Requiem For A Dream Drugs

In the movie, Requiem for a Dream, exposes the tragic use of substances in our culture and the effect it has in our daily lives. The director, Darren Aronofsky shows his audience the perspective of each character’s influence of substance abuse and its results. As time passes by, each characters self-identity, dreams, and hopes begins to vanish little by little. The director also expand on how substance abuse reflects their social, financial, and psychological state of mind. The three young characters Harry Goldfarb, Tyron Love, and Marion Silver, experiment on addictive substances throughout the movies and experiences the highs and lows of the drug. Harry Goldfarb hands had to be cut off due to the infection in his arm, Tyron Love sentenced to prison, and Marion Silver offers her body for drugs. Also, Sara Goldfarb, whose desire was to lose weight and fit into the red dress to be on her favorite television show, starts using diet pills and becomes addicted. The intentions to use diet pills to fit into the red dress turned out to becoming a tragic experience. The outcome of each character’s life conveys the influence of drugs and how it can truly destroy ones identity and dreams.

No human is immune to vulnerability, we are all capable of doing undesirable things, such as being addicted to drugs or other substances.

However, in the text, Drugs, Society and Human Behavior states, “Humans are social animals, we tend to impress others and be surrounded by people….. Influenced by the user’s social and physical environment. If dependence develops, then these environmental factors may begin to have less influence. Factors such as psychological, social, and biological and the method of use of dug”. There are many factors and certain types of drugs and other substances that can causes someone to be addicted. Many people tend to blame the person who is addicted and overlook at the bigger source of the problem, which it is the drug

itself.
In the text, Drugs, Society and Human Behavior determines that, “Perhaps the explanation for why some people become dependent but others do not lies in the personality-that complex set of attributes and attitude that develops over time, partly as a result of particular experiences” (pg.39). Although the concept of addictive personality mainly develops overtime with experience of the use of the substances, there are two major factors that can influence individuals to develop a substance-abuse disorder. Sensation-seeking, this factor has been associated with greater risk for abuse of stimulants such as amphetamine or cocaine. Secondly, the impulsivity factor which it is the tendency to act quickly without as much regards to long-term consequences. The sensation- seeking and impulsivity factor contribute highly to the individual’s addictive personality.
This irrational behavior towards drug abuse in our culture, particularly shown in movies, and shows has blinded us into believing that it is acceptable. However, to fully comprehend substance abuse as a society, we must be willing to educate ourselves. It is ideally important to educate young adults about the dangers of substance abuse because according to the text, Drug, Society and Human Behavior states, “usually young, and somewhat more often male than females, they have chosen to identify with deviant subculture” (pg.19). Young adults, especially males tend to follow or identity with a type of group in order fit in. It commonly has to do with variables of personal and social influences of taking drugs.