ADAM Addled

* See also ADAM and Test_Subjects
* See also ADAM_Medical_Uses
* See also Splicers 
* See also The Cure
* See also ADAM-Bomb
* see also Strange_Splicer_Visions
* See also Splicer_Play
* See also ADAM_Technology
* See also Splicer_Psychology
* See also Perceptions_Altered
* See also Ghost_Story
The Insanity/Mental Impairments cause by ADAM use.
Murderous Violence, then it being Incited by the likes of Fontaine/Atlas (mental issues) ...
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Splicing - Implied as Highly Addictive :
Fontaine Radio Message (Proving Grounds) - "Mother's Milk" : "Don't know what I was thinkin'. Never spliced up once the whole time I was down here in this aquarium. Figured it was bad to mix business with pleasure, but whooo ! Forget all the nose-candy and floor polish I been wastin' time with ! This stuff is the mother's milk !"
( Describing effects of taking ADAM which could lead to the user becoming addicted to it. )
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Intentional Chaos :
It is not impossible nor improbable that Fontaine intentionally made his ADAM products addictive, nor that he was much concerned at all with the side-effects on his customers. Even if he produced only part of Rapture's entire consumption of ADAM products, such defectiveness being true could have significant effects.
It would have been poetic for Fontaine or Atlas to be killed by an insane uncontrollable Splicer which his own product had created. Think of all the various workers and underling he abused who WOULD WANT revenge, and now possessing Plasmids could/would have had so much power while being unhindered/uninhibited via ADAM's mental effects.
Atlas would have to hide himself away even MORE than 'The Hephaestus Hermit' would.
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Progression of ADAM Disease :  People Did Not Turn Insane Immediately :
Different people would have had different tolerances to the ADAM's side-effects. They might have used them  differently - in combinations/frequency/amounts/quality level ( bootlegged stuff could be real bad ... ). 
Tonics, which were used early, mostly did not add new DNA/RNA, rather triggered and reinforced the user's own DNA - much for medical reasons. So they had far lesser negative effects.
How might this be the case ? Possibly there just wasn't massive use yet.
Before the %27civil_war%27/Anarchist Uprising, fewer people likely used ADAM Plasmid products, and less recklessly. The story has it being marketed as if it was hairspray or any other common consumer item.  BUT that mass-marketing also is implied ( to make it MORE "Ryan's Fault" ) to have begun AFTER the City 'Seized' Fontaine Futuristics after Fontaine was 'Killed'. The Timeline shows Ryan's control started a mere 3 1/2 months before the City was plunged into Atlas's Terrorist Chaos - So that is NOT a long time to completely rework selling ADAM. 
Consider : If consistent ADAM Use caused significant problems almost immediately, the Public would have called it PoisonFontaine's Poison : Cancer was greatly Feared. Insanity likewise., and Ryan would have had a major way to attack Fontaine as the purveyor of that 'Poison'. Ryan then would have been called upon to shut down Fontaine's whole ADAM business in the name of Public Health.  The Free Press simply spreading a Public Outcry against it would have been enough. The more those negative effects were visible, the many fewer people would ever have tried it. 
SO this reasoning supports the idea that ADAM Usage would NOT be as widespread/endemic BEFORE Rapture 'went to hell'. ADAM was implied to be used well before that for medical treatments and by 'rich people' as gimmicks before the %27civil war%27 emergency period started.
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There were also many possible Symptoms from basic ADAM Medical Product use.
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ADAM's Spiral of Disaster
You change your body with foreign DNA or RNA, but it is not native to the cells AND it begins to degrade and fails. Changes like this will have side-effects from the start ( and vary significantly from person to person ).
You then take more ADAM Plasmids/Tonics, which might not be quite the same, and the same cycle happens. You take a different Plasmid and there is even more gene scrambling.
You start having more and more garbage DNA/RNA in your system, which your immunity tissue rejection system tries to clean up. That runs your body down. And NOW you have to take even more stronger ADAM boosts to burn through the genetic mess to install your Plasmid ability. It might last shorter and shorter time before failing.
You soon have so much garbage floating in your body disrupting it and destabilizing your brain. Think what tumors in the brain usually does to your personality/thinking/stability.
If you simply stopped taking more ADAM, your body might have a chance to recover, but the reason to take ADAM hasn't gone away. Later, you judgement while thinking gets worse and worse. 
