Knackered Fears Hysteria with Benzos

   Hey there, Knackered here.  Unless you’ve resided under a rock (not possible) or been living in a parallel universe (entirely possible), you’re aware of the hyperbole of hysteria created around the recent mass events in the US.  Even a news phobic like myself has encountered some degree of reaction attached to all of this.

   Media aside, we would do well to be aware of the likelihood of hysteria that can boil into a pandemic know as mass hysteria.  Somewhat akin to the Salem witch trials of colonial America, the actual terminology for this is known as psychogenic illness.  Although not viral in the sense of an illness, it does “refer to an outbreak of unusual and uncharacteristic behaviors, thoughts and feelings, or health symptoms shared among a group of people.” (healthline.com)

   Though not quite like the recent pandemic that we have all known,  it has equally chilling effects:  “people tend to believe something specific has triggered their symptoms, they  don’t have an underlying health condition that could prompt those symptoms, they wouldn’t  believe in that way on a regular basis, and they share an extreme fear of an exaggerated or nonexistent threat.”(ibid.)

   Though the same type of crazed thinking from the witch trials occurred in the historical past, it is still alive and well in today’s society.  Carried by the internet and social media, this thinking is very much present today.

   Symptoms are easily recognized by the rapid spread of panic and fear.  It is spread most effectively by verbal and visual causes.  Large gatherings are particularly effective in this sense.

   I need not remind any of you of political leaders who have successfully ridden the coat tails of this madness to positions of unexpected authority and power in recent world history.  Suffice it to say that any parallels drawn here to recent times is purely intentional.

   Much of my purpose here is to remind you as to the vulnerability of marginalized groups, one of which we are members of.  I would hazard to say that any of us would likely take interest to similar events that suppose to relieve the symptoms we endure.  Folks in the main stream can be equally effected by conditions in their own lives that would hasten them to latch onto the hope provided by those promising equal claims.

   If you have never read George Orwell’s 1984, now is the time to do so immediately.  What he has to say may scare the wits out of you, but will at the same time remind you of the possibilities of where all of this might be going.  A timely quote of his needs to be carefully considered:  “The further society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it.”  Enough said.