Myth: “No one really knows what causes people to take drugs.” True or false? False.<\/strong> People do not wake up hoping to ruin their health or worry their families. Every single person who takes a drug\u2014whether legal or illegal\u2014does so for one specific, understandable reason: to relieve an unwanted condition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When you look past stereotypes, substance use always starts as an attempted solution to something uncomfortable. That unwanted condition can be physical, emotional, or purely situational:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine two friends hanging around on an empty afternoon: “What do you want to do today?” “I don’t know\u2014what do you want to do?”<\/em> Along comes someone offering a substance: “Here, check this out.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When they try it, the drug produces a sudden shift in sensation. For a short window of time, it genuinely appears to work: the boredom, awkwardness, or tension is temporarily lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a substance simply removed stress or boredom with no side effects, there would be no trap. The problem is what happens inside the body while the drug is active.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Processing toxins burns up internal reserves and puts wear on the nervous system. As a result, when the substance wears off, the person does not return to their original starting point\u2014they come down in a slightly lower condition<\/strong> than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRelieving an Unwanted Condition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\nThe Boredom Factor: How First Use Actually Happens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThe Hidden Catch When the Drug Wears Off<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\nFurther Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
10 Things Your Friends May Not Know About Drugs: Complete Series<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\n