Shameless research slut strikes again

[Keroin]

First, thanks to everyone that helped with my movie star voice question. I went with Gary Cooper and referenced him as the marshal in High Noon - I think it worked perfectly. I submitted the story two days ago and I have been sacrificing virgins to the publishing gods ever since. I'll let you know if it makes it!

I have another story in the beginning stages but I want to know if anyone out there has experience with or knowledge of psychiatric drugs/brain chemistry? This is a spec fiction story that will take place in a town where a force/wind/? blows through everyday, effectively drugging the population. I have some general questions now and will probably have some specific ones later.

Anyway, if you'd like to volunteer your services I will reward you with copious praise and e-mangoes. (Sorry, I'm no JK Rowling, can't quite afford a castle yet).

Thanks all!

(p.s. If the island runs out of diesel I may be offline for awhile, so don't think I'm snubbing if I don't reply soon.)

 

[YourCaptor]

First, thanks to everyone that helped with my movie star voice question. I went with Gary Cooper and referenced him as the marshal in High Noon - I think it worked perfectly. I submitted the story two days ago and I have been sacrificing virgins to the publishing gods ever since. I'll let you know if it makes it!

I have another story in the beginning stages but I want to know if anyone out there has experience with or knowledge of psychiatric drugs/brain chemistry? This is a spec fiction story that will take place in a town where a force/wind/? blows through everyday, effectively drugging the population. I have some general questions now and will probably have some specific ones later.

Anyway, if you'd like to volunteer your services I will reward you with copious praise and e-mangoes. (Sorry, I'm no JK Rowling, can't quite afford a castle yet).

Thanks all!

(p.s. If the island runs out of diesel I may be offline for awhile, so don't think I'm snubbing if I don't reply soon.)

I don't know the precise chemistry, but I know about the brain fairly well on a cellular level.

 

[Keroin]

I don't know the precise chemistry, but I know about the brain fairly well on a cellular level.

Cool. Questions tomorrow? No rush on the answers.

Tx

 

[CurlyKat]

Depending on the drugs and interactions you're planning on covering, I might be able to help out a little, too. I can dig out some of my old books and reference them for you, too.

 

[Netzach]

My experience with psych drugs is very dull, as they allowed me to join the general tide of humanity again and feel good without feeling like that's somehow pathological. I mean it's really boring. I was functioning at -2 and then I felt +3 and functioned at 1.


Now if that was a steroid wind, you might have complete societal breakdown. Like, vampire babies, to-the-death fighting, hearing voices, full on batshit insane and physically miserable.

 

[Keroin]

Now if that was a steroid wind, you might have complete societal breakdown. Like, vampire babies, to-the-death fighting, hearing voices, full on batshit insane and physically miserable.

LOL. Maybe the next one, when I'm feeling more King-ish.

 

[eastern sun]

My husband has a lot of experience with psychotropic drugs. His screen name here on lit is DamianCain, and I'm sure he'd love to share his knowledge if it's applicable.

 

[ecstaticsub]

I'm a pharmacist, I could probably help you out or at least find you references to answer your questions.

 

[Betticus]

I'm a pharmacist, I could probably help you out or at least find you references to answer your questions.

MDMA.

http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/psychoactives.shtml

Have fun researching.

 

[Keroin]

Thanks everyone for the offers of assistance. The story is still in the swirly stage so my questions will be quite general for now, getting more specific as I hammer out details.

Essentially, what I'm looking to do is mirror the effect of drugs that are used to stabilize people. I have no background here but I remember friends of mine describing their son when they tried him on Ridaline. Now, I've seen this kid off the meds and he's hell on wheels but apparently when he's on it he's almost zombie-ish.

So here's some questions, what kind of drugs would be used to mellow people out and stabilize them without rendering them immobile? (I'm thinking some types of schizophrenia, violent behaviour, hyper activity).

How long would the drug stay in the system, (aprox)?

What would some of the side effects of these types of drugs be?

I'm sorry if I sound horribly stupid but once I have a bit of direction I think my questions will make more sense.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Betticus]

Did you click the link Keroin? Erowid has info on pretty much every drug in the world past, present and future.

I tried the antidepressants thru the doc once and it felt like half of my soul had been ripped out of me, leaving me a hollow shell of an automaton that felt neither joy nor sorrow. A zombielike caricature of the person I once was.

 

[Harmony_1985]

Did you click the link Keroin? Erowid has info on pretty much every drug in the world past, present and future.

I tried the antidepressants thru the doc once and it felt like half of my soul had been ripped out of me, leaving me a hollow shell of an automaton that felt neither joy nor sorrow. A zombielike caricature of the person I once was.

