Harry ji,
Have gone through your post and have enjoyed it.
Just wondering how addiction actually operates through our physiology. Can you throw some light on this aspect.? Some spinal cord connection or from where nerve center begin and may be neuron or neuro-transmitters..etc..etc. I have only vague idea. I do not know if it is the right thread to initiate discussion. You may kindly take your own time or send me a link for small write up except for US sites on Mental Health.
You may kindly ignore this if it is redundant and out of context.
Moderators are free to delete the post if it is out of place.
I can explain the physiology that you have requested but most of it is quite complex to mention here as it involves the different chemicals released at the junctions or synapses of neurons.
This is what results in the different effects of drugs that mess with our body chemistry.
To keep it simple and brief for all to understand, we can firstly assume it is these neurons and nerve endings that all lead to the brain that gives us our sense of perception such as touch, sight, sound, taste, smell...etc..
Now all recreational drugs become recreational because of this very stimulation of senses as well as the euphoria and good feeling.
NOTE- It is not just stimulation but also the opposite dampening effects that occur elsewhere.
This is what I find interesting and fascinating, since the WHOLE UNIVERSE works in a kind of duality such as day-night, light-dark,positve-negative, up-down, cold-hot,good-bad....etc..etc... So for every positive effect there is also a corresponding negative action be it around us or inside our bodies.
In this case of mood enhancing drugs we also get the dampening numbness and loss of perception to physical pain or stimulation, while enjoying other 'upper' effects/
A well known fact that certain musicians and artists can only work under the influence. This is because cannabis, acid and mdma..etc.. all cause the user to experience enhanced perception in music.
They can hear instruments and sounds that they would not normally hear or distinguish in normal conditions.
Many musicians can't compose unless they haven't had drugs for this very reason. BUT- this also gives the negative effects that affect physical feelings of thirst, hunger, numbness over body, vision and 'downers'(when affect wears off).
So basically for all the positive effects that are normally short term there are also many negative effects with some being short and some long term.
The body does contain many many neurons that are not normally active.
These unactive neurons can be awakened with many recreational drugs. But there are always the drawbacks and negatives that come along.
Nearly all abused drugs of today have been created by researchers looking for benefits of awakening these very dormant neurons and cells. But to this day an ideal wihtout any drawbacks has not been found.
Most of the research is done for armed forces with soldiers being used as tests for these developments. The aim is usually to increase their abilities in combat, alertness, machine control..etc...etc.
The main thing to understand is Yes, the person consuming is and will be experiencing some good chemical actions and feelings, BUT these sensations and benefits can NEVER outweigh the risks and negative drawbacks that the user will encounter in the long term no matter if it is cannabis, heroin, MDMA, ketamines, acid, LSD....etc..etc..
Just as every benefical synthesised medicine has it's side effects and adverse reactions so do all recreational substances.
The 'nasha' from gurbani is the ultimate high without ever any long term negatives. From what I have encountered and experienced in my lifetime, I can in all honesty guarantee this!!!!