Under the Influence

Saint Stuart
November 9, 2023

To understand the dangers of being affected by substances from hallucinogens to simple stimulants like caffeine, I think an appreciation must be developed for the body’s natural development and maturity. Using substances to alter our minds and certain moods, we can have the danger of inhibiting us from maturing into better people.

If we simply feel bored, uncomfortable, confused or drained of energy, resorting to mind-altering substances to help change these conditions keeps us from learning how to let our body and mind naturally deal with and find solutions to these and many other common daily challenges. For instance, the tendency for social gatherings to resort to alcohol and drugs to “enhance” people’s moods, I think seriously inhibits the practice of those people to enhance their moods by their own wit and good reason. In some cases, high consumption of alcohol will cause people to completely forget the social experience, depriving them of the quality experience of social growth they could have had.

I’ve felt the impact of substance use, feeling uncomfortable at social gatherings unless there are others to partake in mind-altering substances with. Regrettably, it’s an indication of poor social maturity and development. Developing the habits of mind alteration instead of bringing an honest, sober self to an evening of social opportunity can greatly interfere with the benefits of a much better quality of social experience.

The effects of addiction bring this disruptive principle to many other areas of the life of the person affected. Unless they are influenced by a substance, they have great difficulty functioning on their own. What they feel is a solution to their problems is actually impeding them from letting their body and mind grow and mature through them naturally. Without the skills developed to face those problems, they may feel that their mind-altering substance is their only solution, and convince themselves they are unable to change. Their sober mind confronts them with their challenges and they can either let themselves face and deal with those challenges with courage, or fall to fear and escape the discomfort of doing so with their addiction.

Life can be uncomfortable, confusing, exhausting and full of many challenges. If we sincerely meet those challenges with a sober mind (while also confiding in social supports), we can learn to be better people and find the solutions that will bring success and wholesome happiness to our lives. That is an integral part of maturing as a person, and if we instead resort to mind-altering substances, we will miss out on the many daily opportunities to become the better people we deserve to be.

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