One of the weirdest news this week in the UK was the one of that bloke who took 40.000 ecstasy pills.
The doctors discovered that the man was suffering from severe short-term memory problems of a type usually only seen in lifetime alcoholics. But evaluating the full extent of his condition was difficult as his concentration and attention was so impaired he was unable to follow the simple tasks involved in the test.
"This was an exceptional case. His long- term memory was fine but he could not remember day to day things - the time, the day, what was in his supermarket trolley," said Dr Kouimtsidis. "More worryingly, he did not seem aware himself that he had these memory problems."
This would not surprise me at all, after all taking 40.000 of anything whether legal or illegal (Aspirin, paracetamol, Prozac etc) would have detrimental physical or mental effects on anyone.
These drugs are too new for us to know any long term side effects, you might turn yellow with purple polka dots by the time you are 45 for all we know. But the same can be said about many legal drugs.
That's why although I am not keen on anyone taking drugs I find it hard to moralise about it.
A few years back I had a few friends that for whatever reason (death in the family, job loss, feeling insecure, relationship failure) were happily given by their GP a prescription for antidepressants on a fairly long term basis.
I feel there is a net difference between clinical depression (if Prozac stops you from throwing yourself under a train or leading any form of normal life well by all means it has to be Prozac of course) and having to cope with life. Some doctors don't seem to see the difference and prefer the easy way out by keeping their patients content with bright pills.
People also seem to want a solution to their problems in the shape of a pill, manageable and easy to take, a sign of the time. Instant karma. Others (dealers and pharmaceutical companies etc)are making money so everyone is happy.
