Is it okay to take drugs to make yourself a better person? Does it make a difference if "better" is mental or if it's physical?

I'm a better person with Adderall. I feel more like myself, like I escape a frustrating fog. I've been on it for ~14 years. It doesn't seem to have the same effects on everyone.

Everything in life is ultimately brain chemistry and addictions. Most of the drugs in our chemistry soup are the substances the human body synthesises on its own. Biology is a funny thing. It can handle immense complexity, but can struggle with precision.

If you have the self awareness to seek out and optimise your brain or body chemistry where it might be lacking, I'd argue that you are the better person than someone that suffers through the deficiencies of their natural biology.

However, humans have a very difficult time assessing their own brain chemistry objectively without biases. It is both harmful and unsafe to self diagnose or self medicate without the assistance of someone that is trained to objectively asses your situation and needs.

Define better.

There's people that think they're better with a few drinks in them. There's people that think they're better when they're on meth. Same with pretty much every drug.

But drugs are never, ever a one stop shop for self improvement. I'm not talking treating medical conditions here, that's a different issue entirely.

It doesn't matter if an a given drug helps, it never fully works in a vacuum. It takes some degree or another of willingness to change, and some degree of work.

Example: roids. Used appropriately, they can help improve your body. But if you just shoot them and stay at home, it's a waste of money. That being said, I've seen way too many otherwise good people turn into wrecks by using them, so don't unless it's on a regimented and careful medical plan. So, while the drugs have benefits, they can only give you an edge, they don't do the work for you.

If you go to something that isn't as often abused, antidepressants are a great tool in dealing with depression and related illnesses. But they're a bandaid. If you don't do the work needed to fix the underlying issue that's causing the depression, they aren't any better than weed, or booze, or whatever because they do have side effects that can be just as problematic as use of recreational drugs (as opposed to abuse or dependency, which aren't the same as having a toke or a drink after work to deal with the stress).

Afaik, there aren't any drugs, legal or illegal, that improve the self without effort on the part of the patient. Again, this is not about treating an injury, infection, or whatever. It's about self improvement in the general sense.

Better is better. Everything else is just silly pointless judgment

Don't take non-OTC drugs without consulting a physician first. You could really screw yourself up with some of them, the hard stuff especially. The potential ups of doing them aren't worth the likely losses.

People who take aspirin or ibuprofen take it for a specific purpose, and when they no longer need it, they stop. With things like steroids, heroin, cocaine, and Adderall (if they don't have specific conditions like ADHD), people frequently end up chasing a horizon that only gets further away the harder they run to catch it. It's a miserable existence and it causes them, and often their friends and loved ones, endless pain.

You deserve the best from yourself. That includes self-care. You're more than your flaws and disorders, whatever they may be. Don't make those an excuse to wreck yourself in pursuit of a goal that probably isn't real.

Man, I wonder how many people answering this question "need to" have coffee every morning

In short, yes, but it has to be carefully controlled, and on your terms.

I have adhd, I regularly take medication for it. It has a significant effect on my personality. I takes away the "excited labrador puppy" energy, which is replaced with a more calm and considerate version of me.

It's worth noting that this change is something I wanted. The improvements for others is a nice side benefit. It's also done with medical supervision.

It's also worth noting that the change does become more permanent. Even when unmedicated, I can mode switch far more easily than before. My brain understands the new state better and so can recreate it, even without chemical support.

What a cracker of a question!

Short answer, yes.

Long answer, what sorts of side effects happen as a result of said medication? I don't think there's a single medication or even supplement out there that doesn't have some sort of side effect (e.g., ibuprofen can cause gut bleeding, iron supplements can lead to constipation, grapefruit can screw with all sorts of medications), so balancing the cost benefit ratio is important.

It’s entirely okay to use medication to improve your mental health. There are serious things like depression, anxiety, and mania out there that are chemical in origin and there is nothing wrong with using chemistry to get rid of them.

You should do this with the help of a good doctor and trusted people who can help give you perspective on how you’re doing. When you say “take drugs to make yourself a better person” I can’t tell if you are looking for permission to get high or addressing the topic of mental health meds in earnest.

It really depends on the drug and who gave it to you.

When a doctor gives you medication against high blood pressure its to keep you healthy.

When the guy from the gym gives you testosterone that he got from his friend its a very bad idea.

If its a drug you can buy yourself at the store, like caffeine, it really depends on the dosage cause you can get caffeine poisoning.

Regarding stuff like weed or LSD or similar. They shouldn't be taken regularly because they can be mentally addictive and might further psychological issues or get you over the edge faster regarding psychosis.

And for harder drugs like Heroin, Meth... No. Just no.

I think you answered your own question. If taking drugs actually makes you a better person, of course it's OK. That's true for both physical and mental considerations.

But look, you put everything into one definition. What is "better", who decides, and how do they decide? If you don't have anywhere to go, you probably won't get there. Or maybe you will get there but you won't realize it.

There is much debate on all kinds of drugs, but I can tell you that some of my friends have had various experiences that are relevant. For several friends, acid or shrooms helped them deal with some harsh trauma. For several other friends, various uppers helped them handle ADHD relatively effectively. But of course we all have different problems and goals, so the burden is right back on you to figure out what you want to do. There's no way around this basic fact of life.

Which drugs?

Yes.

