#psychostimulant

[jade-curtiss]

"normalize this" nah instead we should start alienating people who think they're allowed to take for granted being "normal". You're a white person from a nuclear family who spent your whole life in a north American suburban town with people who more or less looked exactly like you and your family? Fucking weird. Not to make any judgement...but my parents told me to avoid people like this. Don't take it wrong, I was raised like this.

[eldritch-spouse]

I feel like Patches would be the type of guy who would drug us to make us more compliant. Especially to have sex (I’ve heard that sex when high on certain drugs is AMAZING) and he would use that to get his darling addicted to having sex with him. Oh Patched he’s so pathetic ❤️

[Cannot confirm or deny that rsnrk.]

TW: Drugging; date-rape(ish)

Yes! Patches is not like Stitches. While his moonlight counterpart is bold enough to simply force his way and have a little fun struggling, Patches just can't.

He can't bare the thought of physically forcing you down or punching you or holding a weapon to a vital area to force you to have sex with him. However... It's much easier for him to think of less "brutal" (as if) ways to get that intimacy from you. When you're unconscious, you're not suffering... When you're checked out, you're not in misery or crying. When you're under a potent aphrodisiac or incantation, he's just helping you, and when you're euphoric on bizarre psychostimulants Fank-e somehow got a hold of...

Then you just want to have fun. And who is he to stop you?

He likes you in these states, even if they're not that good for your brain. You just pay so much attention to Patches, even when he's rambling about things that make no sense to the average human. Then you roll around the floor, giggling, clinging to his pants and warbling about how soft he is. You call him funny, cute, amazing- Patches doesn't know what to do with himself bit he's glowing when you finally cuddle him. When you don't mind that there's a bulge pressing against your ass or that he's got his hands draped over your chest.

He's not delusional, he knows what he's doing is disgusting, but he can almost tape together an excuse, that he's not hurting you... Somehow. That you want it, when he pulls his pants down and lets your barely coherent self play with his cock, still giggling, still looking up at him with those bloodshot, dilated eyes. You can barely suck him off through your own helpless bouts of laughter, but it's more than enough for him. Patches wonders if you'll still laugh and mumble happily when he's folding you beneath him.

[thestalwartheart]

WIP Wednesday

(Because it's still Wednesday...somewhere? Maybe???) This week's @mi6-cafe WIP Wednesday snippet is from a little continuation of dispatches from the division that features stories from medical and admin staff. In this, James has just come out of major surgery after returning badly injured from the field, and his doctor has pulled Q aside to talk about some complications. Side note: Bond's substance abuse is a subject I've wanted to write about forever, and I cannot wait to share this!

“How much do you know about Bond’s use of substances?” Dr Nolan asks.

“I know he drinks too much. I can’t say I know exactly what goes on in the field, but I expect he’s abused more than alcohol.” Q’s brow furrows. “What’s this about, Doctor?”

She rifles through her desk until she finds a folder with the sort of classified information only she and Q have access to as department heads.

“Have you ever heard of a go pill, Q?”

“Only in the historical sense,” he replies. “A US invention to keep soldiers awake and alert during combat operations. Quite controversial.”

It is a testament to how tired he is that it takes a minute for the horror to dawn on his face.

“You’re not saying…are you telling me James is taking government-issued psychostimulants, Doctor?”

[ashenburst]

Certified Hazbin Hotel moment happened today! Mentioned Phencyclidine was more known as Angel Dust during the presentation on psychostimulants I held

[thelostgirl21]

OMFG! This came across my dash, and given that Jaskier is, like, the most ADHD coded character I've had the pleasure of watching on screen since Jake Peralta, first thing that came to mind was...

"But what if having sex actually is one of the ways that Jaskier has instinctively found to self-medicate, though?"

What if he tends to be able to think more clearly, feel calmer, and be a bit less restless and impulsive after sex?