The boyfriend was on antidepressants for a short while, and he said that's exactly how he felt: like a zombie. He wasn't living, he was just existing.

 

[Keroin]

Did you click the link Keroin? Erowid has info on pretty much every drug in the world past, present and future.

I tried the antidepressants thru the doc once and it felt like half of my soul had been ripped out of me, leaving me a hollow shell of an automaton that felt neither joy nor sorrow. A zombielike caricature of the person I once was.

Just had a look. Wow. Lots of info - thanks Bett! I have a zillion things to do this afternoon but will hopefully have some free time tomorrow.

The boyfriend was on antidepressants for a short while, and he said that's exactly how he felt: like a zombie. He wasn't living, he was just existing.

Anti-depressants sound awful! I wonder if everyone has that kind of experience with them?

What I'm looking for is not so much zombie-ish but just so mellow and relaxed that you lose all momentum, all passion. Imagine a drug that would make you content to stay in one room for the rest of your life, (providing you kept taking the drug) - that sort of feeling. I'm wondering if there's anything close to that. Maybe not to that extreme.

 

[BiBunny]

What I'm looking for is not so much zombie-ish but just so mellow and relaxed that you lose all momentum, all passion. Imagine a drug that would make you content to stay in one room for the rest of your life, (providing you kept taking the drug) - that sort of feeling. I'm wondering if there's anything close to that. Maybe not to that extreme.

Valium or something like it? I'm not sure.

 

[YourCaptor]

Thanks everyone for the offers of assistance. The story is still in the swirly stage so my questions will be quite general for now, getting more specific as I hammer out details.

Essentially, what I'm looking to do is mirror the effect of drugs that are used to stabilize people. I have no background here but I remember friends of mine describing their son when they tried him on Ridaline. Now, I've seen this kid off the meds and he's hell on wheels but apparently when he's on it he's almost zombie-ish.

So here's some questions, what kind of drugs would be used to mellow people out and stabilize them without rendering them immobile? (I'm thinking some types of schizophrenia, violent behaviour, hyper activity).

How long would the drug stay in the system, (aprox)?

What would some of the side effects of these types of drugs be?

I'm sorry if I sound horribly stupid but once I have a bit of direction I think my questions will make more sense.

Thanks in advance!

Hmm, well, steeping out of what I do but.

It sounds like antipsychotics is where you should be looking.

Basically, as far as I know all anti psychotics do about the same thing in the same way, that is stop the patient from going through whatever it is they are going through. Some are more fancy, like clozapine which is the most powerful one I think.

Side effects include stuff like shaking, dizziness, loss of muscle control.

I'm sure you can find a huge list of side effects some place.

Now problem with these drugs, don't know if you will be using this, is that they don't cure, once you stop taking them you revert right back. And often people will feel so good on the drug they think they don't need it anymore. I think some also say it changes them and they don't want to use it. Many reasons for that exists, some that may apply, toxins from the drug, the fact that your are indeed diffrent now, and also that your whole social experience changes and may be foreign.

Hope that helps you further.

 

[ecstaticsub]

Thanks everyone for the offers of assistance. The story is still in the swirly stage so my questions will be quite general for now, getting more specific as I hammer out details.

Essentially, what I'm looking to do is mirror the effect of drugs that are used to stabilize people. I have no background here but I remember friends of mine describing their son when they tried him on Ridaline. Now, I've seen this kid off the meds and he's hell on wheels but apparently when he's on it he's almost zombie-ish.

So here's some questions, what kind of drugs would be used to mellow people out and stabilize them without rendering them immobile? (I'm thinking some types of schizophrenia, violent behaviour, hyper activity).

How long would the drug stay in the system, (aprox)?

What would some of the side effects of these types of drugs be?

I'm sorry if I sound horribly stupid but once I have a bit of direction I think my questions will make more sense.

Thanks in advance!

Haldol may be what you are looking for. It comes in a long-acting form also that can be given every 3-4 weeks. It does have some significant side effects, though. It's shorter acting form given IV is good for calming violent behaviour.

BiBunny had a good suggestion with Valium or other drugs in it's class (benzodiazepines). Valium is a nice long acting drug.

 

[Keroin]

Hmm, well, steeping out of what I do but.

It sounds like antipsychotics is where you should be looking.

Basically, as far as I know all anti psychotics do about the same thing in the same way, that is stop the patient from going through whatever it is they are going through. Some are more fancy, like clozapine which is the most powerful one I think.

Side effects include stuff like shaking, dizziness, loss of muscle control.

I'm sure you can find a huge list of side effects some place.

