New drug deletes bad memories ... would you consider it ?
@samtaylorskykierajen (7977)
Canada
September 4, 2008 10:12pm CST
Researchers at Harvard and McGill University are working on an amnesia drug that blocks or deletes bad memories. It has been used in a couple of cases where someone was so depressed with what happened in their lives that they were no longer able to cope with the memories . How do you feel on such a drug , would you ever consider trying something like this to help you out because you are having a hard time living from day to day because of bad memories , how do you feel this would affect your life if you could no longer remember what it is that so bothers you today ?
My reason for asking this is because I have had a lot of things happen to me in the last year and am having a hard time coping and feel I would be able to handle my life much better if I didn't have these memories to contend with everyday . The anxiety I suffer from , the panic attacks and how it affects my day to day living is taking a toll on all those who love me not to mention how I feel about things myself . I can't see a time in the future that I will be able to overcome what has happened in my life and feel that a drug like this would be a benefit to me but after speaking to friends they have a different view of what a drug like this would do , and I was just wondering what all your thought were on something like this ?
6 people like this
9 responses
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
6 Sep 08
There is one memory I hope never to experience. It happened when I was four and was hit by a car. I remember the hospitals I stayed in and all but I do not remember when they set my leg. I can only go by what my mom told me happened. Luckily my mind has blocked out the incident.
Now if I could forget ever getting married, that would be good.
1 person likes this
@samtaylorskykierajen (7977)
• Canada
6 Sep 08
Sorry to here your marriage is not going well .
Thank you for your response .
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
7 Sep 08
Oh I'm not married anymore. Just would like to forget I was. LOL
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
6 Sep 08
Hmmmm this is a hard one. I suppose if the memories were so bad that the person could not cope with them it might be useful but I believe in bad memories are being tools that teach me things about what not to do. Learning from mistakes.
I know that bad memories can be really hard to live with when they happen but over time the pain can fade and then you can look at them. I have had a few bad things happen to me and the pain at the time seem almost impossible to live with but now I can look back on them without the pain and deal with it.I am talking about years later.
I do not think it would be a good thing to block these memories forever but then if they are causing psychological harm to the person maybe it is a good thing. Only a doctor would know about that and I am not sure that they know all that much about it. I believe time is a great healer and I also believe that in order to heal from trauma you have to face it at some point and deal with it. We do not know how the mind works, or what effect blocking these memories would have.
@ldybgsgma99 (798)
• United States
5 Sep 08
I don't think I would use it. Even though they are bad memories, they have been learning experiences and are a part of my life. They have made me the person I am today. Good or bad, memories are a part of your life.
1 person likes this
@jerzgirl (9291)
• United States
5 Sep 08
I'm not sure I could trust such a thing since bad memories and good memories are pretty much held in the same area of the brain, so blocking one could, and probably would, block the other. Although, I supposed that blocking all memories and starting anew is better than suffering from memory trauma, I'd choose to keep the bad WITH the good. It's all a part of what has made me ME.
1 person likes this
@deltasswat18 (233)
• Singapore
5 Sep 08
Hello,
I will definitely consider it. If someone life is very miserable, why not delete the bad memories so that he or she will start to smile again? Life should be full of happiness, not sorrow. Even if it is the false memories or life the person is living, let it be. It is their life, who should we even be bother about it? We should be happy instead that they are happy again.
1 person likes this
@pjmacgold (12)
•
6 Sep 08
i never wanna try this ever, memories good or bad are reasons why we live. good memories are there for us to strive to live more, and bad memories are there for us to learn more, erase those memories is just like erasing life...
1 person likes this
@pheonixstar1982 (2307)
• United States
5 Sep 08
There are parts of my life i don't remember, but i know something horrible was happening to me at that time because i remember what happened before that time and what was happening after that time. Here is the thing, not knowing fully what happened in that time scares me. Although remembering what i do is traumatizing enough i think not remember anything at all would be worse. I don't think forgetting is the answer because you will always wonder what happened in that time. I think the better thing is try to find ways to work through it and over come it.
1 person likes this
@besthope44 (12123)
• India
8 Oct 10
Well for depression, medicines are not solution. Do Meditation, try breathing exercise, it will help you balance and handle depression.
