The Drug as an Instrument - Müller - 2018 - Article

Psychoactive substances consist of a known chemical structure that can significantly alter subjective feeling or behavior. The majority of habitual consumers of psychoactive substances are not dependent on them. How is it possible that people consume psychoactive substances on a regular basis with control during their lifespan? One answer to this question is that users consume drugs like an instrument. Mental states determine how we respond to stimuli and how effective our behavior is. The drugs act as an instrument by transforming our current mental state to a desired one within a predictable timeframe. We are not usually in an optimal mental state for planned behavior, so we use drugs to perform the particular action more efficiently than in a drug­free state. Using drugs has an evolutionary origin - we use non­-nutritional properties of food. Knowledge about the pharmacological effects of plant substances and the ability to acquire them is called “zoopharmacognosy.” 

Psychoactive substances consist of a known chemical structure that can significantly alter subjective feeling or behavior. The majority of habitual consumers of psychoactive substances are not dependent on them. How is it possible that people consume psychoactive substances on a regular basis with control during their lifespan? One answer to this question is that users consume drugs like an instrument. Mental states determine how we respond to stimuli and how effective our behavior is. The drugs act as an instrument by transforming our current mental state to a desired one within a predictable timeframe. We are not usually in an optimal mental state for planned behavior, so we use drugs to perform the particular action more efficiently than in a drug­free state. Using drugs has an evolutionary origin - we use non­-nutritional properties of food. Knowledge about the pharmacological effects of plant substances and the ability to acquire them is called “zoopharmacognosy.” 

Can we improve all desired behaviors through psychoactive drugs? No—they only work for specific behaviors. The first behavior is improvement of social interactions. Consumption of alcohol makes it easier to switch between professional atmospheres (where social interaction is suppressed) and private life. Alcohol causes an increase in dopaminergic activity, which leads to increase in the reward effect of social stimuli. Cocaine leads to increased arousal and longer lasting attention. You can be active at a party for a long time without feeling fatigue. Cocaine also leads to loosening of learned fears. However, alcohol and cocaine are not the only drugs used for social skills. Other drugs known in this context are marijuana, amphetamine, methylphenidate and caffeine. The second goal for which drugs are used is to facilitate sexual behavior. Another goal is to improve our cognitive performance through caffeine/nicotine and amphetamines. Still there is not any drug that can  enhance the cognitive abilities of a healthy person with normal intelligence. For relaxation purposes, the best drugs are alcohol, anxiolytics and cannabis. Cannabis helps to temporarily erase from memory an unpleasant experience. Drugs can also aid people in artificially experiencing the feeling of novelty. The drawback is that you cannot act within this imagined 'new world' and cannot establish purposeful and rewarded behavior. Substances used for this purpose include hallucinogens and ecstasy. Surveys have found that young women consume nicotine out of a desire to control their body weight. On the other hand, men are more likely to consume androgenic anabolic steroids to build muscles. Another goal is spiritual activity - improving communication with the deity one believes in. 

Drug addiction begins when someone has established consumption and instrumentalization, often for many years on end. Drug instrumentalization only works in a relatively small dosage and range of frequency. If one constantly exceeds it, the toxic effect gains the upper hand - neuroplastic processes disrupt established behavior and only promotes the behavior of consumption.