Happy Happy Joy Joy.
Aug. 23rd, 2006 04:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swestrupIt seems that scientists have just developed a strain of always-happy mice. This may be a boon to researchers working to defeat chronic depression, but one has to be cautious when messing around with the emotional centers of the brain. Far more of our thinking is emotional than most folks realize.
One of my good friends was on Prozac the first time I met her. I didn't know it at the time. All I knew was that her permanent perkiness and cheerfulness really creeped me out. We never became good friends until she was off the drug and had far more normal emotional responses.
I'm not against this kind of research, understand. Its absolutely necessary that we understand the human emotional system and how to tweak it. I'm just very leery of jumping on the first permanent treatment that shows up, and this result could lead to such a treatment.
One of my good friends was on Prozac the first time I met her. I didn't know it at the time. All I knew was that her permanent perkiness and cheerfulness really creeped me out. We never became good friends until she was off the drug and had far more normal emotional responses.
I'm not against this kind of research, understand. Its absolutely necessary that we understand the human emotional system and how to tweak it. I'm just very leery of jumping on the first permanent treatment that shows up, and this result could lead to such a treatment.
