“Healing Powers” host Mareesa Stertz links up with a scientist who’s tested over 170 synthetic compounds on himself — all in a quest to rid humanity of anxiety.
Feeling stressed out? You’re not alone. Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the United States, with more than 40 million adults grappling with the strains and pressures of modern life. It’s an even bigger business, with the market for antianxiety drugs including Xanax and Valium expected to total $3.8 billion by 2020. Given that prescriptions for benzos and antidepressants are only rising, it’s clear we haven’t mastered our medication of stress.
But one man thinks he can. In the latest episode of Healing Powers, host Mareesa Stertz connects with Dr. Zee, an Israeli chemist and drug designer known for discovering the controversial substance mephedrone. Zee collaborates with other chemists to synthesize new compounds based on his own research — and then tries them all on himself. He believes that while society’s demands cause stress to the human brain, which evolved according to very different historical realities, that engineered substances can soothe common anxieties and eliminate unnecessary suffering.
For more “Healing Powers,” check out the first, second, and third episodes.