Progress, Entropy and Himmelfarb's inconsistencies....

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Wed May 5 22:18:31 PDT 1999


Lisa & Ian Murray wrote:

"... that we'll soon have nootropics/psychedelics that make Prozac and LSD look like kid stuff. Whatever will the DEA do?"

I suppose it's engaging in the pointless task of kicking against the language to object to this use of "Prozac," which has become a standard (dead) metaphor. But I will anyhow.

Prozac does *not* affect perception/feeling as psychodelics, etc. do. If it works (there is still a debate about that), it works as insulin does for diabetics or Vitamin C does for anyone with a vitamin deficiency: it restores normal body functioning -- in this case the flow of serotonin in the synapses. . This is why (if it works) it takes weeks to take effect: it has no immediate impact. I object because jokes like this about Prozac (which is short for all anti-depressants) is an integral part of what we who suffer from depression, etc. call the stigma attached to mental illness.

Carrol



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