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By: Keith Motusesky, Mike Manners, Carly Landow, Rohith Gowrisankar, & Sydney Herman

Usage of drugs in Brave New World versus our world today

Brave New World demonstrates that overuse of antidepressants without therapy can results in addiction, loss of self, and even death.

Usage of Soma and antidepressants and its relationship to society.

#1

What is Soma?

Claim:

In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, an antidepressant, known as Soma, is provided by the government to help control and shape their society while providing a relief towards negative emotions. These antidepressants exist in our society today and are known as Zoloft and Prozac.

#2

Causes of addiction to antidepressants

#3

Addiction to Soma in Brave New World

#4

Why is addiction to antidepressants a problem?

What is Soma? And why was it given?

The society in the Brave New World was under a dictatorship, and in order to distract the people, Soma was provided to take their minds away from what is really going on around them. The Soma drug provided an escape from reality to everyone that took it. While they were on it, it masked their true personality and it made them lifeless. Everyone that took this drug was hooked on it because they depended on it to make them lose their negative emotions. It was given by the government because they also didn't want people to experience negative emotions throughout thier life.

These drugs exist in our society

According to Detox to Drugs, a you tube account consisted of young therapists explains different effects of commonly used drugs, antidepressants are subscribed to treat stress or trauma the sides effects are very similar to Soma, in order to distract people from their pain or trauma their personality and feelings are numbed. These drugs are non addictive but can be psychologically addictive and can be abused. Once it’s abused the body develops a dependence. Which is very common in our society.

Addiction to Soma in Brave New World

In Brave New World, it was so easy to get hooked on Soma because it was always offered to them. Since it was provided by the government it looks as though there would not be any negative side affects such as addiction, lose of self, and overdosing. Once the drug was provided, they could not stop taking it because they relied on it to make them feel happiness, but not even that, its more of no feelings at all. After feeling good and having it provided by someone they trust, there was no reason to stop which causes addiction. Side effects of coming off of antidepressants is an even deeper depression or suicidal tendencies which is why people in both our society and in The Brave New World can’t stop taking them. Coming off of the drug comes with major negative side effects for example flu-like symptoms. These negative symptoms result in less of a desire to come off of the drugs. This is how the society of the Brave New World keeps the citizens hooked and distracted from their dictatorship.

Why is addiction to antidepressants a problem?

Addiction to antidepressants is a major problem because there are many negative side affects and risks. For example loss of self and even death. Because the users heavily rely on it, so they take more and more, they don't realize that although they feel good for that short-term period it has a negative effect on their body when they use to much.

Claim:

Many people can relate to taking drugs for reasons but most drugs being consumed are not prescribed by a doctor. However after using drugs one may get addicted causing overdose. Just like antidepressants, once you take them they become addicting if you allow your mind to take control over your actions from your body.

Society in our world sees people who overdose more then not when on medication. Once prescribed a certain medication people begin to look at it as their life and tend to take more than they should causing an overdose epidemic.

Illegal drugs or prescription drugs, make you an outsider of society because people are not aware of how often they’re used by those around them, they only see the aftermath from them.

The risk of taking a drug as addicting as Soma puts the drug user more at a danger risk from the effects of the drug itself and the symptoms that come with the addiction.

Soma however, is completely accepted in the society of Brave New World which changes people’s perspective on the drug and how it is used throughout the novel, but also leads to deaths; like Linda.

Loss of Self from drugs

As years go on more and more teens and even adults are struggling from drug addiction and only 5% get the right help and treatment needed

Over 5 million emergency room visits in 2011 were for an overdose on drugs and or drug related issues

Brave New World

How the drug impacts in a negative way

When Soma is used in Brave New World, it is accepted into the peoples way of life and is considered normal. For example, Linda struggles from addiction with her usage of Soma causing her to obtain an unhealthy amount of the drug which leads her to death. This shows how the drug is extreme and intense but also used often. There are no limits with the usage of this drug in the novel which is also part of the reason as to why Linda struggled so much and was not able to get help in time.

