# Requiem for a Dream: Ultimate Anti-drug movie (poss. spoilers)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/requiem-for-a-dream-ultimate-anti-drug-movie-poss-spoilers/218315>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 11, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/requiem-for-a-dream-ultimate-anti-drug-movie-poss-spoilers/218315 "2003-12-11T07:48:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/requiem-for-a-dream-ultimate-anti-drug-movie-poss-spoilers/218315/1 "2003-12-11T07:48:27Z")

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Forget all those cheesy anti-drug commercials you’ve seen on television, forget all the even cheesier movies they made you watch in school. This movie will make you seriously think twice about abusing drugs. To me, it seems that Tyrone got off lucky, with only being imprisoned…he could be doing live sex shows for heroin, or have his arm amputated, or even worse have large portions of his memory removed via electro-shock therapy and live the rest of his life in a delusional state.

I have one question though: Why is Harry taken to jail before the doctors treat his arm? Shouldn’t they have treated him, and then sent him on to do time?

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**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/requiem-for-a-dream-ultimate-anti-drug-movie-poss-spoilers/218315/2 "2003-12-11T07:55:33Z")

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It was a movie about addiction, not drugs necessarilly. The anti-heroin message was secondary, at best. BTW, Heroin addicts aren’t treated with electo-shock therapy - nor are speed heads like like the mother in the film.

IMHO,  
The Jim Carrol movie, Basketball Diaries was much better & even though it came second, Spun was better itoo.

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**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/requiem-for-a-dream-ultimate-anti-drug-movie-poss-spoilers/218315/3 "2003-12-11T07:58:19Z")

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I didn’t view the EST as treatment for addiction, but rather insanity caused by the addiction.

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/requiem-for-a-dream-ultimate-anti-drug-movie-poss-spoilers/218315/4 "2003-12-11T08:01:37Z")

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“Insanity” isn’t treated by ECT (nor does it lead to a delusional state). Intractable depression may sometimes be treated by ECT, in juresdictions that permit it, and with the patient’s consent.