What if, sometimes, for example, he tends to start a bunch of different new songs at the same time, while struggling with finishing them, and thus feels driven to have sex with someone to help himself focus and complete them?

People with ADHD actually do tend to gravitate towards hypersexuality and hyposexuality (it's not considered an official symptom of ADHD per say, more a co-occurence... Like, I think that among men seeking treatment for hypersexuality issues and problematic porn consumption, they discovered 67% of them had ADHD or something...), and Jaskier's very high sex drive - while not necessarily considered a disorder in itself - is still enough to put him into some serious trouble at times and generate drama in his interpersonal relationships.

I mean, I don't want to call him sexually hyperfixated, but his very first impulse - after the world around him froze and a copy of himself appeared before him - was trying to assess the fuckability of the situation and if he might be into having sex with himself even before asking if he was still alive!

At the very least, it definitely seems that sex might be a coping strategy that he uses to relieve feelings of stress and anxiety.

We've already seen Jaskier go:

to cope with his emotions.

But he just might have this very instinctive:

coping response as well!

In a sense, maybe the way he reacted to Seanchai looking at him was a manifestation of that.

Anxiety going through the roof = Jaskier going:

Poor bard is just going through his life, facing impossible odds, and regularly going:

to manage the crazy levels of stress he's constantly being subjected to.

People think he's being promiscuous because he is irresponsible and immature or something, when the poor bard is just instinctively doing whatever he can to manage his blood pressure, and avoid dying young of some stress-related condition.

Of course, the desired therapeutic effect might be a little offset by the fact that a bunch of nobles tend to want to kill him for having had sex with their spouses and/or relatives... Guess he'll just need to go find someone to sleep with to deal with that stress then... Wait.

Jaskier to Geralt: "I think we should go to Redania... Ciri would have an entire army at her back, and I'd have a really sexy Prince at mine providing me with a steady dopamine, endorphin and oxytocin supply. Seriously Geralt, I'm only human, and if this keeps going, at this rate I won't live past 50!"

Radovid to his brother: "Look, I'm really shit at being a spymaster and a Prince, but years of being very bored and very gay at court have helped me develop a unique type of expertise. And now, I've just discovered there's this one thing - or rather person - that I can do, and do really well! And he's going through some apocalyptic-level stressful shit right now. So, you've got to let me go help him, alright?"

It also would make sense that Jaskier would be so driven to have sex with people, regardless of sexual attraction, if sexual activity happens to be a coping mechanism for him, that can both act as a psychostimulant, and/or as something to help him relieve anxiety, stress, and even the occasional depressive feelings.

In that case, it can also turn into a sort of cycle that becomes self-sustaining, i.e. :

People make him feel shame over his regular need for sex and "promiscuity" - - > it triggers his RSD and emotional insecurities over never being good enough for those he loves, or "too different" - - > he instinctively seeks sex to take his mind off those negative and painful feelings, feel wanted, connected to others, receive praise rather than harsh criticism, and flood his system with stress relieving and "feel good" hormones - - > people make him feel shame over his regular need for sex and "promiscuity" - - > it triggers...

And then, there's Radovid that never reacted negatively to the fact that Vespula was angry at Jaskier over the many, many different people he'd been sleeping with, openly called Geralt "his Witcher", wanted to help him find and rescue the rest of his family...

He's not putting any pressure on Jaskier to stop loving other people or being intimate with them to also be loved and wanted by him.

There are so many ways that Prince/King can help our poor bard manage and relieve his anxiety, including not making him feel wrong or inadequate for having such a need for sex in the first place...

Ironically, the way Radovid's brain works apparently "turns Jaskier on"... but Radovid turning him on - while also making him fell like he is enough - might also help "turn Jaskier off" (as in, help him modulate his overall need for sex in general) if there's less of a need for him to turn to sex to cope with the way his own brain works, and the distress it might occasionally cause him.

