Comments on: Sex makes you happy

By: jam

jam — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 14:51:06 +0000

Bellatrys said: Jam – they were overprescribing antidepressants back in the late 1960s, when my mother refused to take the prescription for “sleeping pills” … But dealing with the symptoms of our insane and abusive society by handing out painkillers is a very long tradition.

interesting, Bellatrys. it was my impression that up until the development of Prozac & its analogs in the late80s-early90s there was no real mass market for antidepressants in the US. i was also under the impression that tranquilizers & sedatives (valium, librium, etc.) were the most widely prescribed pharms in the 60s & 70s, not antidepressants.

that said, i could well be wrong &/or misinformed. i’ve had my understanding of history turned on its head more than once.

By: Norah

Norah — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 04:33:17 +0000

I’ll go a step futher…I’ve always thought that no sex makes you crazy.

By: David Thompson

David Thompson — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 03:48:22 +0000

“But no one ever said that you have to have sex.”

Everyone says that. A lot of it is implicit, but it’s no less insidious for that. The all-but-universal response to open celibacy ranges from pity to derision to insincerity, usually followed by a reassertion of the supposed normalcy of the hypersexual “fuck anything at any time” attitude. The only time celibacy is even marginally respected is when it’s an external imposition (deformity, religious vows). I would have expected an avowed feminist to be particularly aware of the pressures society exerts on people to fulfill their expected gender roles, but I see now I was wrong to do so.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 02:58:25 +0000

Fair enough. But no one ever said that you have to have sex. Do you honestly think anyone here is going to quarrel with the fact that in the great diversity of humanity, some people want lots of sex and some want none, and it’s all cool? Jill and I both have openly supported asexual people, after all.

By: David Thompson

David Thompson — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 01:55:57 +0000

“If you don’t think celibacy causes stress, you’ve never been to a singles mixer and smelled the horny desperation on people.”

Imprecision is your enemy, and it has defeated you utterly. Celibacy does NOT cause depression and stress. Attempting to conform to hideously anti-celibate social customs causes depression and stress.

By: Pandagon

Pandagon — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 01:49:09 +0000

Today’s reminder that reproductive rights are in danger

Planned Parenthood has put up an article on the importance of sex to mental/emotional health. Turns out that having a hearty sex life is far more correlated to happiness than money is. I second what Jill says–”Duh”. Of course, one…

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 01:27:10 +0000

If you don’t think celibacy causes stress, you’ve never been to a singles mixer and smelled the horny desperation on people.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 01:26:26 +0000

Oh yes it does, if it’s not wanted.

By: David Thompson

David Thompson — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 01:23:04 +0000

“There are plenty of other things in this country that can cause depression and stress than celibacy…”

Celibacy does NOT cause depression and stress.

By: bellatrys

bellatrys — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 01:06:45 +0000

Jam – they were overprescribing antidepressants back in the late 1960s, when my mother refused to take the prescription for “sleeping pills” they gave her to handle her disfunctional family, broken romance, and general stress due to the war/us imperialism/American obliviousness to the rest of the world.

They also handed out barbituates like candy to “hysterical” women in the 50s. Before that, it was laudanum, the 19th century version of oxycontin to which Anna Karenina gets addicted. (Unapproved unprescribed substances at the same time included the hot new drug of choice, ether, popular among depressed teens and others in depressed economic areas, and ye olde standby througout all human history, alcohol…)

One of the reasons why the current forms got overprescribed in the 80s/90s is that they seemed, unlike the older ones, to be both nonaddictive and to have no dangerous side effects. But dealing with the symptoms of our insane and abusive society by handing out painkillers is a very long tradition.