Is it possible for one to be a drug user – occasionally or heavily – and still be truly happy?

Question by Crazy Grammar Lady: Is it possible for one to be a drug user – occasionally or heavily – and still be truly happy?
Is it possible for a person who uses illegal drugs to be truly content within themselves or is such behavior always a result of trying to escape reality and mask inner pain?

I have a cousin who once said he smokes pot “on occasion,” as if that justifies his behavior and makes it okay to break the law.

He was also, according to what I heard from my aunt, a heavy drinker/alcoholic for some time but I think he either stopped completely or at least cut back.

He refuses to shower and it’s gotten so bad that co-workers don’t want to sit near him at work.

From what I know, he didn’t have too good of a relationship with his real father, who happened to kill himself last year and was a drug addict.

My step-brother and step-sister also have a piece of crap for a father and they, too, smoke weed, with the boy possibly doing more than that, like acid.

Both of them are very angry at the world and are very condescending towards others.

The brother has been caught stealing twice and the sister once.

To me, all of these actions indicate [besides possibly laziness, a sense of entitlement, greed, etc] unhappiness and deeply-rooted inner pain.

I also love to watch TV’s “Intervention” and I see that, time and time again, the addicts have some kind of emotional trauma that has scarred them.

However, the show could be fake for all I know but I think it’s one of the only real reality programs left to watch.

What do you think?

Best answer:

Answer by Cate
OK, the “law” has nothing to do with this so discount that entirely. I don’t think all people who smoke weed do so to self-medicate. Indeed if that’s true then the same could be said about alcohol.

The issue here is whether he is abusing the stuff and it sounds as though he may be. The personal hygiene thing is more related to depression than smoking weed (despite stereotypes). So basically what I’m saying is that the weed isn’t the issue but the underlying problems may be.

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