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Drugs are recognized as the forbidden realm by society that satisfies an inner drive. As individuals, we often examine why people use drugs instead of why society condemns a variety of drugs. Andrew Weil, the author of Why People Take Drugs, analyzes the emotional bias and different conceptions of what drugs are, and how the desire for an altered consciousness is an innate trait. Weil applies his personal experience, and the study of children as they grow as his evidence to support the idea that as humans the desire for this altered mental perception exists from birth. Although studies do not focus on where the longing for an altered consciousness evolved from, Weil’s hypothesis and evidence is convincing that this drive is innate. Thus,
drug use is perceived unfavorable by society that drives us to use euphemisms to justify and conceal drug use. Societies make inaccurate judgments of drugs and drug users due to the lack of studies and investigations on why individuals choose to take a specific drug. Andrew Weil argues that researchers focus on why people take drugs when that isn’t the accurate inquiry, instead we should be researching and diagnosing why people take drugs that society disapproves of. Many people do illegal drugs such as marijuana and alcohol, states Weil, however it is more acceptable to drink alcohol than to consume marijuana because society pardons the use of some drugs by euphemisms such as referencing alcohol as a “thirst quencher” (pg 18). Weil discusses that the desire for non-ordinary consciousness is innate and exists from childbirth. For instance, as children grow they go through extensive experimentation to find different ways of inducing altered consciousness such as the inhalation of household products: Clorox, Windex, etc. Children also display this on a playground: they often spin around in circles that eventually satisfy their inner drive for this altered conscious. When the parent is exposed to the child doing this, the forbid it and the child learns to hide it. Despite my initial belief that people consume drugs to escape reality, Weil has convinced me otherwise. We often turn a blind eye to certain things and do not acknowledge what certain actions can mean similar to spinning in a circle and its relationship to the desire of an altered mental perception. It is safe to assume that drug use is, in fact, innate because it is difficult to teach or understand a child at a young age and why they want this non-ordinary perception.
In “The Ascent” Ron Rash introduces us to a child who is brought up by cocaine addicts name Jared. Jared ventures out into the Great Smokey Mountains National Park to escape his sad home life and on his little adventure Jared finds the lost plane authorities had been looking for, for months. Upon leaving Jared takes the ring from the woman on the plan and returns home where he finds that his parents have already run out of drugs. His father takes the ring Jared had found and then sales the ring for money. His surroundings along with foreshadowing suggests Jared will have to make a life changing decision, but his youth suggests he is too naïve to come to such a realization.
“My crimey here think the way to go is more drugs. But I know better. I think making money is okay, but not making it just by dealing. You gotta go legit, at least for a minute. You gotta go state fresh, all the way live, if you wanna do anything worthwhile out here. Everybody thinks they can make crazy dollars, but they confused. It aint like that. I’ve seen co-caine bust many a head – they get fucked up and be clocking out after they find out they cannot find the key to understanding that mystery skied. But you know what? But-but0but you know what? They don’t have a clue. Word.” (Williams, 1989)
Sally Satel, author of “Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate? Wrong,” leads us down a harrowing path of the causes and effects that lead people to addiction. It can be a choice, possibly subconscious, or a condition that leads a person left fighting a lifelong battle they did not intend to sign up for. Mental and emotional health/conditions, personality traits, attitudes, values, behaviors, choices, and perceived rewards are just a few of the supposed causes of becoming an addict.
Douglas N. Husak's A Moral Right to Use Drugs In Douglas N. Husak’s A Moral Right to Use Drugs he attempts to look at drug use from an impartial standpoint in order to determine what is the best legal status for currently illegal drugs. Husak first describes the current legal situation concerning drugs in America, citing figures that show how drug crimes now make up a large percentage of crimes in our country. Husak explains the disruption which this causes within the judicial system and it is made clear that he is not content with the current way drugs are treated. The figures that Husak offers up, such as the fact that up to one third of all felony charges involve drugs, are startling, but more evidence is needed than the fact that a law is frequently broken to justify it’s repeal.
