Re: Antidepressants: Happiness is only a drug?

From: Loree Thomas (loreetg@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Mar 28 2001 - 11:43:14 MST


--- 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

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