Watch Out for ‘Vitamin K’

Now that more of the widely abused anesthetic is in circulation for so-called 'recreational' purposes, new (and strange) consequences have begun to emerge.

In psychology, the intrusive thought is one that seems to pop into your mind from nowhere —uninvited, unwanted, and often disturbing.

For patients with anxiety disorders, they may embody someone’s worst fears. One woman complained that whenever she crossed a bridge, her mind abruptly filled with images of falling to her doom. That sometimes triggered a panic attack.

Another patient, diagnosed with OCD, found herself automatically counting her own steps whenever she went for a walk. She had to consciously order herself to stop counting.

With addictions, of course, intrusive thoughts are often about a return to drug use. They may arrive in the wake of a vivid dream, and contribute to relapse.

I view them like those annoying pop-up ads that appear on websites and social media — there solely to promote an impulse purchase of something the viewer doesn’t actually need or want. In the case of addiction, the “product” being marketed is drugs.

”I figure all...

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The big players merge with or acquire local brands, then aggressively lobby politicians to restrict (or even prohibit) competition from independent businesses. 

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