As an ex-nurse clinician, it is thus my professional opinion that someone should really officially prescribe some Radovid to Jaskier, to be taken PRN - p.o., as a spoon, intrarectal or however he needs him - and as often as he personally needs him.

It's not a want, it's a need. Someone needs to deliver some Radovid back to him ASAP.

Okay, and now I imagine Geralt just showing up with Jaskier at some point in Tretogor after Yennefer portals them both there, knocking on the castle door, and basically going:

Geralt: Yes, hi. Sorry to bother you. Things have been exceedingly stressful lately, and I have a bard that's been insisting on going back to see an ex-lover...

Jaskier: I'm telling you, it's fine!

Geralt: ...that's threatened to have him beheaded if she ever saw him on her lands again...

Jaskier: I'm sure she didn't mean it!

Geralt: ...and this idiot is willing to risk death...

Jaskier: She's actually really sweet once you get to know her!

Geralt: ...in the hopes that she'll agree to sleep with him.

Jaskier: I'm not even sure if she offered to cut off my head or give me head if she ever saw me again! You know how easy it is to confuse the two...

Geralt: No. No Jaskier, I do not.

Castle Guard: Ah... Yes, so um... what do you need us to do about -

Radovid: *Showing up out of breath, in a robe, with his crown hanging a bit sideways, after he took off running as fast as he could when he caught sight of Geralt and Jaskier approaching the castle from his private chambers' window.* Yeah... Hi... It's okay... *to the guards* I've ... I've... got this...

Jaskier: *Blushes and whines, leaning heavily against Geralt to avoid sliding to the floor at the sight.*

Radovid: *Concerned, to Geralt.* What happened? Is he okay? *Reaches out to Jaskier to hold him in his arms and help support him, looking for any sign of injuries.* Are you hurt?

Geralt: If you could just keep him with you and have sex with him for a few days, I'm sure he'll be perfectly fine!

Radovid: *Dumbstruck* You want me to do what now?

Jaskier: *Starting to kiss and nimble on Radovid's collarbone, insistently pressing himself against him.* Me. Do me. Now.

Radovid: Ah, alright, but we'll need to use the barracks. I'm not running all the way back upstairs!

Geralt: Don't think you'd even manage to make it to the first floor anyway.

Castle Guard: Ah, so, should we... give the order to empty the barracks your Majesty?

Jaskier: *Beginning to slide his hands under his robes.* They could stay and watch, or join in...

Radovid: I'm... not sure if that's the kind of support I'm entitled to expect or ask from the Redanian army, but if some of them want to stay, I guess... Why not?

Jaskier: *Briefly pulling back to look at him, realising he's not put off by, or disapproving of his behavior.* I love you.

Radovid: *Beams back at him.* I love you, too. Marry me?

Geralt: Boy, that escalated quickly!

[maru-ch4n]

(Dopamine) Reward is the attractive and motivational property of a stimulus that induces appetitive behavior (also known as approach behavior) and consummatory behavior. A rewarding stimulus is one that can induce the organism to approach it and choose to consume it. Pleasure, learning (e.g., classical and operant conditioning), and approach behavior are the three main functions of reward.

Although dopamine is also found in many types of food, it is incapable of crossing the blood–brain barrier that surrounds and protects the brain. It must therefore be synthesized inside the brain to perform its neuronal activity.

(Pleasure) Many types of pleasurable experiences—such as sexual intercourse, eating, and playing video games—increase dopamine release. All addictive drugs directly or indirectly affect dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens; these drugs increase drug "wanting", leading to compulsive drug use, when repeatedly taken in high doses. Drugs that increase synaptic dopamine concentrations include psychostimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine. These produce increases in "wanting" behaviors, but do not greatly alter expressions of pleasure or change levels of satiation. However, opiate drugs such as heroin and morphine produce increases in expressions of "liking" and "wanting" behaviors. Moreover, animals in which the ventral tegmental dopamine system has been rendered inactive do not seek food, and will starve to death if left to themselves, but if food is placed in their mouths they will consume it and show expressions indicative of pleasure

