402 Chapter 11 Psychological Disorders
abandon inhibitions or have casual sex (Cooper
et al., 1995; Livingston et al., 2012; Mohr et al.,
2001). College students who feel alienated and
uninvolved with their studies are more likely than
their happier peers to go out drinking with the
conscious intention of getting drunk (Flacks &
Thomas, 1998).In many cases, then, the decision to start
abusing drugs depends more on people’s
motives, and on the norms of their peer group
and culture, than on the chemical properties of
the drug itself.morphine and other opiates not to escape from
the world but to function in the world, and they
do not become addicted (Portenoy, 1994; Raja,
2008). In contrast, most of the people who abuse
opiates are looking to get high rather than allevi-
ate physical pain.
In the case of alcohol, people who drink
simply to be sociable or to relax when they have
had a rough day are unlikely to become addicted.
Problem drinking occurs when people drink to
disguise or suppress their anxiety or depression,
when they drink alone to drown their sorrows
and worries, or when they want an excuse toGet Involved! Test Your Motives for Drinking
If you drink, why do you do so? Check all of the motives that apply to you:
__________ to relax __________ to cope with depression
__________ to escape from worries __________ to get drunk and lose control
__________ to enhance a good meal __________ to rebel against authority
__________ to conform to peers __________ to relieve boredom
__________ to express anger __________ to have sex
__________ to be sociable __________ other (specify)
Do your reasons promote abuse or responsible use? How do you respond physically to alcohol? What
have you learned about drinking from your family, your friends, and cultural messages? What do your
answers tell you about your own vulnerability to addiction?By poking fun at the things people do to make themselves feel better, this cartoon reminds
us that a person can become dependent on many things besides alcohol or other drugs.TOLES © 1989 The Washington Post. Reprinted with permission of UNIVERSAL UCLICK. All rights reserved.