The Link Between Trauma, Drug Use, and Our Search to Feel Better By P.E. Moskowitz | September 11, 2025 | Via Atria Books --- Overview This article explores the historical and societal link between trauma, increasing drug use, and humanity's pursuit of relief from mental and emotional pain, particularly in the context of modern capitalism. It draws on personal narrative and cultural history, examining how industrialization introduced new forms of trauma and how pharmaceutical drugs have evolved as targeted solutions to these afflictions. --- Key Points Historical Context of Drug Use and Trauma Humans have used drugs to ease emotional pain throughout history—from plant-based psychoactives like marijuana in preindustrial times to alcohol during the Industrial Revolution. Industrialization created new, intense anxieties due to radical changes like railways, factories, and time regimentations. Writer Will Self argues trauma and PTSD are inherent to modern industrial society, with traumatic events representing extremes of widespread, capitalist-driven anxiety. Rise of Pharmaceutical Solutions The 1950s marked the introduction of industrially made anti-anxiety drugs like Thorazine and meprobamate (Miltown), which became extremely popular as “emotional aspirins.” By the late 1970s, billions of benzodiazepine tablets such as Valium were consumed annually in the U.S., affecting a significant percentage of the population. Benzodiazepines, discovered serendipitously, work by enhancing GABA neurotransmission to calm nervous system overactivity but were poorly understood initially. Personal Reflections on Anxiety and Medication The author discusses their experience with Klonopin (clonazepam), a benzodiazepine with a long half-life that helps manage panic attacks by slowing nervous system excitation. Despite the medication’s help, the return of anxiety is constant, illustrating the ongoing struggle with trauma. Economic and Social Factors Each capitalist era brings a corresponding emotional condition: Industrial age: misery from harsh labor conditions. Mid-20th century: boredom from suburbanized, standardized life. 1960s: rebellion and chaos against monotony. Since the 1970s: the "age of anxiety," marked by economic precarity despite material abundance. These systemic stresses contribute to widespread psychological trauma requiring chemical aids for relief. Drugs as Relief and Stigma Drugs—both prescription and illicit—are used similarly: to alleviate pain, anxiety, depression, and functional challenges. The social and legal stigma disproportionately criminalizes illicit drug use, associating it with poverty and violence. The article challenges the false dichotomy between “medications” and “drugs,” emphasizing their overlapping purposes and benefits. --- Personal Story Highlight The author recounts a singular moment of comfort during a crisis year when a friend physically held them while under the influence of Klonopin, symbolizing the power of human connection and chemical relief combined. This memory serves as an anchor of hope and survival amid ongoing trauma and anxiety. --- Conclusion Trauma and drug use are deeply intertwined with the societal and economic structures that shape modern life. While drugs can help manage overwhelming anxiety, their use reflects broader systemic issues and the need for compassion rather than judgment. The author’s personal journey exemplifies the search for balance and relief in a world fraught with constant sources of trauma. --- About the Author P.E. Moskowitz is a New York–based author and journalist, known for their book Breaking Awake: A Reporter’s Search for a New Life, and a New World, Through Drugs. They write on mental health, capitalism, and culture, contributing to publications such as New York Magazine, GQ, and The Nation. --- Further Reading -