(Psychostimulants) Cocaine, substituted amphetamines (including methamphetamine), Adderall, methylphenidate (marketed as Ritalin or Concerta), and other psychostimulants exert their effects primarily or partly by increasing dopamine levels in the brain by a variety of mechanisms. Cocaine and methylphenidate are dopamine transporter blockers or reuptake inhibitors; they non-competitively inhibit dopamine reuptake, resulting in increased dopamine concentrations in the synaptic cleft.  Like cocaine, substituted amphetamines and amphetamine also increase the concentration of dopamine in the synaptic cleft, but by different mechanisms.

Drugs in this group can have a high addiction potential, due to their activating effects on the dopamine-mediated reward system in the brain. However some can also be useful, at lower doses, for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

(Central nervous system) Inside the brain, dopamine plays important roles in executive functions, motor control, motivation, arousal, reinforcement, and reward.

The largest and most important sources of dopamine in the vertebrate brain are the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area. Progress in understanding the functions of the basal ganglia has been slow. The most popular hypotheses, broadly stated, propose that the basal ganglia play a central role in action selection (;what to do next)

[theomnicode]

Genos and acquiring psychic powers

oH nnoooOO I thought of something horrible just now.

If y'all remember the meta about psychostimulants and I just now thought about Genos' true calling as a defender and potential healer...

Remember how Fubuki healed him firsthand? And stopped him from exploding?

And how Fubuki was doing a lot of actually protecting heroes from certain death on the battlefield and Genos himself trusted in Fubuki to take care of the heroes he brought to her?

I'm pretty sure that part has left a lasting impression on him. And he definitely feel inadequate in protecting people with his own raw power alone.

Then if you remember how in OVA, Genos wishes he had psychic powers so he could have saved sensei's crabs. That seems to be foreshadowing.

--

I'm calling it here, he's gonna get into his head that he REALLY needs some gosh darn psychic powers to actually protect people, shield them and heal them. Because he feels so inadequate in raw power.

More specifically, against OPM God.

What better way to do it but drink poison in a bottle, ergo psychostimulant that heightens psychic powers?

Courtesy from interrogating Psykos during the psychic sisters arc where he might notice Fubuki's prowess in defending herself with psychic whirlwind too. Against mental powers. He also saw firsthand just how powerful Tatsumaki is with her psychic powers and defending against Psykorochi who was god-empowered. He was in the thick of all that and only staved off her attacks with his own maximum capacity.

All this talk about how God attacks the weak points in one's spirit too and not physical attacks. He'd need to get mentally a lot stronger.

All he needs as incentive is a large scale attack where he is unable to protect everyone, even if he eliminated a threat swiftly, because he can't be everywhere at once. The scale of attack where lots of people actually die. They don't need to physically die, they could just die in his imagination.

If we really want to torture this guy mentally, destroyed schools, parks and dead little kids and lots of orphaned children that he personally comes in contact with. An actual honest to god nightmare scenario for him.

In his free time, Genos spends time at a park where he oversees kids play around. Just in case of monster attacks. And it really angers him to hear this guy be so irresponsible and not issue an evacuation order when these kids might be in danger.

Another type of incentive is that he would feel like he has to mentally protect Saitama and his vulnerable emotions, when Saitama actually starts to show vulnerability. Be his shield, the umbrella from the caustic rain of God's influence. Because he cares for him so much.

But he'd end up becoming a mental meatshield and not an actual shield. That's just how he is. He tried to protect Tatsumaki at the cost of his own well-being and he would definitely try to protect Saitama from mental attacks the same.

Saitama tried to teach him to value his own life and it took root, but there's definitely a setback in the form of the memories from the core, actually remembering dying and being too infatuated, he would not think rationally. All he would think of is not his own well-being, but others. And if Saitama-sensei can just turn back causality, he'd be safe no matter what risky avenue he takes right? He's free to take risks.

