"Mother's Little Helper" refers to Valium (diazepam), a tranquilizer popularized in the 1960s, famously satirized by The Rolling Stones in their 1966 song about middle-aged women seeking relief from existential woes with pills, highlighting anxieties, aging, and potential dependency. The term became a cultural shorthand for prescription anxiety medication used by housewives to cope with societal pressures, becoming iconic in pop culture.
The gendered cultural meanings of diazepam (Valium®), a well-known benzodiazepine, was cemented in the 1966 Rolling Stones' song “Mother's little helper”. Benzodiazepines are recommended for the short-term treatment of anxiety and insomnia (Baldwin et al., 2013).
Until the 1950s it was common for bored housewives to buy amphetamine-based drugs from the chemists. In 1963, the use of drugs to alleviate housewives' boredom returned with a vengeance with the introduction of the 'wonder drug' Valium.
Mother's Little Helpers or Mother's Little Helper may refer to: Nickname for the drug Diazepam (Valium) Cougars, Inc., developed under the title Mother's Little Helpers, a 2010 indie film. "Mother's Little Helper", a 1966 Rolling Stones song.
The Rolling Stones' 1966 hit Mother's Little Helper observes the quiet desperation of a suburban housewife who has become reliant on prescription pills to get through the drudgery and anxiety of her life. It's a tale of the sort of discreet domestic drug dependency with which Valium is synonymous.
Tolerance, dependence and withdrawal
Prolonged use of bromazepam can cause tolerance and may lead to both physical and psychological dependence on the drug, and as a result, it is a medication which is controlled by international law.
Miltown, launched in the 1950s, was the first “blockbuster” psychotropic drug in the US. However, by 1970 it was reclassified as a sedative and considered a controlled substance due to the risk of dependence, and its market was largely replaced by Valium.
In 1958, Hoffmann-La Roche patented another benzodiazepine, called diazepam, soon to become world-famous as Valium. Heavily pushed by Arthur Sackler, sales of the new drug quickly eclipsed the old barbiturates.
SEREPAX is used to treat:
Anxiety • Tremor, confusion or anxiety associated with alcohol withdrawal. Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why it has been prescribed for you.
Mother's Little Helpers 1960's 1970"s Benzodiazepines (Valium) became the most widely prescribed drugs in the world and were wildly popular, particularly among American housewives in the 1960's and 70's.
1960s: Mods' and 'rockers' used Dexedrine (dexies), Durophet (blackbombers) and Drinamyl (Purple Hearts after their blue and triangular shape) which combined amphetamine and barbiturate in one pill.
While marijuana use continued from the 1960s counterculture, cocaine emerged as a major threat, particularly among urban professionals and the entertainment industry. During this era, cocaine was often viewed as a “luxury drug” with less stigma than today, creating a false sense of safety around its use.
By far, alcohol is the most commonly abused substance in the United States.
Commonly Abused Medication
Video Summary for Oxazepam vs. Alprazolam. This video compares two benzodiazepine medications used to treat anxiety disorders. Oxazepam (formerly Serax) is absorbed slowly and peaks after about three hours, while alprazolam (Xanax) is absorbed quickly and peaks within one hour.
Oxazepam is used to treat anxiety. Oxazepam is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by slowing activity in the brain to allow for relaxation.
Benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines can increase the calming effect of certain chemicals in your brain. When you take a benzodiazepine, it can reduce anxiety and may help you sleep. Examples are diazepam and lorazepam.
The 1970s ushered in another one: a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. These medications— lorazepam (Ativan®), alprazolam (Xanax®), clonazepam (Klonopin®), and diazepam (Valium®)—were shown to treat anxiety that previously didn't respond to any other treatments and helped with insomnia.
Diazepam and lorazepam differ in potency and in the time-course of their action. As a sedative, diazepam 10 mg is equivalent to lorazepam 2-2.5 mg. Diazepam is better absorbed after oral than after i.m. administrations but this does not apply to lorazepam.
While DMT itself (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) is known by its chemical name or nicknames like "Dimitri," "DiMiTri," or the mystical "Spirit Molecule," its presence in illicit markets often involves related compounds like 5-MeO-DMT (often just called "5-MeO") or blends like Changa, a vaporizable mix of DMT and plant matter, sometimes referred to as "the change".
Middle-Class Housewives and the Valium Epidemic: By the 1960s, benzodiazepines were prescribed to millions of American women for anxiety, tension, and insomnia. Valium was the best-selling drug of the 1970s. Advertisements framed these medications as a way for women to maintain their composure.
Jim Carrey talks about being on Prozac for a long time and he had to get off at a certain point as he didn't want to be on it indefinitely. “There are peaks, there are valleys,” he said. “But they're all kind of carved and smoothed out, and it feels like a low level of despair you live in.