May 2009 Issue

Q:   What causes a person to seek comfort in drugs?
~A.G.- Houston, TX

A:  This is a common question that normally comes from the family or loved ones of an addicted person. It is also an excellent question that can shed light on a devastating disease. What most commonly causes a person to use drugs is not a need for comfort, but is usually a need for acceptance. We as human beings have an innate need to be accepted and loved by those we respect, look up to, or even want to impress. As a result, we do things that they do in hopes of gaining their respect, love and acceptance. There are those who turn to drugs in times of emotional pain or mental anguish as a means of escaping the feelings. Some of those feelings are old childhood messages that the person has not had an opportunity to adequately process, thus, the need for an escape. Many people get into drug use initially as a recreational activity and end up developing an addiction. Many times they refuse to acknowledge it or have a lack of knowledge about the disease. In either case, they fall into a cycle that can be life threatening and maybe even endless without appropriate help. In the book "The Search for Significance", it talks about how we as human beings search for our significance in all the wrong places. A drug is one of those places where people find false significance, courage and even what they believe to be comfort. Without the necessary knowledge of themselves and the ability to cope with life issues, it's really easy for someone to fall into the trap of drug addiction. I encourage everyone to educate themselves and in turn protect themselves from that "false comfort" that drug use disguises as "feeling good".

Q: I have never used any form of substance outside of alcohol (social drinking), but I wanted to know of what does a person experience while being "high" that is not available in anything else?

~A.G.-Houston, TX

A: First I would like to inform you that alcohol is considered a drug. It kills more people every year than any illicit drug on the streets. People tend to minimize the role alcohol plays, but believe me it can devastate a life just like crack cocaine. With that said, let's address the two-fold question. What a person experiences while being "high" is simply a release of chemicals already in the brain. Surprised?? Most people are when they hear this. One film that I show to clients in Chemical Education groups offers the following information; "Drugs don't cause highs, Drugs cause the release of highs!" Translation is, you already have a natural chemical in your brain that causes you to "feel good", and when you feed it drugs, the release of the chemical is forced. Think back to when you received a gift as that you really wanted and how you felt. Or when you saw someone you really loved come into the room. That "natural high" is what people feel; only it's generated unnaturally by the use of a substance. Again, education is the key to understanding this process, and I plan to have it available on DVD very soon. As far as an alternative, I suggest 1) be grateful for your life and what you have, 2) laugh out loud as much as possible, and 3) buy yourself something new! Those are all things that can make you feel good, which are the main reason people use drugs.

Peace & Blessings,

Ms. Mavis