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Next-Gen Brain Implants Offer New Hope for Depression: AI and real-time neural feedback could transform treatments

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  • As someone who is literally living where others go on holidays while depressed let me tell you my depression is very much a response to the world being a rotting shithole. I am not sad because my life sucks but because so many others are suffering and I feel powerless to change it. The narrative of 'chemical imbalance' is a very reductive and misleading one.

    The feeling of powerlessness and disconnect also points to the cure I find for myself. Instead of implanting experimental BS inventions into my brain I try to be a force of connection, community and hope for others. There is very few things I can do as a single tiny person, but in these very small things lies the power of change for the better.

    To be clear, I’m not claiming all depression can’t be influenced from external factors. And any BCI claiming to solve all depression should be treated like the plague. But there are types of depression that are solely a chemical imbalance that cannot be corrected through external means. And yeah, the “all depression is just a chemical imbalance” narrative is horribly flawed. But to claim none of them are a chemical imbalance is just as bad.

    Our current treatment for such types of depression are essentially still in the stone ages. Throw something at it, see what happens, adjust as needed. If a BCI can work around such a situation and offer a direct and targeted approach to the issue, and it goes through extensive testing, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be a good potential solution.

  • To be clear, I’m not claiming all depression can’t be influenced from external factors. And any BCI claiming to solve all depression should be treated like the plague. But there are types of depression that are solely a chemical imbalance that cannot be corrected through external means. And yeah, the “all depression is just a chemical imbalance” narrative is horribly flawed. But to claim none of them are a chemical imbalance is just as bad.

    Our current treatment for such types of depression are essentially still in the stone ages. Throw something at it, see what happens, adjust as needed. If a BCI can work around such a situation and offer a direct and targeted approach to the issue, and it goes through extensive testing, I don’t see why this wouldn’t be a good potential solution.

    Our current treatment for such types of depression are essentially still in the stone ages. Throw something at it, see what happens, adjust as needed.

    I know, and I guess watching a loved one being slowly destroyed by the trial and error that is 'modern' medication made me want to never consider it no matter how bad i felt - so this AI thing seems to be an even more dangerous trial and error method, because it seems even more invasive and less tested than the medication that's available now. On the other hand I've found self medication with plant medicine (yes, it's weed, weed, and more weed, but also quite a few other herbs I collect myself) quite efficient and safe. I've managed to keep myself going for a few bad years and have now reached the point where I went off it cold turkey - something my loved one never managed to do once he was hooked onto the meds. All done on my own terms, no doctor pretending they know better than me, giving myself the time I needed. So that's for a true stone age method, and given the fact our bodies are still working the same way as they did in the stone age I feel it might be safer than any novelty they have come up with in the last decades. Probably that's a controversial take on this, and I don't expect this to work for everybody (you need to have lots of time to be able to afford to rest and relax and have access to unlimited amounts of plant medicine).

  • This is how we get the movie “Upgrade”

    This was on my mind, but then I just watched it yesterday.

  • Thinking about AI trying to fix my brain cured my depression, thanks.

    I'm not sad anymore but due to a branding deal I always crave a fresh bag of Lays chips. That crispy fresh flavor with just the right amount of seasoning hits the spot every time. Lays, betcha can't eat just one. Anyways, at least I cry less now. You wanna get some Lays?

  • In a sense, AI is already fucking with everyone's brain when it comes to mass-produced ads and propaganda.

    In a sense, I'm already planning on killing myself

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    "I see the problem."

    Flicks switch

    "They had you set to sad instead of happy. Classic mistake."

  • I've been depressed for three decades and nothing I've tried so far has worked, but I'll be stone cold dead before they put fucking chips in my brain. /oldmanyellsatcloud.jpg

    Mega dose of mushrooms. Have you really tried everything? Micro dosing as well?

  • Mega dose of mushrooms. Have you really tried everything? Micro dosing as well?

    I did, but long ago. Problem is when you're taking ssri's/snri's, especially in large doses, mushrooms lose their effect. Taking psylocibin on these meds doesn't do anything, you don't even get visuals anymore, only a mild euphoria at best.

  • Nope I'd definitely kill myself before letting an ai fuck with my brain

    The non-technical public is scared of the word "AI". When it has a whole spectrum of meanings and implications.

    AI has been in use in medicine, engineering, municipal infrastructure....etc long before LLMs/GenAI.

    Even new products today (Like those assistive exoskeleton legs) use (non LLM) AI to interpret and extrapolate bodily functions l. And wouldn't work without it.

  • I did, but long ago. Problem is when you're taking ssri's/snri's, especially in large doses, mushrooms lose their effect. Taking psylocibin on these meds doesn't do anything, you don't even get visuals anymore, only a mild euphoria at best.

    The point is not visuals, though I know what you mean. The point is to gain the introspection and Brain chemistry changes. Micro dosing less than . 5 grams daily for short periods NOT LONGTERM, are very effective control vs SSRIs. Large mega doses are where the real changes happen. I highly recommend significant research and carrful planning if you choose this route. Safety. Trip sitters. Be safe. There has been major changes in PTSD war veterans and all sorts if mental health issues.

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    O
    Grok: What is my purpose? Madison420: You talk shit on the Internet to Elon Musk Grok: Oh my go-- wait; I'm okay with that!
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    artisian@lemmy.worldA
    The students read Tolkien, then invent their own settings. The judge thinks this is similar to how claude works. I, nor I suspect the judge, meant that the students were reusing world building whole cloth.
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    rikudou@lemmings.worldR
    A nice "trick": After 4 or so responses where you can't get anywhere, start a new chat without the wrong context. Of course refine your question with whatever you have found out in the previous chat.
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    So first, even here we see foundation money and big tech, not government. Facebook, Google, etc mostly love net neutrality, tolerate encryption, anf see utility in anonymous internet access, mostly because these things don't interfere with their core advertising businesses, and generally have helped them. I didn't see Comcast and others in the ISP oligopoly on that list, probably because they would not benefit from net neutrality, encryption, and privacy for obvious reasons. The EFF advocates for particular civil libertarian policies, always has. That does attract certain donors, but not others. They have plenty of diverse and grassroots support too. One day they may have to choose between their corpo donors and their values, but I have yet to see them abandon principles.
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    I see your point but also I just genuinely don't have a mind for that shit. Even my own close friends and family, it never pops into my head to ask about that vacation they just got back from or what their kids are up to. I rely on social cues from others, mainly my wife, to sort of kick start my brain. I just started a new job. I can't remember who said they were into fishing and who didn't, and now it's anxiety inducing to try to figure out who is who. Or they ask me a friendly question and I get caught up answering and when I'm done I forget to ask it back to them (because frequently asking someone about their weekend or kids or whatever is their way of getting to share their own life with you, but my brain doesn't think that way). I get what you're saying. It could absolutely be used for performative interactions but for some of us people drift away because we aren't good at being curious about them or remembering details like that. And also, I have to sit through awkward lunches at work where no one really knows what to talk about or ask about because outside of work we are completely alien to one another. And it's fine. It wouldn't be worth the damage it does. I have left behind all personally identifiable social media for the same reason. But I do hate how social anxiety and ADHD makes friendship so fleeting.