Those aren‘t just anxiety drugs. Lorazepam is a literal Benzo. Which means it literally depresses (ie. makes less active) your CNS (brain).

These drugs are highly addictive and tolerance forming. They‘re often prescribed for insomnia since they inhibit brain signalling.

Once your brain forms tolerance it increases excitatory signalling to „counter“ the drug. Which means if you abruptly stop, you get withdrawal. Your brain is „overactive“ you have seizures, loads of horrible symptoms, in some cases people die.

(Not trying to scare people, short term or sporadic use is actually decently safe, it‘s long term high dose use which is dangerous. But basically my point is „anxiety drug“ is underselling what this is.)

For those wondering:

A lot of people do believe it unfortunately.

Damn it how could I forget that 🤦. I’m now magically cured. Thanks ;)

100% but what you neglect to mention is the poorer world already has far higher mortality rates. This will only make it worse.

Hard to be in an environmental prepper group if you’re too disabled/chronically ill to leave your bed haha. I’ve just accepted if shit really hits the fan I’m dying.

Yeah I would still be ill but it would be “oh that sucks and I can afford it” not “my survival is constantly on the line”.

Tries to wish lifelong chronic illness away

No issues, on geological timescales sure. I’m sure there were issues on human timescales though.

Always the poor, disabled, marginalised, chronically ill, non first world, will be hit the hardest and die at the highest rates.

It’s not anti-intellectual to hold medical professionals to standards.

It’s well known that PPIs are overprescribed and many people end up having undiagnosed H. Pylori infections for a while before it’s picked up.

Because back then it was medical canon they were psychological/caused by anxiety.

One day we’ll learn to structure laws so that fertilised monoculture isn’t the only economically viable form of agriculture.

But agribusiness lobbies won’t allow that so…

Depends your income. Poor people are forced to live next to the power plant 😔.

In most of the world even primary school kids walk home alone.

One of the many reasons why life expectancy for indoor cats is ~15 years while outdoor cats is generally about half of that.

I miss that pleasure. Insomnia sucks. Going to sleep and staying asleep takes so much effort. Thanks for ruining my sleep, ME/CFS.

The first round of the Paris mayor election was today. And Emmanuel Gregoire came in first (34%); he is the successor to Hidalgo. There will be a runoff with him and Rachida Dati (26%) right-wing — who is explicitly running on undoing Hidalgo’s urbanist policy — and a macroniste and left wing candidate as well (they got more like 10-15% each).

So depending on who turns out second round and the vote share dynamics we will probably see more of this continuing :)

Few minutes? Nah it’s a proper wound. It’s fine after a couple days in 99% of cases. But you’re underselling it.

Queens is basically rich Manhattanites car garage. It sucks.