Stress, there is no way to avoid stress being alive. For some reason, people try to avoid, or run away from their problems by doing all kinds of drugs, such as nicotine, marijuana, ecstasy, and much more. These drugs relaxes people, relieving stress for a period of time. Of course, doing drugs is not good for your health, and we can not really prevent people from doing drugs, and getting an addiction in the first place. What people with drug addictions need to do is find any source of help as soon as possible, relieve their stress, or just find a medication. If nothing is treated to the addiction, then the addiction will just grow worse. Drug addictions can only prevent people from accomplishing goals or dreams in life. People sometimes feel
The author uses his knowledge of the human brain to emphasize the importance of “Endorphins” when growing up and how the lack of the chemicals “in infancy and early childhood,[creates a greater need] for external sources” (289) such as drugs. Along with his scientific evidence, Mate also uses many of his patients traumatic childhood experiences such as having “dishwashing liquid poured down his throat . . . and was tied to a chair in a dark room to control to his hyperactivity” (289). These patients help create an image for the readers to be able to understand the feelings and the pain addict 's often face in their childhood, that leaves them feeling abandoned and neglected from the rest of the world. Mate even analysis the fact that addict 's can come from home where there is no abuse and the parents try their best to provide a loving and nurturing home. The problem in families like this is often a parent is the one who faced traumatic experience as a child and are not able to transmit the proper love to their child, because they lack the feeling themselves. The author uses the strategy of looking at both the child and the parent experiences to show that the root problem originates from the same outcome, wanting to feel “unconditionally [loved and be] fully accepted even when most ornery”
drugs to the fold as a necessity for being able to attain more. Leaps away from
When it comes to the topic of addiction, most of us will readily agree that it is a miserable trait to possess. An addiction is a physical and psychological state of being that if not treated correctly could result into harmful wrongdoing. In The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, he recounts a story in which a fatigued housewife named Angie Bachmann lost all of her family’s assets, amounting to a million dollars due to a gambling addiction. Every habit has three components: a cue or a trigger of an automatic behavior to start, a routine the behavior itself, and a reward which is how our brain learns to remember this pattern for the future. According to Duhigg, “you cannot extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it” (63). Duhigg suggests that in order to change ones bad habit the “Golden Rule” must be implied. The Golden Rule is a theory of shifting a habit by retaining the old cue and reward, and tries to change only the routine. Duhigg’s answer to the question in the chapter title, “Are we responsible for our habits?” is simply “Yes.” If we have an awareness of our habits, then we are responsible for their consequences. In the case of Angie Bachmann, she should be held accountable for her gambling debts because she was well aware of her own bad habit and did not try to seek for help.
So what is it that makes people search for the next high, or feel good experience? Exercise, sex, laughter, and touch all produce positive effects within the body via chemicals in the brain. These chemicals are called endorphins, a mixture of the two words endogenous, meaning from within the body, and morphine, a powerful pain fighting drug that is also used and abused for recreational purposes. Endorphins are the body's internal pain regulators. The drug opium has been used recreationally as early in the ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian cultures. British physician, Thomas Syndenham brought opium to the public to be used for medicinal purposes around sixteen-eighty. By the end of the seventeen-twenties o...
The altered states of consciousness produced by drugs presents an all-to-common phenomenon in today’s society. Whether the desired sensation comes in the form of energy, a means of relaxation, or pain reduction, many people go to great lengths and present their bodies to threatening conditions in order to achieve this euphoric “high.” Unfortunately, the use of these drugs very often comes with dangerous side effects that users must learn to manage with for the rest of their life. According to neuroscientists, our entire conscious existence bases itself off of the lighting-fast reactions occurring in our nervous system (Nichols, 2012). Therefore, changing these neurological reactions can permanently effect our conscious being (Blatter, 2012). The physical and neurological effects from the use and abuse of stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens, organic solvents, and athletic performance enhancing drugs will be discussed in order to better comprehend why certain individuals expose themselves to such dangerous materials with seemingly no regard to the permanent consequences associated with such actions.
Drug use and abuse is as old as mankind itself. Human beings have always had a desire to eat or drink substances that make them feel relaxed, stimulated, or euphoric. Humans have used drugs of one sort or another for thousands of years. Wine was used at least from the time of the early Egyptians; narcotics from 4000 B.C.; and medicinal use of marijuana has been dated to 2737 BC in China.
i had never really been told drugs were bad my dad was a coke addict and my brother was a heroin addict but i was still never told not to do them i just had a netrual view on them and i don't really mind any drug and drug user as long as they aren't gonna fuck you over and be nice to you and other people. you'd be suprised who uses drugs basicly everyone who has a working class job does something its just a big secret. Im not trying to make me look like a good person or not seem like i am crazy. i know i have problems this is just a little story about my life.
It has been discovered that most people who struggle with drug addiction began experimenting with drugs in their teens. Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy (Bauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives them.
Weil argues that people take drugs because they are means of satisfying an inner need for experiencing other forms of consciousness. He believes that the desire to alter consciousness periodically is an innate, normal drive equivalent to hunger or sexual drive.
The use of drugs is a controversial topic in society today. In general, addicts show a direct link between taking drugs and suffering from their effects. People abuse drugs for a wide variety of reasons. In most cases, the use of drugs will serve a type of purpose or will give some kind of reward. These reasons for use will differ with different kinds of drugs. Various reasons for using the substance can be pain relief, depression, anxiety and weariness, acceptance into a peer group, religion, and much more. Although reasons for using may vary for each individual, it is known by all that consequences of the abuse do exist. It is only further down the line when the effects of using can be seen.