People that have experienced drug addiction give multiple reasons why they have decided to try narcotic drugs even being aware of the danger. Sometimes the drug addiction is seen from the “black and white” perspective of the common sense, which is created by the people that have never used drugs. The user perspective is very important, as it allows understanding the real reasons why people should avoid such experiences.
The first reason why people become involved in drug addiction is the desire to be a part of a group, to share experiences with other significant people. For example, one girl explains that she started to use heroin because her boyfriend did it (Goode, 2015). Thus, most people get involved in drug addiction by their friends. Another reason why people use drugs is the sense of “competition.” Young people can be proud due to getting multiple experiences that other members of the group have not got yet. Using drugs, especially in a chaotic way, gives the young people a sense of daring and fighting with the system. The third reason to start using drugs is the contrast between the bland “straight” world, especially that of parents, to an exciting world of drugs. The user describes this experience as “being alive, free, and different” (Goode, 2015, p. 340). In general, using drugs makes many users feel unique and special.
Some users report that they practice drug microdosing to become more mindful, and concentrated and to achieve success, as other people in their community do. Sometimes, people use drugs for spiritual reasons, trying to “find themselves”. For example, they compare psychedelics with “ten years of therapy in a single session” (The Times, 2018). They report being told that this is an overwhelming experience of being “unself-conscious”. Thus, spiritual reasons and the desire to experience another state of mind are one of the reasons for taking drugs for the first time.
Thus, there are several significant reasons for starting using drugs. They include the desire to be successful and brave within a group of friends, the striving for some extreme experience, and spiritual causes. Drug addiction results from the protest against the norms of the “bland” parent world. Young people tend to prove that they are adult enough to break the rules and are not silly enough to get addicted.
Reference
Goode E. (2015). Drugs in American society (9th ed). McGraw-Hill higher education.
Does the new middle-class dinner party treats? A tiny dose of LSD (before dessert); It’s become a brain enhancer for the SiliconValley elite – and now it’s the secret vice for stressed-out parents over here. What happened when Jessica Griffiths took the Class A drug for the first time with her friends from the school run? (2018, March 31). The Times (London, England), 24.