Hell, he might be out of commission still when the psychic sisters arc commences and he'd feel even more useless without an actual battle form.

Chances are the memories of everyone dying to Godrou is just about all the incentive he needs. If this is God's power, he needs to shield people from it. He would search for ways to desperately protect people from it if he can't even physically attack OPM God.

As S-rank, he would be privy to the interrogation information as well. Then all he needs is to procure said psychostimulant and he could get those damn psychic powers he thinks he needs.

Too bad doing so would make him 100% susceptible for God's machinations, if he gets a cognitive boost. Or it would just straight up kill him. He has no psychic powers, so he'd probably just fry his own brain or go comatose or whatever.

And I'm not sure but he'd probably gloss over Saitama's reaction to whatever happens to him. Because if something happened to him, Saitama could just bring him back. That is what he expects Saitama's modus operanti to be, but I'm not sure he'd have considered the emotional ramifications of him dying again.

But he does not know something important about Saitama and that is Saitama's own suicidal tendencies. Romeo and Juliet.

Nothing good is in store for Genos, nor Saitama if Genos goes through with this.

[a-suspicious-lack-of-bagel]

apparently both the short-acting psychostimulant medications available in Australia contain gluten? you'd think they'd have a gluten free option lol.

anyways one of my psych's patients actually found out they were coeliac cos they didn't eat much gluten anyways and they kept reacting really badly to their dexies. nice lol

[obstinatecondolement]

Another thing I didn't post about earlier that I'm pissed off about is that I accidentally missed an appointment with my psychiatrist, because I lost my appointment card and didn't get a text reminder the day before like I usually do (when the secretary remembers...) and now it's apparently up in the air if the office will send my prescription to me in the meantime while I wait for the next available appointment because "I haven't been seen by the team" and "maybe an exception can be made" but there's no guarantee and I might just have to come off cold turkey for the next few months, lol.

I'm going to ask my GP if he'll write me a script if I don't hear back from the secretary again by tomorrow afternoon (she often says she'll call me back and then never does and doesn't return any of my voicemails when I try to get in touch). But it's like... I'm not a new patient, I am not asking for any dosages to be changed, I have been going to this practice for eleven fucking years?? I'm just so fucking sick of getting jerked around like this and the barrier to Getting Help being so fucking high everything is made as difficult as possible by everyone who is supposed to help me.

Like, yes, I did miss an appointment and I didn't call about it (I thought I'd missed it last week, because I ran out of my meds a few days ago, but apparently it was scheduled for today) and that is my fault and my responsibility, but why is it such a fucking production having a script fucking emailed to my pharmacy like they've done a thousand times before?

I'm annoyed about this now because I am exhausted and it's not even 7.30 p.m., because coming off a hefty dose of psychostimulants without tapering it off will do that to you. But like. Ugh.

[wazzappp]

anGR RE7 au part two electric boogaloo

(Edit: OUTDATED. I have since remade this au)

part 1

Robbie thinks he’s protecting himself and Gabe by not telling the BSAA, but they totally already know they're both infected. Mandatory blood tests revealed incredibly high concentrations of the mold in both of them. Sidenote with the blood testing: Robbie would absolutely use the fuck out of the psychostimulants. In the game they reveal hidden loot so I think that would translate to hyper-vigilance and oh jeez would he use the hell out of that in a survival horror situation. But what the fuck are the psycho stimulants? Addaral? Meth? COCAINE? Idk dude but I think it would be funny as fuck for a scientist to go “Yeah with this mold concentration he should have mutated into a horrifying monster by now and he hasn’t but WHY THE FUCK HAS HE TAKEN ENOUGH COKE TO KILL A HORSE?” Anyway, tangent over. 