Maybe the quality of the ADAM is also getting worse and worse.
Reversion of tissue to 'Stem Cells' is its own problem. When soon 'out of control', it starts messing with the untargeted tissues throughout your body.
Now start using even stronger and more complex Plasmids (and Tonic) because of the %27civil_war%27 ...
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I Have a Lighter In My Thumb, But Now I Also Have Chronic Flatulence :
The issue of Side Effects of Fontaine's ADAM products ( and of later ADAM products of other producers ). 
* Earlier products might not have the ( subsequently developed ) complex features, so having minimizing identified Side Effects.
* Later products attempt more radical/complex genetic enhancements ( with more complex/invasive Side Effects ).
* What is considered 'acceptable' defects for a released product ?? And what might Fontaine ( or Bootleggers ) not care about ?
* Bell Curve variation of reactions of different people using these ADAM products ( deaths happening eventually ). 
* Consider Rapture's competing Newspapers, who LOVE to publish (sensational) horror stories about 'Side Effects' 
The game story/writers avoided this issue ( Ryan had to 'get the blame' ), instead of them having to more-creatively explain the ADAM Side Effects inevitability and early manifestations. 
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Theory : Fontaine's Little Secret Additive :
It came to me that there is NO reason why ADAM should have the significant addictive properties it is alleged to possess. 
SO maybe an explanation is : Fontaine was adding some component to his product to give it that property. Maybe the story should really be Fontaine was adding Heroin ( 3,6-diacetyl ester of Morphine ) to his products, which made sure he would have lots of repeat business. Omitting its 'ingredients' mention would lead to ALL competitor's product not being as desirable to the users. With the sophistication of bio-chemical tech that went on in Rapture, artificial Heroin was completely possible, IF the smuggling operation wasn't able to obtain Fontaine's supply of it cheaper, or its required raw material.
 
So Ryan continued doing it ? Perhaps after the 'Seized' stocks were used up he learned the truth, and thought it best to continue the addition, but in very-gradually decreasing amounts to eventually break that addiction ( the continual ADAM use was by then confirmed for its disastrous effects on Citizen's physical and mental health, and Ryan DEFINITELY wanted that stopped. ) Afterwards he could expose the spiking of the ADAM to further denounce Fontaine's crimes against Rapture.
BUT Wouldn't competitors analyse Fontaine's products ( Ryan at least had the money for that work ) and spot it ( if it was there ) or was it something less common and harder to detect ? A GENETIC component which causes the release of Endorphins ( or something like that ) maybe ?
The 'civil war' then happened with a massive increase in use of ADAM for 'combat' purposes. And then ADAM became a Mental Addiction/Obsession, Perceived as being needed for Self-Protection. Atlas may have continued doctoring the ADAM he supplied to his Anarchist followers to maintain control over them.
It is likely that those who were previously addicted continued to seek ADAM, even when there was no more Heroin -- But being desperate for their 'fix', would continue to think so.
A good question : Would this have anything to do with one of Suchong's 'good ideas' ????
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ADAM Addictive To The Jack Player :
Idea : Jack, once he starts using ADAM, starts being affected by it - Driven in various ways to obtain more. And as he takes more, then he gets driven even more by that addiction, and he deteriorates if he doesn't get his 'Fix'. There's nothing THAT interesting in BioShock - It would be hard to implement in the game, which generally has rather simplistic mechanisms.
THAT might be an interesting affect in the MMORPG, where you GET affected ( or you do when you play a Splicer ). Visual effects ( your vision/view as presented ) and shaky movements/tremors, and maybe some un-initiated Screaming. Your addiction should be demonstrated, even though the pain and incessant need really can't be felt ( You start hearing little whispers telling you the pain will stop when you get some of the tasty ADAM ). Substitutions only delay/slow the need.
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Thought : Can you get (some) ADAM from drinking another splicers Blood? I smell a whole 'nuther facet for the MMORPG game.
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ADAM Was Just Needed By Users So To Not 'Lose Ground' ( ADAM Addiction ).
When ADAM wears off/metabolized ( your body increasingly rejects the contamination ) genetic degradation occurs and the targeted ability is nullified. More ADAM is needed to repair/stabilize the Plasmids, else they cease to function. As time goes on, the body builds up resistance/immunity, requiring more ADAM for the same effect/duration of effect. With larger quantities of ADAM, more accumulative randomization of genetic effects occur and further damage.
