Reply To: Memory (Year 2 Sun.)

[Anonymous]

Though it sounds like a perfect solution at first, it doesn’t seem to be that great if you really think about it. Firstly, you absolutely should be allowed to take such medication if it existed, there are no doubts.
The rest might be problematic as every question creates more problems. How would the ‘forgetting’ about the experience work? Would you forget only traumatic memories and nothing around it or a whole period of time would be erased? Eighter way it would create memory gaps which would lead to further confusion and possible suffering. My second concern is that forgeting may ease our concious mind and free us from thinking about the experience, but what about other symptoms of trauma? Without us being conciously aware of said trauma I assume all of the other symptoms would make us feel really unwell mentally and for which there wouldn’t be any reason or explanation. The other scenario is that we wouldn’t remember the traumatic experience, but were aware or were made aware of it. In that case I can’t imagine being at ease with the fact that something so terribly bad happend to me that I needed to take medication in order to forget about it. I would not be able to take my mind off of it.
All in all I would consider taking this medication only if all of my uncertenties and problems with it were solved and when psychoteraphy and medication for managing the symthoms of trauma would fail.