In the early 1960s, doctors prescribed large amounts of dopamine-boosting amphetamine to promote “cheerfulness, mental alertness, and optimism,” as described by a contemporary advertisement. Most of these prescriptions were written for women, who were twice as likely as men to be prescribed amphetamine to “adjust their mental state.” As one doctor described it, amphetamine allowed them to be “not only capable of performing their duties, but to actually enjoy them.” In other words, if you don’t like cooking or cleaning, it helps to be on speed. But that’s not all. In addition to making
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