Later developments produced more stable DNA codings and buffers to slow rejection/metabolization ( This was after Fontaine, as he actually wanted his ADAM products to deteriorate to be able to sell more ).
Unfortunately their was no Way to remove the ADAM modified tissues ( until the Cure was developed ) to eliminate the source of the genetic disruption.
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Frankenstein's Monster Wasn't Pretty :
We never much see what Jack looks like ( pre-Rapture photos/security camera views taken early ? )  And Delta is  completely hidden.  linky to fanart    A good thing that there was no working mirrors (in-game) to FREAK the Player out ?
Consider that Jack/Delta were ADAM'd-up far more than most Splicers in a short time.  Cumulatively/over time ? Who knows, though ADAM in amounts WE got/absorbed seemed to still be exceptional (as in ALOT) : Especially with many being the 'Combat' Plasmids which make more severe changes to implement their powers/abilities ( as compared to the earlier (faddish) Consumer products,  ie- the BIC lighter fingers ).
Anyway, what about the 'cosmetic' affects upon Jack - It Might he have been a frightful sight by the time he faced Ryan. Or even worse looking, by the end of BS1, when WE had even more ADAM in our system ???    You thought the Spider Splicers were creepy looking ?  Did Jack have Dr Strange tentacles dangling from his mouth by the time he went into the Big Daddy Suit ?
That all is NOT quite as endearing to the Player -- IF they realized early what 'good ole friendly' Atlas was doing to them - pushing ADAM use onto him (YOU).
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Impairment ( Resistance to Degradation of Mental Abilities ) Varies Greatly Between Individuals.
That (game writer's) Story of 'hiding it' from the Public ( or it just not being known about so that many people WOULD eventually use it ) -- all to BLAME RYAN ( and to justify Rapture's Citizens 'NOT wholesale avoiding ADAM as a public safety threat/Poison ).
Violently Dangerous Splicers ... The Novel had them more visible and around earlier - to try to logically justify various actions of Ryan's and others at an earlier date. The Novel's author tried a bit to fix the game's rather dubious/illogically compressed Timeline events.
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Bad Booze Could Make You Go Blind - Bad ADAM Could DO ... WORSE :
After the initial discoveries of the ADAM technology happened, no doubt a large market was quickly realized for the various products and many companies were launched into production of their own. There had been more than a little sea-life research previously and once the source of the miracle drug was known, others would get in on the gold-rush. Reverse engineering would probably not be illegal ( Remember : supposedly "No Laws" - including patent laws ) and soon many simple products had competition. The more complex products required careful production to be effective, and it was likely that boot-legging attempts resulted in more than a little of the negative side-effects which effected many citizens.
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ADAM Addiction :
Consider some classically abused drugs, with which the User literally feels pain if they don't get their 'fix', and the effect of other drugs when you try to suddenly stop (go 'cold turkey' ) -- It can often kill you. SO that type of 'addiction' - is that of being an actual Physical dependency ( versus Psychological ) - THAT may be a big aspect for some users of ADAM (the ADAM crisis which justifies Ryan 'Seizing' Fontaine Futuristics to continue its operation).
Negative effects might include things like tissue rejection caused when the DNA/RNA changes start failing, and where the ADAM-User starts reverting if they don't maintain their ADAM (Plasmid) intake - Amplified when you had massive body changes like Combat Plasmids ( and the possibly rushed formulas/production for THOSE because of the (so-called) %27civil_war%27 Emergency -- or before that by Fontaine not giving a damn anyway OR even wanting addiction to his 'Product' ).
It is possible that there were treatments to minimize these side-effects, which the opportunities for went away when Rapture went into Chaos ( and when more and more people were using ADAM, and the quality might have dropping, and the supply of ADAM made less available ).
We may see the Vita-Chambers all over the city BECAUSE those machines were Ryan's solution to try to alleviate some of the negative effects which the large population of Splicers were experiencing.
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Audio Diary Analysis : "A Possible Solution" : 
Brigid Tenenbaum, Minervas Den : "I have begun testing a new approach to the Splicing Sickness problem. ADAM remembers, you see. The method uses the ADAM's own "recall" of past cell configurations to revert each of the patient's genetic changes -- with one final dose, we return the patient to his former self ! It is only theory : the number of potential bonding sites for even a single test is innumerable, and I cannot calculate alone. But I have heard of an adding machine at the heart of the city, beyond the capability of any device the world has known. Perhaps ... if I could harness its power ..."
