Scott Alexander explores the complexities and inconsistencies of drug tolerance in psychiatry, highlighting how different drugs can produce varying tolerance effects across individuals. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the complex and often unpredictable nature of drug tolerance in psychiatry. He explores various examples of how different drugs can lead to tolerance, no tolerance, or even reverse tolerance (increased sensitivity) in different individuals. The post highlights the inconsistencies in how tolerance develops across various drugs and patients, and how this impacts psychiatric treatment. Scott expresses frustration with the lack of attention given to tolerance in psychiatric literature and the difficulty in predicting or explaining tolerance patterns. He also touches on how this unpredictability relates to addiction, the potential for missed opportunities in drug development, and the need for better understanding of tolerance mechanisms. Shorter summary