One Pill That Can Alleviate Heart-Break

Hello again my dear readers, 

I deeply apologize for taking two weeks to get back to you all. I’m sure that those who have been following my plight are eager to hear more about my journey through space. However, when I was nearly hit by that satellite, something in me clicked. After the wave of shock I felt from this near death experience, I became angry about the lack of care –rather, blatant denial– from the Government concerning my well-being. Yet, coming into such close contact with death made me realize that I never quite granted myself the time to process the various losses that I’ve suffered. Not only have I lost my home on earth, but also my friends and family. I never even got the chance to say good-bye to my loved ones. My parents are certainly dead, while my friends have either met the same fate or are withered by old age. I don’t know if they even remember me at this point. After all, it’s been 60 years since I last saw them. 

I know I usually devote my blog to discussing advances in technology that are in some way linked to space. However, today I want to share with you all an article from psychology that I found particularly pertinent to my situation.

Apparently, a Montreal based doctor has been innovating new tactics to suppress intense emotions suffered as an effect from PTSD. This process of “reconsolidation therapy” involves the medication propranolol, which is taken an hour before a therapy session. Within the session, the patient is instructed to write a description of the painful memory, and then read it to the therapist. It was found that the “research suggests about 70% of patients found relief within a few sessions of reconsolidation therapy.” This works due to the fact that memories are stored in the brain in two different areas; the hippocampus stores the factual account of the memory, and the amygdala recreates emotional associations with said memory. Thus, propranolol– a medication typically used to aid migraines and other physical problems– is utilized to block the emotional aspects yet maintains the events that caused the trauma. With repeated sessions, this memory becomes restored without it’s painful associations. Initially, reconsolidation therapy was used on PTSD survivors, but in 2015 they expanded their study to include people who suffered harrowing break-ups. Like the individuals with PTSD, those suffering from break-ups were alleviated from their painful memories. The researchers are currently hoping to expand their study to aid people in “any type of distress which emanates from an emotional event.”

In my day, the field of psychology was just growing, behaviorists and psychoanalysts seemed to dominate the study. I never really became accustomed to psychology– the works of Freud seemed… questionable. I have always preferred the factuality of science, and often dismissed the ambiguity behind social studies. Yet, this project seems to have blended the two academic disciplines together. I think this is intriguing, but I can’t help but ponder the ethical implications of this study. I think it’s good that modern medicine is working to relieve the effects of PTSD, however to do the same for someone going through a break-up seems rather trivial. Heart-break is simply a part of being human. And it’s awful. It’s not fun, and the aftermath of a break-up may feel as if it lasts forever. I don’t think it’s at all necessary or helpful (in the long run) to strip that distress away from them. Additionally, I’m curious about the emotional reaction a patient has to other, less painful, memories with their partner– when undergoing this treatment, do they also forget the joyous moments as well? Nevertheless, the process of grieving is overwhelming. I want to say that I’m too strong to undergo this kind of therapy, but if I was on our planet, I would in a heartbeat. I miss my friends and I miss my family. Although I left earth without a romantic partner, I’m now truly alone. I suppose it’s within human nature to dispel distressing emotions as well.

Over and out,

B. Swain