The Pleasure of Drugs

The Pleasure of Drugs

The Oxford Dictionary defines pleasure. It is a feeling of satisfaction or joy. It

is enjoyment. It is a source of pleasure or gratification. It is formally a persons will or

desire. Finally they define it as sensual gratification. Now if we put these all together

in one sentence, pleasure is something that brings an overall feeling of satisfaction and

gratification while fulfilling desires. If that doesn’t sound good, what does? We have

already determined that people naturally are drawn to altered states of consciousness.

Its a fact that we are drawn to that which feels altered. It starts at a young age and

hypothetically we realize the world of drugs and their ability to enhance normality by

young adulthood. When we add in the pleasure principle to that already sought out

feeling, you get something that feels so amazing, and is also potentially addictive.

It is important to acknowledge the overpowering seductiveness and appeal of

drugs. Because some drugs directly affect the way that the brain works and operates,

the ecstasy that results can be overwhelming. This is exactly where society comes into

play. If someone can only feel that sort of pleasure from the high of heroin or that

calmness from a cigarette, why would they want to stop? What would their alternative

be? It would be the pain of withdrawal and the numbness that they felt before they

discovered the high. I can only liken my drug theory to a circle, because in reality

there is no one who is really sober. There are things that make us all feel better. It can

range from chocolate to caffeine to crack, but whether it be hard or soft, legal or illicit,

a drug is something that makes us feel something other than “normal”. (Not that there

is even a set normality.) The circle theory is that even if you are a heroin addict and

get sober, the likeliness of you finding something else that makes you feel better than

normal is high. It might not be heroin again, but chances are it will be something. It

all comes back to the inherent human nature to find a plane of reality other than this

one.

We remember what feels good to us. It is something that our brain does for us.

Because sex feels good, there is a natural desire to participate. We remember which

foods we like best and how they make us feel when we eat them. It is a system i...

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...ual. It has more to

do with how our society dictates we should live. Everyone needs to be rich and own a

BMW and marry a model and be happy all the time. For those who cannot live out

that American Dream, there is an easy and more affordable dream: Drugs.

We have to remember that they key to a healthy drug relationship is to use

drugs in moderation, and not for the wrong reasons. It is important to keep in mind

that drugs effect the body and the mind as well. Addiction is prevalent when the user

can’t simple walk away from the drug and not miss it in some way or feel some type of

withdrawal. We have to also understand that it is ok to feel the pleasure that drugs

give to us. I will never condemn the use of drugs for recreational purposes, however

we must each individually take responsibility for our own health and know when it is

time to step away from a drug. Drug use does not always lead to addiction, but

because pleasure is such a powerful drug within itself, it is easy to become dependent

on something synthetic. Rather than relying on drugs for that pleasure high it is

important to seek out other things besides drugs that induce the same types of pleasure.