The BSAA has decided to just observe for now. They briefly considered separating them just because Gabe’s virus concentrations of the mold were significantly lower than Robbies, and then remembered that Robbie just single handedly fought through what would have killed two of their teams. If they wanted to try and take Gabe away they should be ready to lose an entire compound of men. Besides, the kid is like a built-in handler for them. He makes Robbie happy, keeps him wanting to be as human as possible, and most importantly keeps him fucking docile. The havoc someone who just cant fucking die (along with probable other powers) would be able to wreak… better to just keep them together.

And the most annoying part for Robbie is that they are probably right. Gabe is his tether to humanity in this AU as much as he is in canon. The hive mind aspect of the mold could make it incredibly easy for Robbie to lose himself without someone to center him. Gabe keeps him focused on things like; needing to eat, needing to drink water, needing to breathe (his skin isn't actually skin, just a mold approximation of it so he doesn't technically need lungs). On that note, after receiving a lot of damage Robbie looks significantly less human. The mold and his subconscious are no longer focused on blending in, but on healing themselves and attacking the threat. Places where scars from past injuries at the Baker house are most apparent usually start to turn black and spiderweb out, along with whatever area received damage. It takes a few hours and a feeling of safety to go back to normal.

I've been thinking about how to fit Lisa into this au because I really like her, and I'm thinking she should be a scientist. She's sent once or twice a month to collect blood samples from both of them to monitor their health. At first Robbie does not trust her in the slightest. The mold is still at work combined with his traumatic experiences and she is very much an intruder from an organization he does not trust. Gabe is an entirely different case. His mind isn't as influenced as Robbies and he still desires more social interaction than he's presently getting (hence talking to the mold in the walls like I said on my previous dump) So he's also skeptical about Lisa at first but warms up to her pretty quick. She doesn't get annoyed when he asks her about her cool equipment like some of the other people who come by, and she actually talks to him like a person. 

Goldendaydna made a BEAUTIFUL suggestion for getting Robbie to trust Lisa more quickly and it translated into my brain as this so here is how their first meeting goes: Lisa comes in early in the morning and introduces herself as a doctor from the BSAA here to make checkups on them. Both of the brothers are pretty suspicious and really don't trust her. But she explains that she's just here to take a few samples and run some cognitive tests while she's emptying out her bag. She sees Gabe eyeing the equipment and starts to explain what each thing does while taking it out. Robbie is straight up not letting Gabe even get close to any of that shit and staring daggers at Lisa but she says she can't leave until these tests are completed. She basically just sits in the kitchen refusing to leave. Hours later Gabe finally gets too curious to leave her be, and starts talking to her while Robbie is outside cooling off. She's been making attempts at small talk all morning and every time Robbie ignores her she writes a fucking memo in her stupid little notebook who the hell does she even think sHE IS GOD DAM- anyway. Gabe agrees to do some bloodwork after she offers to show him how her equipment works. She seems nice and what she's talking about isn't scary at all! The mold in the house lets him know what's happening and Robbie just BOOKS it back inside while tendrils of black start to creep out the crevices of the walls. Lisa gets that she is very clearly not welcome and puts her hands up while still holding her notepad “Ok, ok I get it. I’ll leave.” She takes a look at Gabe, who is currently hiding behind Robbie looking very worried and sets her notebook down on the table with the rest of her equipment. Then takes a couple steps back towards the door. “Don't worry, I won't tell them about all” she gestures at the walls “this. If you want a different doctor the BSAA will send one in.” she says, trying to defuse the situation because there is a very angry Bioweapon in front of her right now. And Robbie actually manages to think through the overprotective moldy haze and realizes that 1. There's no guarantee that she will keep her mouth shut and he can't keep track of that if she goes away forever. 2. Maybe if he’s careful with his words and questions he can try and learn more about him and Gabe's respective infection levels. 3. This is… kind of an overreaction, he can see that. Robbie’s noticed that he's becoming more territorial (he's paranoid not blind) and he very VERY much does not want the mold to affect his mind more than it already has. Maybe she can be practice for not wanting to shove everything that isn't molded out of the house? The mold slowly creeps off the walls and he flops down in a chair and puts his arm on the table basically saying ‘FINE’.