Some people have to use pills their entire lives. I take some for my disability. They make me more patient and less excited/stressed. They also reduce episodes in which I might harm myself or do things I regret. I am not my disease. I am me, and the medicine is like using crutches for my mind.

I can not solve my issues by talking to a therapist, so medicine is a requirement.

I find it kinda idiotic not to accept medicine that will make things better for you. It's irrational. I don't blame you for feeling it this way, I am not sure if this is a gendered issue, but as a man I took it quite hard when I had to start taking meds, it was as if I had a weakness and was less than my peers. "Men are supposed to be stoic and tough" (I have since changed perspective)

Take your meds, no-one will give you a medal or appriciate it if you don't. You are also not weaker if you take them. It just makes life easier, like a good bed or a good home. Is having a good home a weakness? "What? You can't survive on the street? You pussy!" /s

See the irrational way of thinking? Any comfortable choice can be called some form of weakness. So then the queation becomes: Why choose to have difficulty when nobody gains from it?

It's ok if you call then medicines instead of drugs. Otherwise maybe ok anyway.

I think so, yes. Always OK. Is it always the best possible way to go? Probably not.

And no, I don't think it matters if it's physical or mental, what matters is balancing the risk of the drug vs. the benefit. So for example my kid takes Adderall for ADD, I don't, because I know how much I like speed and also have a (very far past) history of disordered eating and still occasional anxiety about eating - I judge the potential risk too high even if it would "fix" my mind in one way, and make me better in that way.

But yeah, if it will improve you overall why wouldn't it be ok?

Why do you want to be better? What is the problem?

I... think this question is a bit more complicated for this community. Following are only my personal opinion

Prescribed medication? I think so, I'd rather be physically and mentally healthy rather than have the other alternative. And usually medication (even ones with noted negative effects) are meant do do more good than harm so...

Recreational drugs... the line between this and the above is surprisingly not as clear-cut as it seems. I believe there are active lines of study of using various psychedelic compounds to treat mental disorders or other conditions... Personally I would take medically prescribed psychedelics if I am 1) under medical supervision and 2) based on evidence it would help my mental health (maybe that's the answer to the question?)

Hard drugs: I don't see how they can make anyone a better person, and no

Sure I think so overall, but "drugs" is a broad category, so I'll try to hone in on it.

If you are normally healthy, if you feel sick from a cold, flu, fever, allergies, motion sickness etc. there's little reason that you shouldn't take OTC medication to help you get through recovery and purposely abstaining is needless suffering. When you feel you've recovered is when you stop using them.

If you are prescribed medication by a physician then you take it as prescribed. If taking it doesn't feel like it is effective or it makes you feel worse, you talk to the doctor to make adjustments or switch medication.

For casual recreational drugs (ranging from caffeine, alcohol, cannabis, tobacco) occasional use is fine, but my opinion is that you would rather have the default be without it, if the default is with it in excess then you should consult a doctor.

For abuse of OTC drugs, prescriptions and illegal drugs, it's a sign of a problem if you're on them and can't get off. They are a trap that is very easy to fall into and hard to get out of.

I don't hate people that have been caught in that trap but I think they deserve a lot of helping hands, so that it would be possible for them to live a healthier life and have that be their normal rather than being on a drug trip be their normal. At the same time I don't blame many such folks, a drug trip sounds like a way better life than just sitting on the street sober as a homeless person. They are victims of their circumstance. People need to have a normal living space if we want people to live a normal, sober life. Drugs are great but they break our brains and bodies if used improperly.

Being physically better does not make a bully any less of a bully. Being physically better is cool, and practical, but as humans our social interactions and mental health are much more important. Especially in the modern world where physical problems often aren't major problems anymore.

Talk to your doctor to figure out if medication works for you. It's helpful to a lot of people. That's what medication is for.

It's unfortunate that in some cultures there's a bit of a taboo on medication

Drugs are fine, great even! If you have the personality type where you can just do them once in a blue moon and not get addicted or do anything that could harm you, or others, or potentially ruin your life.

Although no matter what there’s some you should probably just stay away from. Like heroin or meth.

Seeing as how this topic isn't part of Rule 3 for which the answer is to go seek professional help, nor is there a rule specific to stupid answers, I'm gonna go ahead with this one.

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Not really. If you need drugs to make yourself a better person, once you've made your life as that better person and the drugs run out, will that life still be compatible with the drugless you? Will you still be able to handle it? To like it? For it to like you? How desperate will you be to find an alternative?

And every drug has a downside, a cost both physical and mental. Have you informed yourself what that cost is? And I'm not talking about the success stories, if it's not obvious, I'm talking about the ones that took any of these drugs and it failed them. Can you handle those kind of results? If you can't take into account the cost of failure and whether it outweighs the cost of success, then that drug isn't for you.

Also, I'd ignore the "go for it" type of comments. Their bias is the equivalent of a "bootstraps" type of success story and not that much reliable. A more reliable success story is that of fighter planes:

Initially, engineers looked at bullet holes in the fuselage to figure out which areas to strengthen and have fewer planes downed. When that didn't work, some smartass said that if a hit downed a plane, then it won't make it back to base. So the engineers strengthened the areas without bullet holes instead.

Well guess what, the downed planes won't make it to Lemmy and tell their stories to you. Imagine that.

No. And it makes no difference if it's mental or physical. Take only what's prescribed by your doctor for medical necessity.

Depends on what drugs

Mental healþ aids, perfectly fine

Heroin, bro why?