Temanson 1 Colton Temanson Amber Lemiere English 101 12/12/2013 Erasing Memory If possible not everyone should have

to live life dealing with horrible memories that effect their lives in extremely negative ways. I understand most people probably have a negative memory of a person or maybe even a place but those memories are usually easy to deal with internally. The people that should not have to deal with horrible memories are those suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). With a few different options of erasing memory available I believe that victims suffering from PTSD should be first in line to receive treatment. Erasing memories is something everybody probably wishes they could do at one point or another but only those suffering from a disease like PTSD should receive treatment. What is PTSD and how does it affect your life are a few questions people may have. PTSD makes people feel stressed or frightened when they should no longer be feeling that way. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, Roughly 10 percent of women and 5 percent of men are diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetimes. PTSD can be caused from traumas such as rape, natural-disasters, car crashes, and the most common, which is found in ex military members. It is difficult for those living with PTSD to access their memories from the past because their flow of emotion is deeply affected by traumatic events. All cases of PTSD are different, the effects of PTSD can sometimes kick in just hours after a traumatic event or in other

Temanson 2 cases it might take a few months or even a couple of years. There are numerous symptoms of PTSD but the worst symptoms are that the memory of the traumatic events just keep playing over and over in the victims head, making them feel trapped and that they cant escape it. PTSD also creates a wall between living life normally and hiding from basically everything. Being so scared of past traumatic events those with PTSD tend to shy away from living a normal life because something could trigger those memories at any time and ruin their happiness. Those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be the priority patients for memory erasing treatment because of the horrible traumas that lead to their PTSD. The Health Reference Center said in a December 2011 issue of Science Illustrated that Researchers have focused thus far on helping victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with therapy, by forcing them to recall painful memories while in safe surroundings, and teaching them to do one of three things: Replace these thoughts with less stressful ones, desensitize themselves by thinking of the fear repeatedly, or focus on stimuli, such as hand taps or particular sounds, that can be used to later distract themselves when something triggers the memory. PTSD can affect a person that could have been in a horrible car accident or like in most cases it affects soldiers greatly. After doing some research on erasing memory I came across multiple articles such as the one in Science Illustrated explaining a few different ways that makes memory erasing possible. One type of treatment available is to reactivate the bad memories in a safe environment where then it can be altered and restored so next time you think about that memory it brings you back to the safe place instead of the original horrifying memory. Another type of treatment is a pill called propranolol, which over time will erase traumatic memories when taken before reactivating the memory. The other type of treatment available for erasing memory is a treatment

Temanson 3 where enzymes are injected into your brain before the bad memories are even created, its almost like a protective blanket over the good memories that are already stored. In doing some research on those who are opposed to erasing memory I did not find a reliable source that led me to believe anybody out there thinks its a bad thing or unsafe. But I did find a few articles stating memory-erasing pills really arent available. Joe Tsien, a neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia stated in an article in Science News that, Memory-erasing pills are still science fiction, Tsien stresses. This technique will never be used in people as it involves genetically engineering a protein in the brain, he says. But future studies might reveal other ways to selectively forget. I also found an article in Livescience that explains any pills that could erase any or all memories is something that is still decades away. This article also goes on to say that, Neuroethicists, researchers who focus on the ethics of altering the mind, worry the drugs could easily be abused and also may create an altered humanity. So its not that any doctors or researchers think that erasing memory is unsafe or should not be performed, its just that some believe its not currently available like some other sources have stated that it is. Erasing memory might not be available to every individual that believes they need the treatment but after doing my research it is clear that those suffering from diseases such as PTSD are more than qualified and should be first in line to receive treatment to have their horrible memories erased. It is clear that living with PTSD is something no human should have to deal with and ultimately ruins your life the longer you deal with the symptoms. Thats why those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should receive treatment to have their memories erased.

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Works Cited Illustrated, Science. "Resetting the memory: will scientists erase our traumas? Scientists are developing methods to change our memories so that terrifying recollections are either forgotten, altered or neutralized so that they no longer cause fear. This is meant to help victims of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the latest experiments with humans and animals are very promising." Health Reference Center Academic. (2011): 54. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. Sandkhler, Jrgen, and Jonathan Lee. "How to erase memory traces of pain and fear.." Trends in Neurosciences. Jun 2013: n. page. Print. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/external?sid=5ab7d66e-b655-4f69-8f13ab1799aa5dcb@sessionmgr198&vid=6&hid=4106>. Smith, Melinda, and Jeanne Segal. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)." www.helpguide.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec 2013. <http://www.helpguide.org/mental/post_traumatic_stress_disorder_symptoms_treatment. htm>. Welsh, Jennifer. "Memory-Erasing Drug Worries Are Overblown, Some Ethicists Say." Live Science. (2011): n. page. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. <http://www.livescience.com/15621memory-altering-drugs-debate.html>. "What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?." National Alliance of Mental Illness. N.p.. Web. 13 Dec 2013. <http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=posttraumatic_stress_disorder>.