plus it doesn't really wipe the memories it just makes it less painful by making it feel like it happened to someone else.
- Suramya
PS: Like the new blog.
Thanks Suramya! When are u coming back?
That's a valid point- a lot of people who go through these traumatic experiences turn to drugs, suffer from PTSD etc. so this medicine may just help them get their life back on an even keel.
My favorite part was at the end when his g/f says, "Well, if we get back together we're going to fight all over again." And he shrugs and says, "...Ok." Without our memories, even our bad memories, we lose almost all of who we are. There's also the fact that bad experiences and memories can prompt *change* for the better!
lol..so true Nate:)
How big is ur life? Your life is as big as your memory. The post reminds me of the movie by Christopher Nolan, Memento...seen it ??? here's the gist:
Leonard (Guy Pearce) is a man who is struggling to put his life back together after the brutal rape and murder of his wife. But Leonard's problems are different from those of most people in his situation; he was beaten severely by the same man who killed his wife. The most significant manifestation of Leonard's injuries is that his short-term memory has been destroyed; he is incapable of retaining any new information, and must resort to copious note-taking and Polaroid photographs in order to keep track of what happens to him over the course of a day (he's even tattooed himself with a few crucial bits of information he can't get along without).
Thanks for stopping by Moi. I haven't seen Momento yet but have heard a lot about it..sounds interesting, I'll def. rent it!
thats great i hope u introduce this drug next year i need it i may be young but there are things i would like to forget so i can get on with my life plz introduce this quickly i need it!! u ppl r dumb to think it's bad!! i need it to let me get on and keep living ok i need it get it fast!1
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