--- Hugo Alves <arcozelo@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I would be very happy if someone could prove me
> wrong, or explain this in another way, or do
> something to make this notion of
> happiness-as-a-mere-chemical go away. But it seems
> that people are treating the most delicate cases of
> unhapiness (the suicidal) with this notion of
> chemical disorder, which, I must say, doesn't look
> that much encouraging... I'm asking you to look at
> this as the transhumanists you strive to be, and not
> as the humane people you might be.
>
I have some personal experience in this area (as do
many others, no doubt).
I have been on Zoloft, Welbutrin and Prozac. None of
those drugs made me even close to "happy". What they
did do was lessen the impact of depression so that I
could continue to function despite enormous emotional
trauma.
The only drugs that have ever made me "happy" have
been cocaine, speed and alcohol. Each produced only a
temporary happiness... an artificial one. And alcohol
is too dose sensitive... If I ingest too much the
"happy" effect goes away leaving me artificially
depressed. Cocaine and speed have other problems.
Real happiness has come from two sources, interactions
with people I am emotionally attached to (my children,
spouses, lovers and friends) and from accomplishments
such as writing a piece of software that works, fixing
a delectable meal, or mastering a difficult musical
passage.
Increasing serotonin levels in the brain doesn't
produce the same kinds of feelings as those things I
mentioned.
Loree
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/?.refer=text
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 09:59:43 MDT