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11/27/06 Do You Have Bad Memories?


Minis On The Edge

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I saw this Topic on 60 Minutes and had heard about this "magic pill" about 4 years ago (It was still being studied then though). This morning on Yahoo, they had this listed as one of there questions and it made me wonder what would you do if you experienced a painful or traumatic event. Would you want to take a pill that could make bad memories of what happened in your past less memorable?

This is a News Clip about the "Memory Drug".

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wow, what a great topic. good question!! I have had some pretty traumatic events happen to me as a teen. My 4th step dad was an abusive alcholic and i had some very scarey events take place with him. In fact I still have nightmares about them. I still have a restraining order against him because he was so dangerous, and had to testify against him in court when i was 14 because of one of the beatings he did to my mom and I that I called the cops on.

However, I would not take a pill to erase these memories, as horrible as they are. Because I feel they make me a much stronger woman. I wouldnt be who i am now without them, and I am very greatful to have the strength i have today. Because now whenever something bad comes my way it never feels to big to take on.

-Jenny

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My first memory is from when I was three and got lost at a camping ground. My aunt hates that I remember the incident since she was the one who told me to catch up with my mother to go to the bathroom. I remember wondering around the camp ground crying and realizing I had past a couple that were at their site doing something. They finally realized I had past them several times and took me to the office of the whole park.

My only other bad memories are from nightmares that I had when I was young.

Really nothing to traumatic so I definitely wouldn't take a pill to get rid of them.

My mother on the other hand has horror stories of doctors and hospitals from when she was young and that is why it took her so long to have her neck x-rayed to see it was broken a few weeks ago.

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Wow good question..........would I take and erase pill??....I do not think so. My husband (first one) was killed in an industrial accicent over 5 years ago....I subsequenty lost my pregnancy as well. All this while I was dealing with a severe illness.

As much as I would have liked to erase the happenings of my life at the time, I think that we need to remember these times in our lives in order to continue to heal. They are also a marker to show us our inner strength and successes and that we can and do carry on.

An erase pill would also erase all the warm memories that I can now remember of our life together and the love that we shared and would not allow me to reflect on that with a smile as I do each day now. The pain is still there, it always will be, but now more I remember the joy and I would do nothing to take that away and give everything to keep it.

So for me, NO ...no make it better pill.....things will never be the same but TIME not a pill makes it livable.

Jack'sgurl

RIP Larry

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Bad memories??? Yes, I have a few...but the worst by far, is losing my dad when I was 11. He was my hero and the loss was very devestating for me...but would I want to forget??? I think not...I think that erasing that memory would somehow also erase him and he is someone I never want to forget...

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I worry about it being put in the wrong hands. There are a lot of Crimes that can be committed and they force you to take the pill and then you won't be able to remember the crime that may have happened to you or someone else.

It's a scary thing to even think about it. But I have never experianced anything in my life that would make me want to forget it.

My Grandmother was given this (Or something like it) years ago when she was walking down some stairs and her Thigh bone broke. She was in severe pain (She died of Cancer 8 months later and the Doctors found out at that time thatit had spread to her bones) after they set it, my uncle said they gave her some meds to make her "forget" the pain associated with the break & the setting of the bone.

Since it was still a study drug I knew it must have been pretty bad for the doctors to use it (Doctors can use a drug not approved yet be the FDA when it is considered "Compasionate Use" ) So I wonder if this is that drug.

I do know all she remembered was coming down the stairs and then waking up in the hosipital room. My uncle was the one who told us about how bad the entire ordeal was for her.

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I personally wouldn't take it.

I did however go watch and read some articles about propranolol and how it was being tested. I am under the distinct impression that one is disconnected from the emotions of the tramatic event; that it isn't forgotten. It maybe beneficial to some who suffer from PTSD. People have been taking this medicine for years for high blood pressure and they still know what has happened to them. I really don't think this is going to be a MIB where they flashy thing someone in pill form and totally forget who they are.

When Ella had her laceration from a fall stitched up they gave her ketamine. She remembers falling, being at the hospital, etc., but she doesn't remember the pain and she didn't complain about pain afterward. In fact she laughs and says that she bounced. IMO, the medical community should research this to its full potential. With all things good there are some who will use it for bad. With further studies and the advances in modern medicine it may be possible to erase memories, in my opinion, that would be wrong.

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It makes me think of the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie "Eraser" . In that movie, a person was erased technically from all computer systems and data bases as if they never existed. Picture that and add a drug like this in the mix and you'll have more than just crazy people walking around.... :bounce8: (I know, I like Sci-fi :D ).

I just seems too un-natural to me.....

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No, I would not take a pill. Your experiences shape you into who you are. Who wants to be unfeeling and like a happy zombie? Not me. I'll take the pain because it's usually what or who you care about that cause pain. If you don't care about someone or thing it doesn't hurt. Even abusive parents, when you get down to it.Doesn't that hurt because you love them? I'll take the good with the bad thank you. bergie

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Wow, Susanne! I suffered from nightmares as a child (everynight they were aweful) and when I turned about 14 they stopped. It is horrible to be awaken from nightmares :bounce8::D ! I don't know what caused mine back then or why they went away but you have my full sympathy with that!

Sometimes, my mother would wake up because she heard me from her room. I was always comforted to wake up and see her standing by my bed when I was awakened by her :D

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I watched the "60 Minutes" show and the segment was interesting. The medication already has a clinical use, this memory aspect was discovered as a side-effect and one of the ways to test a drug is in a "double-blind" test where half the people receive the drug and the other half receive a placebo ("sugar pill") and no one knows which is which until the testing is all over with.

