If There Were A "Happy Pill", Would You Take It?

[SPKrazy]

I mean like Huxley's "Soma", one that truly made everything "okay" and you felt happy.

Would you take it?

:shrug:

discuss

[KitchenWitch]

1. Oh Gods...

:dilemma:

[SPKrazy]

5. hmmm....

dilemma


:dilemma:

[Dangerously Amused]

2. IF ?!?

Oh crap, WTF are these things I've been taking then?




:scared:

[SPKrazy]

6. Ruh roh...

but they do look happy? :D

:rofl:





do they make you want to go to Walmart a lot?

[Dangerously Amused]

22. Geez, good catch.

It never occurred to me that the word "pill" might modify the word "happy," instead of vice versa.

I wonder if they are happy to be ingested - since that would seem to be their purpose in life - or rather, if the fact that they maintain their native structural integrity is the wellspring of their bliss.

I guess I'll never know. :cry:



And, no...pretty much nothing can make me want to go to Walmart.

:hi:

[SPKrazy]

25. that's good

although I live in the land of Walmart and admittedly go there.

I understand people's objections... soon we will have a super target, and I may stop doing 95% of my shopping at walmart

and the little pills reminded me of the walmart smiley.

happy "pills", or "happy pills". :shrug: why not both?

[Dangerously Amused]

32. I like Tar-jhay.

I try to avoid Walmart, but on rare occasion they are the only place in the area with what I need.

I know, the pills do look like their smiley thing.


I suppose that to be both, technically they should be called "happy, happy pills." Just to avoid confusion.

[Art_from_Ark]

41. A Super Target, huh?

I wonder how long that will last in Walmartland.

Especially considering that half the population there seems to have some sort of direct connection with Wal-Mart.

[Duer 157099]

42. Damn, well this explains a lot

I just looked closely at what I've been taking!

[Dangerously Amused]

50. Dude, call the cops!

Somebody's been selling you angry pills in happy pill packaging, and charging you happy pill prices! Those bastards!



OMG, ROFL! Excellent photoshop!

:patriot:

[Fox Mulder]

3. Nope.

[SPKrazy]

11. ok

:shrug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear Southpawkicker...

I probably wouldn't, sweetie...

Given my current circumstances, anyhow...

If I'd been very depressed, then it's more likely that I would have...

You know, if I'd seen a psychiatrist, and s/he had recommended that I take it...

Then I would have...

Otherwise, no...

I'd rather try to find out what was causing the unhappiness, and take care of it that way...

But that's just me...

:hug:

[SPKrazy]

8. well since to my knowledge there is no pill like that

it's just a rhetorical question anyway

but I'm not sure... don't think I would, but some days, hmmmm :dilemma:

depends what the trade off was.

[Connonym]

7. well I do take the Prozac

not that it makes everything happy all the time but it sure keeps the icky black despair at bay

[SPKrazy]

9. no not even the Prozac, the Lexapro, teh Paxil, the Zoloft, or the Effexor

or Wellbutrin

qualifies as a happy pill by the standard I'm thinking of

I'm glad Prozac keeps the icky black despair at bay

Lexapro keeps it at least an arms length away most days, Paxil did too for me.

:hi:

[SteppingRazor]

49. What about Vicodin, Oxycontin, etc.?

Those make you pretty damn happy.

[KitchenWitch]

10. I take the Zoloft, but it does not seem to pack the punch it used to.

Probably time to shake up the meds...

[SPKrazy]

13. no?

maybe it's too small a dose :P

[KitchenWitch]

16. 200 mg per day is hardly too small a dose.

I think I may need to wean off and make a switch.

[SPKrazy]

18. it were a baby punch joke

:P

200/day is a pretty hefty dose


i tried zoloft. 50 /day made me manic and I had to quit

[KitchenWitch]

20. Well, I have pretty powerful depression

part of which is fueled by the chronic physical pain.

[SPKrazy]

21. I have been able to take other

meds:

Prozac
Paxil
Effexor
Lexapro

all without the mania that Zoloft incited. No idea why, but don't want to experience that again.

Couldn't sit still, couldn't stop talking, lost impulse control, trouble sleeping, and nervous, nervous, nervous.

[KitchenWitch]

23. Prozac made me manic.

There were other side effects that were very unpleasant when I was on Prozac too.

[SPKrazy]

26. it didn't do much for me

except make my stomach upset

and eventually quit doing much of anything and started having some side effects that were unwanted :P

[Fox Mulder]

15. I'm taking that too.

It worked really well the first week I was on it, but then its effects declined soon after.

It does, however, keep the black despair at bay for me also.

[SPKrazy]

19. supposedly

it really doesn't effect much change for at least 2 weeks.

it is interesting though, i work in an inpatient psych facility.

no insurance company allows someone to come in to stay for the period of time it would truly take the meds to have their effect, yet people leave feeling better most of the time.

is it a placebo effect? the effect of respite? or is it really working that fast?

