01:830:364 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Euphoria, Child Abuse, Child Neglect
Document Summary
Most users who experiment with drugs do not become drug addicts. These psychological problems of addicts existed prior to addiction (kolb) These traits appear after the individuals has become a drug addict. Neurotic and psychopathic receive from narcotics a pleasurable sense of relief from the realities of life that normal persons do not receive because life is no special burden to them (jaffe) For the addict, life is too painful to endure. Drugs medicate their suffering by blunting their awareness of reality. Most commonly reported factor self reported by drug addicts that drove them into addiction is the psychological pain of the feeling of emptiness. State of meaningless existence sets the stage for drug addiction. Feeling lost in a state of meaningless existence sets the stage for drug addiction. Lacking a purpose in life, lacking a reason to get up in the morning, lacking goals or hope. Psychological pain of the feeling of emptiness