Cocaine blocks a protein that recycles dopamine, and because dopamine hangs around longer than usual, we feel euphoric and energized. For alcohol, the target(s) are not as clear, which is to say that the mechanisms of drunkenness are still being worked out.

It is also true that dramatic changes in the balance of these four forces—positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment—occur with regular use in a way that makes addiction more likely.

Somehow the threat of losing everything is usually insufficient for addicts inclined to pick up. For some others, though, negative punishment may deter the development of regular use, and thus help prevent the slide into addiction.

because alcohol reduces anxiety, this drug will be more reinforcing to those who are naturally anxious than to those who are not, increasing the risk of regular drinking in such individuals. There is good evidence that those of us who are naturally inclined toward any of these predisposing states are more likely to abuse the “complementary”

In short, it is likely impossible to tamp down terror without also leveling pleasure. As Socrates noted, and many appreciate, sorrow and joy depend on each other; I prefer the roller coaster to the train.

am also particularly curious about the general practice of celebrating peak experiences with a sedative.

The bipolar practice of pitying addicts while at the same time greasing virtually every social interaction with an obscene amount and variety of booze seems heartless if not mindless.

This incongruity is thoroughly pervasive.

I don’t suppose those refusing cocaine or even marijuana encounter the mix of incredulity and pity that those of us refusing alcohol regularly experience.