Sistersteel
04-13-2009, 01:27 AM
......It just happens to be legal to use and abuse it.
Drugs are substances that alter some aspect of body function. So - for example, an antibiotic will help our immune system to kill bacteria; insulin will help a diabetic to control blood sugar levels; tranquillizers will depress brain activity and so reduce anxiety or assist sleep.
And so on.
Any drug can be abused, but there's no reason to abuse antibiotics or insulin, as a person will not be consciously aware of the effect of these drugs. They act only on the physical systems within the body. There's no 'pay-off' to be gained by abusing them.
Commonly abused drugs are substances that can change a person's mental or emotional state. So if an individual feels anxious, taking tranquillizers will alter this. If a person feels tired, taking stimulants - like amphetamines or cocaine - will make him or her feel energetic.
There's a clear 'pay-off' from using or abusing such drugs - an individual will feel 'better'. Their mental/emotional discomfort will be temporarily removed.
People who regularly abuse drugs are usually - perhaps unconsciously - looking to change the way they feel.
Now - lets look at alcohol.
Alcohol is a Central Nervous System depressant - it reduces activity in some of the higher brain centers. This can produce apparent stimulation by reducing anxiety and self-consciousness.
So alcohol is a substance that can change the mental/emotional state of the user. It has a 'pay-off' in that it can temporarily remove mental or emotional discomfort - such as tension, anxiety, self-consciousness etc. A user will feel 'better'.
So it's just another drug.
Many people use alcohol as a social drug with little or no ill-effects. But it can be addictive - and some individuals become dependent on it in an attempt to find relief from inner distress.
Drugs are substances that alter some aspect of body function. So - for example, an antibiotic will help our immune system to kill bacteria; insulin will help a diabetic to control blood sugar levels; tranquillizers will depress brain activity and so reduce anxiety or assist sleep.
And so on.
Any drug can be abused, but there's no reason to abuse antibiotics or insulin, as a person will not be consciously aware of the effect of these drugs. They act only on the physical systems within the body. There's no 'pay-off' to be gained by abusing them.
Commonly abused drugs are substances that can change a person's mental or emotional state. So if an individual feels anxious, taking tranquillizers will alter this. If a person feels tired, taking stimulants - like amphetamines or cocaine - will make him or her feel energetic.
There's a clear 'pay-off' from using or abusing such drugs - an individual will feel 'better'. Their mental/emotional discomfort will be temporarily removed.
People who regularly abuse drugs are usually - perhaps unconsciously - looking to change the way they feel.
Now - lets look at alcohol.
Alcohol is a Central Nervous System depressant - it reduces activity in some of the higher brain centers. This can produce apparent stimulation by reducing anxiety and self-consciousness.
So alcohol is a substance that can change the mental/emotional state of the user. It has a 'pay-off' in that it can temporarily remove mental or emotional discomfort - such as tension, anxiety, self-consciousness etc. A user will feel 'better'.
So it's just another drug.
Many people use alcohol as a social drug with little or no ill-effects. But it can be addictive - and some individuals become dependent on it in an attempt to find relief from inner distress.