What Is the Psychology Behind a Gateway Drug?
Question by heatsink: What is the psychology behind a gateway drug?
Is it a matter of self respect? What CHEMICALS, including the legal and naturally occurring chemicals and not limited to the governments’ (global) definition of the word “drug” would/could be considered a base gateway.
Premise: “Drug” has a certain taboo associated with the name because of society and culture. The idiom of drugs has been perceived with positive and negative connotations which vary from person to person. Assuming that any chemical (water is a chemical) could have this taboo as part of it definition (ie placebo), how would consuming this substance prime the “gateway” part of the mind for acceptance of the next gateway chemical. Keep in mind the chemical does not have to be chemically or psychologically addictive or even addictive at all. Also, the term “drug” should be extended to include any action that could illicit an autonomic response (ie bungee jumping, shopping, sex, balancing your check book, watching TV) in a positive or negative way.
Best answer:
Answer by Robin G
It’s more a matter of breaking a taboo. We’re told that drugs are bad..end of story…that all drugs are bad and shouldn’t be done. We’re never told that they may have varying degrees of harm, and that some are MUCH worse than others (anyone that says otherwise doesn’t know the difference between homegrown cannabis and heroine.)
So, in our minds, when we make the plunge to be cool and take one toke…we’re crossing that boundary, heading through the looking glass, and everything else becomes a possibility. Very few people upon first exposure set a hard limit on informed facts…they just go with the flow.
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