Why Do Americans Not Get Help In Time When Suffering From Drugs

How Americans Struggle For Help

20.6 million people in the United States over the age of 12 with an addiction in 2011. 100 people die every day from drug overdoses. This rate has tripled in the past 20 years. 6.8 million people with an addiction have a mental illness. This then makes the person/people struggling to just continue doing what they are doing because they think it is there way of life and that it is the right thing to do, because they are too scared to ask for help which screws up their mindset and causes mental issues and physical issues as well.

Extra information:

https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-statistics/

In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, drug addiction is common not only in the book's society, but in today's society as well. There are many causes to one's perception of a drug, such as personal experience, but more importantly the way society as a whole perceives drugs.

Perception on Drugs

Drug Addiction Side Effects

Drug Side Effects

Anxiety

In Brave New World & today's society, citizens would experience this often when not using the drug

Depression

"Soma", an antidepressant used in Brave New World helps remove depressing thoughts from one's life, similar to antidepressants in today's society. This naturally causes people to become reliant on the drug

Distracting

"Soma" is used in Brave New World to distract the citizens from noticing the corrupt government they're in. In today's society, drugs are very popular & large corporations manipulate consumers into buying drugs for profit

Similarities Between Book's Society & Today's Society

Drug Addiction: Similarities Between Brave New World's Society & Today's Society

In Brave New World's society & today's society, there are many differences that separate the two in terms of drug addiction. However, there is one major similarity between the two; both societies have governments that tolerate & restrict what drugs their citizens should and should not take. Although the governments have difficult goals in doing so, they both have a major impact on drug addiction and society's perception on drug taking. In the book, the government provides only one drug for all their citizens with the goal of manipulating their citizens and strengthening their power. In today's society, the government tries to put restrictions on drugs with the goal of keeping citizens safe and healthy, but large corporations have a massive impact on our society's perception of drugs.

Differences Between Book's Society & Today's Society

Drug Addiction: Differences Between Brave New World's Society & Today's Society

A huge difference between drugs in the book's society & today's society is how people perceive the drugs they are taking. For example, in Brave New World, Soma has become a drug that is essential to everyone's life; living without Soma is unimaginable. A similar drug to Soma in today's society are antidepressants, which are taken by 13% of Americans ages twelve or older as of 2014. In the book, taking Soma is much more accepted by society and is promoted by the government, while in today's society, antidepressants usually have a negative connotation & people who use them are often seen as mentally weak / unstable.

Americans use drugs as an outlet for their problems

Who is this 10.6%?And why do they use illegal drugs?

10.6% of Americans over the age of 12 used illegal drugs in 2015. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/drug-use-illegal.htm

How Addiction is so prevalent in The United States

According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 56% of their sample group (believed to be a representation of the american public) reported to using alcohol on a monthly basis

When do people drink and why? Is this seen in Brave New World?

Who are the people addicted to illegal drugs in the USA

Who are the Americans using illegal drugs? Why do they use these substances

People impacted by addictive, and illegal drugs such as Heroine, Methamphetamine, and Crack- cocaine, are often people of a low socioeconomic class. "A 2007 survey notes that 23 percent of unemployed persons had used cocaine at least once, while 19 percent of those employed full-time and almost 15 percent of part-time employees had tried it." (Foundations recovery network.) It has become the general consensus of rehabilitation centers, that there is direct correlation between annual income and drug use, for deviant behavior is inevitable in impoverished areas.

Why do people Drink?

When do people drink and why? Is this seen in Brave New World?

Both soma and alcohol have the exact same functionality within our societies. This idea is shown clearly when Lenina is advising Bernard to chill out, and take some soma. "'Why you don’t take soma when you have these dreadful ideas of yours. You’d forget all about them. And instead of feeling miserable, you’d

be jolly. So jolly,”' (Huxley 52) This shows the parallel functionality between soma and alcohol, in the World state and the USA. Soma serves to distract people from the terrible things they deal with in their day today lives, as does alcohol.

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