No magical power or 'theory' required here. It is simply your ORIGINAL DNA still being present in your body, while the modifications made for a Plasmid/Tonic is added RNA or different DNA in the parts of the body affected by the modification. 
ADAM reverts cells to Stem Cells which then can reform. With Plasmids/Tonics, that re-forming is controlled by the introduced RNA and/or DNA defining the desired modification. This DNA/RNA and trigger chemicals called 'promoters' https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=genetic+promoters can get to other parts of the body where they don't belong - Stem cells and inappropriate tissues growing ( like Tumors forming ) and thus disrupting various body functions and causing sickness. 
Re-modification requires ( adding more ADAM to allow Stem Cells reversion ) causing a similar conversion back to unformed Stem Cell tissue so that the original DNA can be reapplied. This can be locally applied and controlled systematically - to correct ALL the tissues that had been disrupted. The process may need careful sequencing to avoid shutting down too many or too much tissue at once.
SO repair is simply reapplying/reinforcing the original (stable) DNA pattern and eliminating the foreign DNA/RNA. This does away with the genetically-modified tissues ( as much as possible ) -- to stop it interfering with the body's normal functioning. 
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ADAM Disease Symptom : Short Term Memory Loss ? :
Was it possible/likely that ADAM-use led to memory loss and thus a reason why Accu-Vox sold so well ? And also why such strange/inconsequential things got recorded (which normally wouldn't) ?? Unfortunately, such Memory Loss could need dozens/hundreds of 'recordings' a day of just trivial things--- SO that can't be an explanation ( severe functionality problems if that ).
Big Technical Brick with only one recording - Maybe people who buy Apple products might 'shell out' for something that lame ... ( The MMORPG will present the idea of removable 'Media' to serve this function )
Being SEEN Recording on your Accu-Vox was 'with it' ( IMPLYING you MUST have something IMPORTANT to record ... ) 
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A Gimmick, more than utility. Sinclair sold a small pocket notepad (paper) with integrated erasable pen/pencil which sold EVEN BETTER than the Accu-Vox. Sinclair's Steno-Memo -- Now ON SALE -- 3 for a Dollar ( A FIVE DOLLAR VALUE !!! ) !!!!
"Its like I can actually write down what's in my mind !!!"
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A Vicious Circle :
Perhaps when Tenenbaum mentions ADAM use requiring MORE and more ADAM use, much of what she was actually referring to was about the cosmetic and health problem repairs ( [ADAM_Medical_Uses|ADAM Therapies]] ) people used to fix up all the ugly side-effects that genetic modification ADAM Plasmid/Tonic use eventually caused. 
Medical was seen as much of ADAM's early use, and subsequently stabilizing/repairing a persons original tissue genetics from whatever changes a Plasmid or Tonic caused ( undoing the remnant 'modification', which was foreign RNA ), became more and more required as they made more drastic (and longer) changes to a person.
This actually would be an important reason that Ryan DID NOT want to 'splice' his 'troops', because of such issues eventually disabling/maiming them ( and all that extra ADAM it would take, which was already in short supply ). Having his Security Men and Rapture's Militia being trained to use the new more powerful weapons would be a better solution. 
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Little Sisters - WHY Aren't They Affected By "ADAM Sickness" ? :
I find it likely that Little Sisters might resist ADAM sickness in some way (a natural corrective/regenerative mechanism which the Sea Slugs have ?), which wouldn't work in a normal (un-slugged) human being.
So, Why not ( after more research and development -- Ryan's "Better Product"ref ) have similar stabilization methods being built into ADAM Products by the manufacturers ( ie- preventing at least those disconcerting cosmetic affects ). Later %27civil_war%27 crude 'emergency versions' or "bootlegged' products, lacking many of those more complex elements, contributed to the populations faster degeneration from ADAM sickness ...
Fontaine may not have cared for costly additives that cut into his profits. The mystery of why ADAM Sickness took so long to manifest itself - once sufficient for a Public Scare is not explained. Other producers have to rely on their Sea Slugs ( most with no child-boost ) for their ADAM source, so even if they offered 'enhanced' safety in their products, Fontaine's tainted products would still predominate.