Now problem with these drugs, don't know if you will be using this, is that they don't cure, once you stop taking them you revert right back. And often people will feel so good on the drug they think they don't need it anymore. I think some also say it changes them and they don't want to use it. Many reasons for that exists, some that may apply, toxins from the drug, the fact that your are indeed diffrent now, and also that your whole social experience changes and may be foreign.

Hope that helps you further.

Yes, it does. I'll explore anti-psychotics. Thanks!

Haldol may be what you are looking for. It comes in a long-acting form also that can be given every 3-4 weeks. It does have some significant side effects, though. It's shorter acting form given IV is good for calming violent behaviour.

BiBunny had a good suggestion with Valium or other drugs in it's class (benzodiazepines). Valium is a nice long acting drug.

Actually, I should have specified that I was looking for something that needed to be taken every day. Something that would wear off quite quickly.

Thanks for getting back to me!

 

[ecstaticsub]

Yes, it does. I'll explore anti-psychotics. Thanks!



Actually, I should have specified that I was looking for something that needed to be taken every day. Something that would wear off quite quickly.

Thanks for getting back to me!

Then you could go with a shorter acting benzodiazepine like Xanax.

Or Haldol works very quickly and last 3-6 hours

 

[DamianCain]

Thanks everyone for the offers of assistance. The story is still in the swirly stage so my questions will be quite general for now, getting more specific as I hammer out details.

Essentially, what I'm looking to do is mirror the effect of drugs that are used to stabilize people. I have no background here but I remember friends of mine describing their son when they tried him on Ridaline. Now, I've seen this kid off the meds and he's hell on wheels but apparently when he's on it he's almost zombie-ish.

So here's some questions, what kind of drugs would be used to mellow people out and stabilize them without rendering them immobile? (I'm thinking some types of schizophrenia, violent behaviour, hyper activity).

How long would the drug stay in the system, (aprox)?

What would some of the side effects of these types of drugs be?

I'm sorry if I sound horribly stupid but once I have a bit of direction I think my questions will make more sense.

Thanks in advance!

From what you're describing, I'd look at addictive drugs. Crack cocaine, for example, reaped absolute havoc in a number of communities. Crystal meth is doing the same thing. They share certain qualities: 1) A quick high. The rush, and payoff, of these drugs is immediate; 2) The rush is intense and, initially at least, feels great; 3) They are highly addictive (not just habit forming, quitting entails withdrawal) and really, really hard to kick; 4) They load addicts up with energy, hence the preponderance of crack whores and petty criminals; 5) They give you energy, so you can take and chase drugs virtually 24/7.

African and Asian military forces have used amphetamines to desensitize, dehumanize, and decrease fear in guerrilla fighters, including children. To my understanding, both governments and insurgent military leaders have employed amphetamines in this fashion.

And, don't forget, the Reagan administration was instrumental in cocaine dealing in inner cities. That was a big part of Iran-Contra.

Opiates, like heroin and codeine (Percocets, Oxycontin, etc) share those qualities. The difference is that they're downers. This makes it more likely that people will sit in their rooms doing nothing.

Personally, I think that a lot of people would go this route if opiates were cheap and over the counter. I once read that opiates simulate the feeling of a mother's loving hug.

A few people mentioned Valium. It does share many qualities with opiates, except it's relaxing as opposed to being like a big warm hug. I doubt it would be appealing to enough people to create a nation of addicts.

As for psychiatric drugs, I think you need to ask yourself an essential question:

Is my story ethical?

Psychiatric drugs help millions of people.

Diseases like schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder are horrible. That's why people who suffer from them commit suicide.

Do you really want to promote the stigma attached to treatments for these dreaded diseases for the sake of a scary story?

Especially if your research isn't exhaustive?

Why not make treatments for childhood cancers the villain of your story instead? In my mind it would be no different.

Are psychiatric medications good for everyone? Of course not. Are they sometimes wrongly prescribed? Of course, all medical treatment is an exercise in trial and error by virtue of the nature of the endeavor.

But, in general, psychiatric drugs are responsibly prescribed and have offered millions of people new leases on life.

Moreover, psychiatric drugs are a bad bet for mass use. Haldol, never. The side effects are so awful that it is rarely prescribed any more. For more than a decade, second generation antipsychotics like Abilify and Seroquel have been the drugs of choice for psychotic and dissociative disorders.

In general, psychiatric meds are especially unpleasant for people who don't suffer from mental illnesses. They make people dazed, soporific, constipated, obese or restless. Nobody who wasn't mentally ill would take them unless they were forced.

And they're not addictive.

Megadoses of Benadryl would be an equivalent.

Two books for recommended reading: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich by Phillip K Dick is a terrific science fiction novel about a society in which the government hooks everybody on hallucinogens. You also might want to try Prozac Nation. I haven't read it, but it discusses the implications of millions of people taking antidepressants they only questionably need.

