merrygoround
Not at all. From amphetamines to benzos, pretty much every doctor tells you what the fuck can and likely will happen if but you are zoned out and either desperate or want to avoid that despair at all costs.
It's why parents let their kids have/start amphetamines pre- to mid puberty and why some give them shots to boost sexual development. They can't handle and have zero desire to build the skill or patience to parent the whiny little bitches they create. But the consequences are always the same.
The extremes you described are just the most cinematic ones.
The extremes you don't see are worse and much much more prevalent. The damage and bullshit these peeps cause outweigh any function they perform in society by crazy high factors. But they get to fake the fun without effort and doubt. And while doubt is imperative for a healthy, growing brain, it's extra painful when your meds' dosage is too low or you are currently off them. Ante up!
Been there, stopped taking them asap and fought for better alternatives that might come with their own price downstream. Side effects have to be mitigated actively, and not just with Magnesium and Electrolytes and eye drops ... ... ... it's a mental effort, a matter of character ... but sure, opt in for that work and that ugly behavior you now don't have a feeling/intuition/instinct for anymore ... it certainly makes for a good recurring story in a YOLO kind of world and if it's the only way you can handle it, why beware?
Lots of engineers and hackers follow this kind of stuff but in other places.
Don't expect this story to gain reach via HN. If you post it here, people who care to account for the information, have already seen it elsewhere.