[Fox Mulder]

27. You know, I've been wondering that also.

I've read that some people who are also taking Prozac felt really good the first week they were on it but then its effects wore off. I've read that it takes a few weeks for it to work, but to me, it seemed to work almost instantly.

I have no idea if it was a placebo effect or what. :shrug:

It'd be interesting to find out.

[KitchenWitch]

33. I had that same experience on Prozac

But then I became manic on it.

[harmonicon]

39. maybe not a placebo effect

it might just mean feeling better that you decided to try something to make yourself feel better. Once, I went to a doctor to ask if I should be taking something like that, and he basically said, "no, you just feel really shit for good reason. A pill won't help you". Still, I felt a lot better, because I'd decided to do something about the problem. If I'd been prescribed a drug, I bet I would have still felt better for the same reason.

[SPKrazy]

70. placebo effect

can manifest in all kinds of ways including what you describe. placebo is not a "fake effect" in fact all medicines may benefit from a placebo effect to some degree. In testing they test against a placebo, and whatever he percentage of placebo effect in the test you can extrapolate that to a degree all of the participants were experiencing that effect of I am taking something for my problems.

Additionally, when you look at many psychotropic meds, the mechanism of action is often listed as "unknown" but the theory is printed.

Most people feel better the minute they walk into a doctor's office to some degree.

other cultures and past cultures had shamans or medicine men/women, or clergy, and the same effects might have been seen there. placebo effect is akin to faith healing.

[HuskerDU]

No, I am very lucky that I don't need it. I do wish I could give

them to my girlfriend though. She has been on all of those drugs (paxil etc) and still struggles from time to time.

[SPKrazy]

17. is struggling

part of life

or a sign that the meds aren't working?

I'm asking because, well, I've been there recently and not sure that I'm out of the woods really yet, just better than I was.

[HuskerDU]

28. I don't know SPK. She has been to all kinds of doctors and

has been prescribed all kinds of drugs but still experiences anxiety and depression sometimes.

I wouldn't use her experiences to judge what you may or may not be in for. The best remedy IMO is getting into a good groove, and then staying there, shutting out any and everything that gets you out of that groove. I am a big believer in momentum. Good luck to you SPK.

[Tektonik]

12. at the moment no,

but if something tragic happened such as my mom, brother or sister dying, I think I'd take it.

[SPKrazy]

14. really...

I can relate to that sentiment

[MrSlayer]

24. Nah, I'm generally happy anyway.

Besides, pot is better than any pill.

[SPKrazy]

29. Pot is better than any pill...

:shrug:

didn't have that effect on me.

but hey, more power to ya

[HuskerDU]

30. Shhhhhhh...

you're giving away my secret to happiness!

[XemaSab]

31. I'd totally take a happy pill.

What would be even better though would be a "make boring tasks interesting" pill. :)

[Inchworm]

34. I'd never heard of this pill lest I went to a doc

then I wouldnt trust him. Then I'd ask how it differed from beer...

o.m.g... then I'd be nekkid running up Main St.

:D

[Rocinante]

35. Yep

When I was a lad I took stuff like Quaaludes in the mistaken belief that they were happy pills.

Sadly they were merely dumb ass pills and I'm lucky I lived through all that.

But yes if there was a happy pill with no consequences why not? :)

[UrbScotty]

36. Isn't that called Viagra? (nt)

[Rocinante]

37. May be

I've never taken that one but the commercials I've seen for that kind of stuff warn about a hard on

lasting more than four hours. Sounds painful to me but there's swinger clubs out there that count

on that I guess. Ouch!

[SarahB]

38. I AM a happy pill.

:D

[crim son]

40. No.

No, no no.

[Richard Steele]

43. It exists, I've been offered access to it, and I have declined.

Be it pain or pleasure, "real" trumps "imaginary" in my philosophy.

Always.

[SKKY]

44. There already is a happy pill, and I take it daily...

...it's called "fatherhood".

[mainegreen]

51. ...

:thumbsup:

[lildreamer316]

60. AWWWWWWWW!

(puke).
No seriously. I agree...motherhood,though.

[Heidi]

45. Nah. "Happy" isn't a rational response to all of life's circumstances.

I'd rather take my chances and muddle through as best I can. :hi:

[Guava Jelly]

46. pills wear off

and when they do..Life is the sameas it was or worse before you took it.

[PRETZEL]

47. In a freaking New York minute

I can't get drunk enough and it takes too long for the misery to go away. And you feel like shit the next day.

You bet I'd take a "Happy" pill.

[BarenakedLady]

48. I already do.

:P

[ScreamingMeemie]

52. I would take twenty.

To make this all be a dream.

[theredpen]

53. If only there was a powerful selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor!

Oh, wait. There is one: methamphetamine. That works great! There are some side effect, though.

[unsavedtrash]

54. I want this one

[skater314159]

56. ...

:rofl: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

I laughed my ass off... then I read your profile and saw you're a grad student too!

You *really* know about "fukitol" if you're a grad student - do you have some for when you have to do dissertation or thesis defense? (If you do... I need some!)

