"The Clebveth are quite sensitive about what they choose to eat and drink. I don't understand it. Someone mentioned something about a history of neurotheris addiction almost wiping them out, but it sounds like poppycock to me. Addiction is for the weak and who heard of neurotheris addiction? Stuff and nonsense."
— Extract from
Travelling To Victory: An Exploration of Victalis System by
Peacekeeper V'Kly
Cause
Neurotheris addiction is caused by the individual's brain creating a chemical reliance on the
Theriax within
Neurotheris in order to maintain order within the body.
Symptoms
Signs of neurotheris addiction include:
- Loss of smell
- Weight gain
- When unable to access more neurotheris for more than a day:
- Twitching
- Spasms
- Irritability
- Increased chance of suicide
- Bouts of aggression followed by severe lethargy
These symptoms are caused by the body's inability to regulate itself without support from neurotheris.
Effects
The effect of neurotheris addiction is the almost constant impact of the drug itself, with each pill increasing the chance of negative side effects and a reduction in the level of euphoria felt.
The addiction also increases the chance of an overdose. The addiction increases the body's need for neurotheris and eventually stops giving any indication that it has had enough.
An overdose can cause and and/or all of the following:
- Heart failure
- A coma
- Death, as the body simply gives into lethargy
Impact
Known impacts of Neurotheris include:
- Subdues intense personality traits
- Reduces decision-making ability
- Distorts short to mid-term memory
- Calms emotions
- Vague sense of euphoria
- Permenant memory loss
- Constipation
- Loss of smell
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Blurred vision
- Indigestion
- Suicidal thoughts
- Erectile dysfunction
- Low libido
- Dangerously reduced heartrate
Treatment
The only way to treat neurotheris addiction is to facilitate a slow and controlled withdrawal from the pills, providing the individual with smaller and smaller doses over longer periods of time. This process is painful and disorientating but it is the only way the patient is able to survive. Studies have shown that removing access to the substance all at once results in death.
Societal Impact
For most people, the chance of addiction is unlikely, with fewer than 1% of individuals who take the pill more than three times end up becoming chemically addicted to it. However, for
Clebveth, this likelihood increases astronomically to 34.76% of those who try it only once.
When the condition was first discovered it was thought to be psychosomatic and was mostly dismissed. It wasn't until the Clebveth population was depleted by 17.84% within five years of the Peacekeepers arriving that they realised they had an epidemic on their hands and a thorough investigation began.
As a result, the Clebveth are extremely sensitive about what they choose to put into their body and avoid anything which is not native to Celebrate.
Gotta love when an overdose can lead to *death*. Really speaks to how addictive something can be if someone can still be attracted to or drawn to something that could still end their life. What's worse was that no one thought it a thing until so many had died! o.o Awesome article!
Yes, the Peacekeepers don't tend to notice a lot of people dying unless they're also Peacekeepers. Thank you so much for reading, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
At least they have their priorities <<
XD Exactly!