Why do people abuse substances

[mullein]

In the history of Great Britain most will say we have never had it so good. Materially we are better off than we have ever been. The 'Labour Party' tell us that things can only get better'. So I want to know why there seems to be so many people abusing drink, drugs, themselves and others. But no one is talking about why it happens. I think society thinks they are isolated cases but I believe there is an epidemic out there and no one wants to do anything about it. If you had the power what would you do to remedy this situation?.     Mullein

[WaldoMcFroog]

I assume that you don't mean why do people take substances that they are addicted too, since that is self-evident, but why do people choose to do them at all?


It's really simple. People take substances becuase it makes them feel good.


I don't think that the argument can be simplified to 'they're doing it becuase there is something else lacking' - clearly this is the case for some, but how do you explain well balanced people who do substances on occasion, but are otherwise responsible and productive members of society?

[el duerino]

the world today means an empty existence for the majority of people. they dont even know what makes them happy, they are told what does by the media et al.

[Yinzer]

I think it's because people spend more time on commitments that mean nothing in the end than on doing things they like and spending time with people who love them. We are materially more successful, but that's because most of us waste the best part of our energy at nerve-wracking, mind-numbing job where no one really gives a s**t about us. Even outside of jobs we are "conditioned" to believe that material gain takes precedence over personal accomplishments. so therefore we start looking outwards to heal what is inwards. We may believe the lie, but our hearts KNOW. So we slowly become a nation full of very sad people who know how to smile well. Drugs and other abuses are quick fixes. To changs this, I would make things more simple, like they used to be. Sure maybe we wouldn't have so many "neat" little things/luxuries, but we would be more closely knit with our families and friends. I also think all of these luxuries take away a little bit, though I can't explain how.

[incuriam]

Yinzer's spot on, but I'd like to add that one of the problems people face today is is a lack of meaningful individualism (all our clothes are the same, TV is the same, our jobs are the same, we all buy the same products and so on) while at the same time we've lost a lot of what the grannies call community spirit.

 

Abusing substances is a quick way of experiencing different emotions and enables people to subscribe to a collective mindset.  

 

It's a quick fix.

[robbieh]

Abusing drink and drugs is very different to abusing another purpose, though admittedly one crosses over into the other. Personally I have taken drugs because it made me feel even better than normal. I drink so i can have a fun time. I have fun and feel good when i'm not drinking or taking drugs, but its a different kind of fun and good. I am just getting a broader selection of feelings than to someone who doesn;t do either of those. Of course excessive use of either can lead to damage to your body, but so can breathing in smog from cars, from eating too much of one type of food, so the world isn;t a 100% safe and healthy place is it?!!?! Coverage of the damage that drugs can do to you is distorted in the press that you don;t know what to believe. Take for example the daily mails constant linking of heroin to cannabis. When i was at university, I would take a guess that about 75% of people I knew smoked cannabis and you not what, not one person has taken or thought of taking heroin. Also the daily mails complete anti drugs coverage which just prints one side (the negativve side) of the story. Then on the other side you have publications which generally glorify taking drugs. Thers no real happy medium. So then it comes down to individuals to take and decide from their own experiences.