Lisa serves a double purpose; collection of samples and observation as well as socialization. She really did mean it when she said she wouldn't tell the BSAA. Mostly because she doesn't need to, they already know Robbies infected (Robbie just doesn't know that they know oh god it's like a bad detective novel up in my brain rn). But getting the samples at all when her coworkers were expecting extraordinary violence definitely earns her some brownie points at work. Robbie seems perfectly fine keeping his own little world isolated to himself and Gabe, but if he ever begins to feel trapped the BSAA needs to know how safe he is around other people and if the brothers can be reintegrated into less isolated areas. They are mostly concerned with Robbies aggression because.. well… he has shown to be VERY AGGRESSIVE when fighting through the Bakers house (I mean Ethan and by proxy Robbie cut Jack Baker in half with a chainsaw to be fair). 

Because Lisa is more trusted by the brothers, she is often sent ahead of time if someone else needs to come by the house. In this way she acts both as a buffer for the mold's hatred (and subsequently Robbies hatred) of unfamiliar people coming into what is supposed to be a safe place. For example, if the electricity goes out she might show up an hour before the electrician to prepare the boys for someone new arriving. When she shows up they're both just sitting in the dark around a candle with the light reflecting off their eyes lol.

I think with Ethan being trained by the BSAA (probably to be used as an agent) they would probably do the same with Robbie at first. If they can use his brother to keep him under control he could be incredibly effective at neutralizing new bio threats. I think Robbie would be skeptical about what they're training him for but I don't think he would object to learning more about how to defend himself. Eventually I think the BSAA would decide that he's too volatile to be used as an agent… but maybe Gabe could still be useful. It's important to remember the BSAA aren't really evil, but they are desperate and probably corrupt to a certain degree (so..kind of evil? Whatever lol). They're not like the old Umbrella Corporation but they aren't any kind of morally pure. I think they would try and find a way to sedate Robbie so Gabes skills could be freely utilized. 

[kazeofthemagun]

[I am once again considering the similarities between Du/ne's Spice and FFU's Soil (at least, as written by me with my headcanons.) They're completely different things but also hear me out on this]

[These powerful, revered substances shimmering just above the sands when the sun is right. An integral part of the culture and technology of the world they're present on and far beyond. Opening the doors to a higher consciousness. A gift, and also a terrible poison. A connection to one's ancestors. A psychostimulating substance deeply rooted in religion.]

[Windarian mages ingesting Soil in certain controversial rituals in an attempt to communicate with the dead - a chance at glimpsing beyond the veil of mortality, a coveted prize coming at a heavy cost. If you ingest the essence of Death and Rebirth into your body to learn its secrets, chances are it's going to take you. And yet, people trying nonetheless, because people are people regardless of species.]

[Spice and Soil. Very different, yet the similarities I see are thrilling.]

[eldritch-spouse]

The Triplets separately

Katia asking how her sons meet their S/O, but their s/o responds with "I was their weed dealer", or in Mervin's case "I'm Obie and Ludwig's weed dealer"

Katia doesn't really care. Yeah, her boys probably did or continue to have weed in their lives. She's not particularly aggravated by the idea, and it's better that they get weed rather than other psychostimulants.

Ludwig snorts and elbows you hard in the side. " I haven't had weed in forever. Try again. "

Obie actually frowns. " You know weed only makes me hungrier, right? 'Sides, it's weak as fuck in the surface. "

Mervin groans. " Had that been the case, I'd steer clear of you. "

[shoesofthefishermanswife]

hi kade! tell me more about antipsychotics. good luck on your studying <3

Hi North!! I've already studied this one a lot so it might be a little bit shorter, but here is antipsychotics summarized:

While they have several pharmaceutical uses, antipsychotics have largely been developed for the treatment of schizophrenia, so it's important to understand the neurology of schizophrenia.

