Why Do Addicts Continually
Endanger Their Lives?
As a sober individual, it is inconceivable to imagine continually putting your life at risk for another hit, and yet that is what addicts do every day. Why would someone inject or smoke something that could kill or incapacitate them at any moment? It really makes no sense… and that really is the point, addicts are no longer using their common sense.
Why?
An inability to use common sense is a common side effect of using heavy drugs.
The first time a drug is tried there will be some effect that is enjoyed: relief, euphoria, energy, confidence, relaxation or oblivion from life’s worries are some common ones.
Then these pleasant sensations begin to wear off, and many individuals choose to renew the sensation with more drugs. Each time this choice is made and those effects are enjoyed, some rationality appears to be given up in favour of the drug. That relaxation, oblivion or any sensation, is being chosen as an artificial reality over the person’s own ability to create and enjoy a real life.
The Choice
The basic reasons for this choice vary from person to person. Some people are trying to escape from real-life traumas or pain, others have things bringing them down emotionally and it is a way of escaping, and for others, it is just an adventure and a way to relieve the monotonous boredom.
The Damage Adds Up
Each time a drug is consumed, more and more toxins are being added to the body. This can blunt the ability to think and act rationally. This damage doesn’t just disappear when the drug wears off, in fact, it seems to accumulate, building and building, day by day; the body becoming more toxic and the mind less able to function. Eventually, the drugs have taken over the person’s self-determinism, often leading to a living hell.
Becoming an Addict
The process of becoming an addict is widely variable.
- Some users never become addicts, dabbling in drugs occasionally but never getting in any deeper.
- For some it is a slow process, starting out as dabbling—maybe every weekend, then at some point without noticing, it becomes every day and a little more important, and then unexpectedly full-blown addiction.
- The last category can be immediate; for some the transition from non-addict to addict occurs after a single hit. Just that first sensation caused by the drugs powering through the body, and they may be lost to it, thinking that all that matters is feeling that sensation over and over.
Addiction Becomes Life
Gradually with consumption, drugs lower awareness to all parts of life. Addicts become less aware of what people think of them, what problems need addressing, and their own physical and mental condition. Being less aware, they see no reason to quit.
Eventually, drugs can control their decisions. Concerns about infections, physical harm or even overdosing may take a back seat to finding or taking more drugs. For many, the idea of worrying about staying alive or dying with their next hit is beyond their concern.
We have even heard some stories like this: "Finding drugs for the day, was my first thought when I opened my eyes in the morning. If that meant stealing from my mom or dad or lifting a few things from a shop or forging a check, that was ok." Or "I heard of a new batch of heroin on the street that was killing people and thought ‘Wow, it must be powerful—where can I find some?'”
It’s like they’ve lost the ability to access their own values, honesty, productivity and rationality. Those qualities are possibly still there, but completely buried underneath the need for drugs.
They Can Still Recover
These changes can all occur as a result of drugs, the real person is still underneath somewhere. What you see, the horrible changes or monstrous actions, are caused by the drugs and cravings for drugs.
By getting the person off drugs, and fully rehabilitated, those cravings can be eliminated, and the person can get their rationality back again. At Narconon, a drug-free withdrawal and detox aims to bring the person to the point of feeling free from the toxic effect of past drug use. We then assist the person to seek to address the issues that led them to drugs and they learn new life skills to help them to overcome things that come their way in the future.
