Never Forget

Pill may subdue traumatic memories January 15, 2006 BY MARILYNN MARCHIONE

“Suppose you could erase bad memories from your mind. Suppose, as in a recent movie, your brain could be wiped clean of sad and traumatic thoughts.

That is science fiction. But real-world scientists are working on the next-best thing…

…The need for better treatment grows daily as American troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan with wounded minds as well as bodies. One government survey found almost one in six showing symptoms of mental stress, including many with post-traumatic stress disorder. Disability payments related to the illness cost the government more than $4 billion a year.”

I read this article yesterday and I’m alarmed. There is such a large possibility for abuse with a pill like this. I don’t mean like ‘housewives and Vicodin abuse’ I mean ‘reverse Clockwork Orange abuse’. I believe things that are distressing and unforgettable have deep purpose and meaning. They allow us passion and drive. They fuel politics and art. They inspire and warn.

We are meant to experience trauma in a highly negative way. The implications of erasing difficult feelings with a pill instead of working through would make the human race psychologically weak. It would devastate self esteem earned through triumph of the human spirit. People and societies who exhibit self destructive behaviors may never evolve.

Epic tales of sorrow will become fiction.

Courage will hold no meaning.

Dear reader would you pop a sad pill? I would not and I say -
Never Forget.