:rofl:

[skater314159]

55. No.

Feeling like things are ok would be awful... especially if things aren't. That would be taking a pill to live in delusion-land. No thanks!

Somedays I get bummed out by all that is going on in the world and all the things that people have talked with me about... but I am glad that I feel emotions attached to these events. If I felt nothing, I wouldn't be human... I guess I'd be Voldemort, or Cheney, or something.

A very wise Rabbi said that suffering, while it is awful, shows us that there are still changes that need to be made in the world... it is like our body sensing pain to tell us it is sick or injured. Being free of pain and negative emotions would be to have no sympathy or empathy either... and I can't even imagine what that would be like.

Now, as for a nice drink or smoke with friends over a sumptuous dinner, I'm all in! That would help to refresh me body, mind, soul, and spirit so that I can go back into the world to take on all that injustice, hatred, and oppression!

Peace!
:hippie:
skater pi

[texas1928]

57. There are Happy Pills.

See

[jonnyblitz]

58. there most certainly are happy pills out there but they are

overpriced. they are more reasonably priced in Amsterdam. roll on.

[lildreamer316]

61. !

Roll on, indeed.
Mine aren't too badly overpriced, thank the dog.
:yoiks:

[jonnyblitz]

77. oooh.

it's been awhile for me. that is a probably a good thing. it was incredibly inexpensive, compared to my USA options,in Amsterdam. A family member used to live there and I visited for extended periods of time.I think you might like it there. :hi:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

62. ...

:hi:

[lildreamer316]

59. There is,

and I do.

There you have it.

:hi:

( :yoiks: )

[Taverner]

63. Vicodin, THC, Percocet, Zoloft, Effexor, Welbutrin...

All of these are happy pills in some way or another :)

[SPKrazy]

68. not in the sense that I was speaking

they all lack

[Sanity Claws]

64. Not immediately but probably eventually

At first, I'd resist the idea of taking such a pill. What wants to be a happy idiot, would be my thinking. However, I do have some really dark sad moods. I would probably end up taking such a pill to get out of the depths of depression I have known and will probably experience again.
I would never judge anyone who decided to take a Happy Pill. You never know what pain they're going through.

[Zookeeper]

65. No. Imagine how the "powers that be" could manipulate us....

if we were all just floating around in happyland.

How about an altruism pill for corporate CEOs, CFOs, Rethuglicans, and fundie preachers?

:hi:

[SPKrazy]

69. yeah, like who's going to fund the research for that one?

the corporate CEO's, the CFO's the Rethuglicans and Fundie preachers?

:eyes:


:rofl:

good thought though.

:hi:

;)

[intaglio]

66. Speaking as a long time depressive

LIKE - A - SHOT

I hate being this way (currently use venlafaxine and a beta blocker for the anxiety). The black chasm where hope and joy cannot find me is dreadful.

[SPKrazy]

71. understand that sentiment

I have envied people with mania at times, although when I experienced a brief episode triggered by Zoloft I wasn't so envious because I was more agitated than euphoric.

[RadiationTherapy]

67. No. I tirelessly work towards feeling it naturally and eliminating parts of myself

that I dislike.

[Deep13]

80. "eliminating parts of myself"

Wow, that's drastic!

[LeftyMom]

72. I think Huxley adequately addressed the dangers of false happiness.

Without down times happiness loses meaning and people lose motivation. Smiling medicated zombiness may be fine for Republican housewives in the Laura Bush mold, but they don't exactly seem happy, only not sad. They just are. Happy or sad, I'd rather feel it for real, because at least I'd know I still gave a shit.

[The2ndWheel]

73. The thought of being happy all the time makes me depressed

[Lilith Velkor]

74. Hell fucking yes

But not all the time.

[Stuart G]

75. I used to take them...they were basically free too.....and they do exist...read on..

I discovered them in l974. It was made up of small amounts of substance produced by ...........me...
..Made me feel great..and for 4 hours, "made everything, okay and I felt happy, serene and content."

Beta Endorphin produced by the pituitary gland and occurs when a person exercises for 25 minutes or more, continuously with the large muscle groups of the body. I jogged, but you could feel it if you swim, used exercise bike, walked fast, or rowed. Many others too.
..Yea, it worked and made you feel good. And except for the jogging shoes, the substance is free..... natural too. Your body makes it..
...:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: .........Stuart G.

[Pacifist Patriot]

76. I'm facing a bit of a dilemma about that.

I get the distinct impression that by the end of next week I am going to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia and recommended to take lyrica. I am eager for relief, but concerned about the long term implications of maintenance meds. Relief and a better standard of life now and risk kidney liver damage later in life? :shrug:

[DarkTirade]

78. Only if it didn't interfere with my brain functions in any other ways.

What I've got inbetween my ears is really all I have in this world, and I don't like to screw around with it. :P

[Deep13]

79. There is and I do.

Not familiar with Huxley's Soma. Do you mean the British, skeptical philosopher?

[NMDemDist2]

81. nope, I'm happy already

and on the rare days I'm not, it is almost a welcome change

:shrug: