mother's little helpers
Suburban anxiety pills
Mother's little helpers is a slang term for prescription sedatives or tranquilizers, particularly benzodiazepines like Valium, used by women to cope with the stresses of domestic life.
The phrase comes from the 1966 Rolling Stones song of the same name, which satirized suburban housewives relying on pills to get through their days.
It often carries a tone of gentle mockery or dark humor about medicating away dissatisfaction.
She joked that without her mother's little helpers, she'd never survive the school carpool.
Benzodiazepine brand name
- LibriumBenzodiazepine brand for anxiety
- benzodiazepinesSedative-hypnotic drug class
- barbituratesSedative-hypnotic drug class
- amphetaminesCentral nervous system stimulants
sedatives · tranquilizers · anxiolytics · sleeping pills · antidepressants · prescription drugs · pills · capsules
Benzodiazepine brand name
- Rolling StonesJagger's legendary rock group
- housewifeHome-focused married woman
- suburbiaResidential areas outside cities
- pillboxSmall defensive emplacement
Librium · feminine mystique · Betty Friedan · domesticity · gender roles · women's liberation · counterculture · prescription
Compulsive substance reliance
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- dependenceState of needing another
- abuseCruel or violent treatment
overdose · rehabilitation · relapse · craving · habituation · detoxification · intervention · therapy
Free from agitation
- relaxationState of being unwound
- copingManaging under strain
- escapeFlight from captivity
- numbingCausing loss of sensation
self-medication · wine · cocktails · cigarettes · chocolate · shopping · distraction · routine
Valium
Benzodiazepine brand name
- LibriumBenzodiazepine brand for anxiety
- benzodiazepinesSedative-hypnotic drug class
- barbituratesSedative-hypnotic drug class
amphetamines · sedatives · tranquilizers · anxiolytics · sleeping pills · antidepressants · prescription drugs · pills · capsules · tablets
Valium
Benzodiazepine brand name
- Rolling StonesJagger's legendary rock group
- housewifeHome-focused married woman
- suburbiaResidential areas outside cities
pillbox · Librium · feminine mystique · Betty Friedan · domesticity · gender roles · women's liberation · counterculture · prescription · social change
addiction
Compulsive substance reliance
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- dependenceState of needing another
abuse · overdose · rehabilitation · relapse · craving · habituation · detoxification · intervention · therapy · enabler
calm
Free from agitation
- relaxationState of being unwound
- copingManaging under strain
- escapeFlight from captivity
numbing · self-medication · wine · cocktails · cigarettes · chocolate · shopping · distraction · routine · quiet time
mother's little helperstherapy
Curative mental treatment
psychotherapy · talk therapy · counseling · cognitive behavioral therapy · support groups
mother's little helpersuppers
Stimulant drugs, informally
stimulants · amphetamines · speed · pep pills · caffeine pills
mother's little helpersconsciousness-raising
Increasing social or political awareness
women's liberation · feminism · second-wave feminism · breaking free · divorce
mother, mothers, motherly, motherhood, mothering, mothered, little, littler, littlest