It doesn't "erase" the memory, it suppresses the adrenaline/ epinephrine your body makes in reaction to severe stress that reinforces & strengthens the memory. For people with memories so terrible as to result in clinical symptomology I think it has definite uses. Definitely PTSD falls into this category!

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I wouldn't want to erase my memories. As horrendous as some of them are, they created my character. I try not to dwell on them and while I don't repress them, there are some things that it's just better not to think about. When the memories surface, they're painful and some are in the form of flashbacks. I've spend a lot of years learning how to deal with them objectively but there are still some that make me feel like I've been kicked in the gut when they get triggered. If the medication didn't erase the memory, but allowed people to think thru the experience without the "fight or flight" response kicking in, I think it would be very, very helpful in dealing with negative situations.

On the other hand, with a psycho stalker of an ex, I'd be delighted if someone would erase his memories! If he forgot I existed, I'd have a lot easier life! When I first saw Men In Black, I got all excited about the "flashy-thingy".

Deb

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Yes, but I would not want to erase any of them.....they have made me the lady I am today.....it has made me stronger and I can deal with almost anything......some things are better left alone......as my grandmother used to say" let sleeping dogs lie".......bringing back those memories will only hurt you.....so I've learned to live each day as it comes and pray God gives me the strength to deal with whatever comes my way......

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I personally wouldn't take it.

I did however go watch and read some articles about propranolol and how it was being tested. I am under the distinct impression that one is disconnected from the emotions of the tramatic event; that it isn't forgotten. It maybe beneficial to some who suffer from PTSD. People have been taking this medicine for years for high blood pressure and they still know what has happened to them. I really don't think this is going to be a MIB where they flashy thing someone in pill form and totally forget who they are.

My DH currently is taking Propranolol for anxiety. His doctor has told him he has PTSD stemming from some events in his childhood. From what he tells me, it hasn't affected his memories at all. As far as being diconnected from the emotions of the tramatic event, he has also been told that he did not develop emotionally. So it is difficult to tell of the Propranolol is affecting that.

To answer the original question however, I would not take the pill to forget either. I have been through some pretty bad things and I agree with many other posters that it builds character. I learned a lot from being with an abusive man. I wouldn't give up what I learned.

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Personally, I wouldnt take it. I was raised in a home with a mother and sister with extreme cases of Bipolar disorder. I saw alot in my life at a young age that many grown ups couldnt concieve of understanding.

But it has made me a better person. It has helped me to have empathy for ppl who suffer. My friend is going thru a bad bout with it right now and I have been able to comfort her mother and explain what I remember.

Nope, as bad as it got and as bad as the memories are I would never want to *erase* them. They have shaped who I am...the good, the bad, and the ugly!

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I've learned to never say never. But right now in this moment in time, I probably wouldn't take it. I agree, every experience you have is what shapes the person you become. But in some circumstances, it might be for the best to have the pill available. Some experiences for some people can hinder the person's ability to cope.

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I guess bad memories doesn't quite define ptsd. It is much more than that. It is an experience or experiences that go beyond the ability to cope. Often these experiences are something that happens to or is seen through the eyes of a child. The child is unable to deal with the situation/s because they are only a child. As an adult we're much better able to deal with life's "bad" stuff. Unfortunately, the feelings of helplessness are often played out again and again through dreams. These are not experiences that form you or help you grow or become a better person because you have been through it. What the child has been through goes beyond just something unfortunate. Everyone has "bad memories", but ptsd is much much more. We're talking about events that are seriously traumatizing.

I cope with life very well. I hold down an interesting, demanding and challenging job and have a reputation for remaining cool in difficult situations. I don't stress easily and do not take drugs or even drink (other than an occasional glass of red wine ... yummmm). My "bad memories" only come out in my dreams. The only other time that others have ever been aware that I've been through something very very bad is after I'd had some major surgery several years ago. After 2 days of being on a morphine drip I became aware that I was not hiding this as well as I've always been able to do, I pulled the plug on the morphine. That's one of the main reasons that I've never been a drinker or taken pain-killers. I never ever let myself be in a situation where I don't have complete control over myself. Unfortunately, in sleep I cannot maintain the control. I'm an excellent sleeper and sleep long and deeply. More than likely this is because it's the only time that I really release.

Even though I'm not a pill-taker, this is something I would seriously consider. The only other medication that I take is Maxalt for migraine headaches ... Maxalt is not a pain-killer btw.

-Susanne

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Thank you, Susanne, for a far better description of ptsd than I could come up with. Propanalol does NOT erase the memory, BTW, and anything that can suppress the emotional terror that incapacitates a ptsd sufferer has to be an improvement. We're not talking about "character-building" here, ptsd just about destroys who you are!

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I can also see this as being useful to some of our soldiers who have had to spend way to much time on the front lines. They were the ones I was thinking of when I wrote about experiences, but they are not the only ones that experience PTSD. I guess they came to mind first because of my DD being in the military and that is always a big worry when she returns from deployment. BTW so far she is doing fine.

I've always loved the saying that goes something like "don't judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes" I know this isn't exact.

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I've always loved the saying that goes something like "don't judge me until you've walked a mile in my shoes" I know this isn't exact

Close enough for horseshoes, sweetie, and exactly how I feel. In my various careers I have learned to thank Whoever's in charge for what I haven't had to go through.

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