Possibly, the severe ADAM use/overuse was uncommon UNTIL people tried to use the stronger "weaponized" ADAM products to defend themselves from the terrorism which Atlas was perpetrating ( and 'Combat' Plasmids required more severe body modifications than many of the commercial products - adding greatly to the 'Disease' effect ).
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ADAM Dreams (or Nightmares ?) : 
* Amputee Dogs in wheelchair ... ( Awwww, I'm so full of empathy )
* Giant Frog 'with tube up its butt' ... ( Stuff from the early 'funny smoke filled room'/Denny's meetings ??? )
* Weird mutants with tentacles or crab claws ... ( an animators nightmare )
* Audio Diaries as "squishy, organic things, with lips and ears" instead of tape recorders ...
* Carrot-Top ...  (Nooooooooooo)
* Little creepy living things inside the machines you have to Hack (bribe with ADAM to make it your friend)
* A flying Big-Daddy-like pigeon thing, controlled by 'Zamfir's Panflute' ...
* The idea of Sofia Lamb in nothing but a Pope Hat ... ( The Horror !!! )
* Sea Slugs-like things wandering around instead of Little Sisters ( "Oooh aren't they CUTE!! Yes - I'm going to 'Save' that ..." )
* Suchong playing hopscotch with 2 Little Sisters and a Bouncer ...
* Fake Quantum Physics being used to sell A Sinclair-brand Laxative ...
* Sander Cohen in a Bunny Suit being chased by Elmer Fudd with a gun.
* 7 Samurai sitting around a table playing Poker ( Makes perfect sense, them being there Now ... )
(( NOTE A number of these actually were concepts discussed for the original BioShock game. ))
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Use of The Impaired and Convicts :
There was an increasing number of ADAM_Addled people in Rapture due to the poisonous effects of Fontaine's products, which supposedly were sold enough to make him rich. The effects on the users apparently mostly WEREN'T psychotic rage - but would have lesser debilitating effect on its users ( A reason also for the number of 'poor' starting to grow and cause problems ). 
The Persephone Prison SHOULD have had a manufacturing wing to employ the Inmates so to support themselves. Prisons in the old days did that. Sanitariums and Asylums also tried to be self-supporting ( I've added a Food Growing section to my Amended Persephone maps ).
Businesses might employ ADAM-impaired people to do the grunt work (ie- simple assembly) under supervision. The Persephone Prison SHOWED that it attempted rehabilitation, and that it served as the City's Insane Asylum/Jail ( It wasn't just a Gulag for 'Disappeared' people, nor particularly 'Secret'). Sinclair would have been well positioned to make use of this Labor ( ontop of his inmate 'Think Tank' ).
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Crazy Splicers Have Been Chewing on the Copper Power Cable Lines Again :
Theory - the copper tastes a bit like Plasmid sauce, which due to major shortages ( or simply no more  production ) is rather hard to come by.  The addiction remains.
Yes, there was Psychological dependency in the ADAM addiction as well as Physical. Might be some relapses  for the 'cured' Players who get cravings for ADAM ( nice copper flavored chewing-gum ... )
The Player may find a few charred corpses ( still seen with jaws locked on power cables ) while investigating and being sent to repair various electrical lines as a City Mission.
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Head Hunter Splicers :
Of course the Heads still wear their masquerade masks ...
Why are there Duke and Dimwit puppet heads here ?
Roleplay and fill out your collection ...
Several Big Daddy diving helmets 
Hmm, not 'shrunken heads, but ones "En-Biggin'd"  - inflated like balloons (and worn) ??? 
BRAINZ IZ TASTY !!!
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Adverse Effects Of Taking Too Much ADAM Too Quickly :
We witness Jacks First Use ...
Considering all the things which initiating Plasmids does to a body, that Boss-Fight ending in BS1 should have had Fontaine ( after quickly chugging a huge amount of ADAM/Plasmids/Tonics ) going up in flames like the Hindenburg ( 'Oh, the Humanity !!' ), or melting into a vile (very dead) puddle of liquefied flesh.  
There still are limitations to ADAM use, and if what he did was possible, someone ELSE would have done exactly the same thing long previously ( and tossed Fontaine out an airlock ).   It is a Pretty game image-scene, but maybe it was a hallucination by Jack, who himself had been 'chugging' more than a few Tonics/Plasmids/ADAM in a very short time.
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