http://www.historyhouse.com/in_history/cocaine/
This article made me wonder about Freud's hysteric patients. He was treating people for hysteria, but the fact that he was a coke user and administered the drug to his patients makes me wonder if his patients were indeed victims of hysteria, or rather victims of this drug.
I visited a website (http://www.cocaine-effects.com/) on cocaine withdrawel symptoms, and I found the following:
- Paranoia
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Auditory hallucinations
- Mood disturbances
I find it intriguing that a lot of these symtoms are also symptoms of hysteria! Is it at all possible that these patients were not hysterical in the first place, but were rather suffering from the terrible side effects of this drug that was being administered to them? It is obviously impossible to deduct which came first--the hysteria or the coke--just like the chicken or the egg--but it certainly is an interesting thought to entertain!
I read an article once that suspected this AND epileptic seizures which explained ALL of Anna O.'s symptoms -- it was a compelling case.
ReplyDeleteAlso to note- if they are "hysterical" or depressed or whatever in the first place, we now understand that a drug like cocaine is not going to help. It will become especially damaging when the person has to come off of it. At that point, the withdrawal symptoms must only be enhanced.
ReplyDeleteInteresting theory and one that makes a lot of sense. Kenny do you remember where you read this article? I'd love to read it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the hysteria probably came first. Why would they seek Freud out if they didn't have a pre-exsisting problem? The Coke probably did make the symptoms go away temporarily, until the patient came down from the high and expirienced the symptoms more strongly than before, and then they wanted more. The interesting thing with addictions, is that mental addictions are just as strong as physical addictions, so a drug like Cocaine that makes you feel really good temporarly is probably considered to be one of the most addicting drugs because it not only has that physical addictive property, but also a strong mentally addictive property.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your email address--I can probably find the article somewhere hidden on my computer. I'll send it to you.
ReplyDelete