Good luck.

Think hard about the ethics of your art.

 

[Netzach]

From what you're describing, I'd look at addictive drugs. Crack cocaine, for example, reaped absolute havoc in a number of communities. Crystal meth is doing the same thing. They share certain qualities: 1) A quick high. The rush, and payoff, of these drugs is immediate; 2) The rush is intense and, initially at least, feels great; 3) They are highly addictive (not just habit forming, quitting entails withdrawal) and really, really hard to kick; 4) They load addicts up with energy, hence the preponderance of crack whores and petty criminals; 5) They give you energy, so you can take and chase drugs virtually 24/7.

African and Asian military forces have used amphetamines to desensitize, dehumanize, and decrease fear in guerrilla fighters, including children. To my understanding, both governments and insurgent military leaders have employed amphetamines in this fashion.

And, don't forget, the Reagan administration was instrumental in cocaine dealing in inner cities. That was a big part of Iran-Contra.

Opiates, like heroin and codeine (Percocets, Oxycontin, etc) share those qualities. The difference is that they're downers. This makes it more likely that people will sit in their rooms doing nothing.

Personally, I think that a lot of people would go this route if opiates were cheap and over the counter. I once read that opiates simulate the feeling of a mother's loving hug.

A few people mentioned Valium. It does share many qualities with opiates, except it's relaxing as opposed to being like a big warm hug. I doubt it would be appealing to enough people to create a nation of addicts.

As for psychiatric drugs, I think you need to ask yourself an essential question:

Is my story ethical?

Psychiatric drugs help millions of people.

Diseases like schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder are horrible. That's why people who suffer from them commit suicide.

Do you really want to promote the stigma attached to treatments for these dreaded diseases for the sake of a scary story?

Especially if your research isn't exhaustive?

Why not make treatments for childhood cancers the villain of your story instead? In my mind it would be no different.

Are psychiatric medications good for everyone? Of course not. Are they sometimes wrongly prescribed? Of course, all medical treatment is an exercise in trial and error by virtue of the nature of the endeavor.

But, in general, psychiatric drugs are responsibly prescribed and have offered millions of people new leases on life.

Moreover, psychiatric drugs are a bad bet for mass use. Haldol, never. The side effects are so awful that it is rarely prescribed any more. For more than a decade, second generation antipsychotics like Abilify and Seroquel have been the drugs of choice for psychotic and dissociative disorders.

In general, psychiatric meds are especially unpleasant for people who don't suffer from mental illnesses. They make people dazed, soporific, constipated, obese or restless. Nobody who wasn't mentally ill would take them unless they were forced.

And they're not addictive.

Megadoses of Benadryl would be an equivalent.

Two books for recommended reading: The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich by Phillip K Dick is a terrific science fiction novel about a society in which the government hooks everybody on hallucinogens. You also might want to try Prozac Nation. I haven't read it, but it discusses the implications of millions of people taking antidepressants they only questionably need.

Good luck.

Think hard about the ethics of your art.

This was exactly how I felt about this. Only I'm not sure art has to be ethical.

I know that a lot of people do feel deadened by meds, but I also know people whose lives have been given back to them. At one point my life was given back to me.

The fogged zombie like state, for me, was depression, prior to a month of zoloft. Meds were functionality, feeling, personality being handed back to me. If you read the accounts of people who suffer serious depression, I don't think meds even come close to that dead, dark, helpless, zombie-ness. They're not the only approach - an under-utilized one is excercise.

 

[graceanne]

Now if that was a steroid wind, you might have complete societal breakdown. Like, vampire babies, to-the-death fighting, hearing voices, full on batshit insane and physically miserable.

LOL!!

 

[Netzach]

LOL!!

Seriously. I should write that one, Prednisone Nation.

 

[graceanne]

Seriously. I should write that one, Prednisone Nation.

One of us should. Put a scare into the unknowing world about the horrors of prednisone (otherwise known as the evildrugfromSatan).

 

[ecstaticsub]

Haldol is still widely used for agitation in hospitals, though I agree not so much as an antipsychotic. The side effects can be pretty bad. But maybe that is what is wanted in a story like this?

 

[Keroin]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm going to do some further research today.

I thought I'd mentioned this but perhaps I wasn't clear enough, this will be a spec fiction story and the "drug" is a kind of supernatural occurrence. I won't be referencing drugs in any real life context, I just wanted a model on which to *loosely* base the effects and side effects of this anomaly - something my protagonist can relate to.

As for ethics in art...holy minefield Batman. Not even putting a toe in that one. LOL.

OK, to the salt mines!

Thanks again, I'm sure I'll have more questions later.