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Comment by bitmasher9 | Hacker News Reader

> In a pilot phase 2A randomized clinical trial, 17 children with autism who received intranasal vasopressin for four weeks showed improvements in interpreting the mental states of others, recognizing others’ emotions via facial expressions, and other social abilities, Parker and her colleagues reported in 2019. Some of the children also had diminished repetitive behaviors and anxiety, and parents reported no increase in aggression. The team awaits the results of an eight-week phase 2B vasopressin treatment trial in more than 100 autistic children.

The fear here is in 20 years we will medicate quiet children into being more sociable at the same scale we’re dispensing adhd medications currently. An entire personality trait (introversion) could be big pharma’s next target.

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Well, programming is now a career choice for extraverts and sociable types, because Agile methodologies and "beware a guy in a room" have normalized more studio meddling from the top. So if there's a pill I can pop to make me more sociable, sign me up if it'll help me find or keep work.

That's a very bleak view, having to drug oneself to keep a job. I wish you, or anyone, for that matter, needs to do that for the sake of capitalism

I mean we spend 8-10hours a day working at someone else’s command. Things are already bleak. Normal is what you/society says it is.

What can I say, it's a bleak world. People with depression, ADHD, autoimmune syndromes, and other physical or mental disorders drug themselves so they can function in society, so it's not like that's new.

sign me up as well. if i can take a drug to have a better life i’d gladly pay whatever it costs. it sucks to feel as socially isolated as i do. might even improve my job prospects since so many of my rejections seem to be from my neurodivergence not meeting their high standards

Though even in your quote, it’s clearly working in a more nuanced way than suppressing introversion. Being better able to understand others’ emotional state, and reduced anxiety, seem to be obvious improvements

And yet, what are the trade-offs? Do we know what they're losing in return? I think it's fair to correlate (over)socialization with a lack of technical curiosity and drive. Those are valuable traits in both utilitarian and metaphysical senses. Do they retain such traits if they have them?

How do you get to that correlation? Anecdotal or is there some evidence?

Anecdotal.

I suppose if we stop people from stimming, maybe we have less drummers? Less risk taking CEOs? It’s really hard to know. But if there’s some trait that causes some people misery but they offer this ‘utility’ for greater society, can we really lament people managing these traits by artificial means? (And in this case, the effect is temporary)

> it's fair to correlate (over)socialization with a lack of technical curiosity and drive

That is certainly an opinion.

I guess the issue is we are medicating a social issue, which is not ideal.

> it’s clearly working in a more nuanced way than suppressing introversion

Isn’t it related to feeling like someone is truly on your team?

Will there be a pill to have the opposite effect? I could honestly use a suppression of my empathy every once in a while lol

From my personal experience, Adderall.

It's one reason that I limit my usage nowadays.

(The other being that taking it too late I'm the day means I won't sleep that night.)

i’m all for it. maybe not everyone with autism struggles with existential dread over the persitent social isolation they feel from struggling to navigate social interactions but i would certainly trade that part of myself in a heartbeat. it’s just not worth it to feel like i do day in and day out. there’s no one looking out for me and the only emotional support is a professional and i can’t afford that anymore because i’m now out of work and struggling to get back in because of my autism

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