To keep it really simple, schizophrenia is associated with overactivation of D2 receptors in the mesolimbic pathway and underactivation of D1 receptors in the mesocortical pathway. The overactive of D2 receptors is thought to be behind the "postie" symptoms of schizophrenia (hallucinations, disorganized speech, ect). The underactivation of D1 receptors is associated with the "negative" symptoms of schizophrenia (anhedonia, social withdrawal, ect). Because it's about in imbalance of dopamine, not just low or high levels, simple dopamine increasing drugs like psychostimulants aren't effective in treating the negative or cognitive symptoms.

The first generation of antipsychotics invented in the 50s (Chlorpromazine) just kind of binds to a whole bunch of stuff? But the only important thing it does is bind the to D2 receptors and stop them from firing as much. There are a couple big problems with this. First off, they can only reduce positive symptoms, so the person taking it is left with only the negative symptoms. Basically, feeling really shitty and demotivated and depressed. Secondly, targeting a ton of stuff and blocking the vast majority of D2 activation (up to like 86%!) can cause severe side effects. And that, when combined the increased prevalence of the negative symptoms, can be so unbearable that people will just stop taking their medication.

The second generation of antipsychotics tweaked the chemical structure of the first so that it has a little lower affintiy for D2 receptors. This is good because they have less severe side effects because they bind to D2 receptors less and for a shorter time. But to make up for this, they also are 5-HT2A inhibitors. This is less about direct serotonin effects, rather its downstream dopaminergic effects. The 5-HT2A inhibition helps recover some of that D2 antagonism needed for treatment, but allows D2 receptors to function a bit more normally. They are also a bit better at reducing negative and cognitive symptoms

Still, second generation antipsychotics have lots of side effects and each individual drug is basically the same but tweaked slightly so that they will each have slightly different side effects and the patient can pick a side effect profile that works best for them. <- not a feel good sentence to write. They're hard to study because clinical trials have big drop out rates due to the side effects.

Luckily there's a new theory about schizophrenia! Instead of dopamine being the root cause, some believe that it's actually not enough glutamate. Decreased NMDA signaling reduces mesocortical dopamine activation and enhances mesolimbic dopamine activation. And a new type of drug is currently in clinical trials that enhances NMDA activation, and it is improving Both positive and negative symptoms with less severe side effects! It's in the early stages right now but hopefully we're on the precipice of an antipsychotic revolution and we're about to have wayyy better drugs!!

[saunne]

"Would you please be my dealer reseller ?"

So. For those following my ramblings, I think I've said this a few times already, but I'm going to be put on medication for ADHD soon.

The process of getting it was... a bit long and almost exactly the same as being put on testosterone tbh, that is : diagnosis from a psychiatrist, validation by a cardiologist of “non-presence of contraindication to medication” and complete blood test. I'm going to take the blood test first thing tomorrow morning (since you have to fast before) and honestly, nothing new on that front, I have to take two blood tests every six months to monitor my testosterone level.

One thing is different though : THE PRESCRIPTION.

The medication I will be on is Methylphenidate, a powerful psychostimulant (from a pharmaceutical point of view it is considered very close to amphetamine apparently ?). Since it falls into the narcotic category and is therefore highly regulated, I'm going to have a "secure/locked" prescription.

Which means that I will be able to collect this medication from ONE pharmacy only.

So, when I went to pick up my testosterone earlier, I literally had to ask my pharmacist if she would agree to be my reseller for this specific medication, since they will have to order it specially for me. And I can't help but find it hilarious, because even with this being a perfectly regulated medical setting, I didn't think I'd ever have to utter some variation of "please be my dealer.”

[tussive]

Sent this to a friend because we were talking about the theory that smoking cigarettes reduced the likelihood of catching COVID and it seemed relevant and he pointed out that he just believes that this demonstrates that meth is toxic to anything living.

Which, okay, fair, but isn't that more or less the way chemo works, too? Seems like a double standard to me...