Man?s mind is both rational and irrational, and so is his drug taking behavior. The wide use of drugs and medicines for therapeutic purposes is irrational behavior. Man has used his irrational mind to select and invent remedies designed to provide relief from a variety of symptoms such as pain, inflammation, cough, and vomiting. The only rational use of drugs is to cure disease, which is different from using them to relieve symptoms. In recent decades, drug therapy has been used most extensively for symptoms of anxiety caused by doctors and society. This anxiety is not easily defined nor measured, so it is difficult to assess a drug?s success scientifically. The basic conflict to rationality arises from using part of the brain for a decision that involves the brain itself, the organ affected by the disorder. A simple question about man?s ultimate ability to understand illness. Also where is the rationality in the overuse of a drug that has a sound therapeutic basis but which becomes overused because treatment lasts too long, too much of the drug is used, or the drug is used more frequently than needed? Overuse is not only irrational but destructive and repeated administration of the same dose leads to a lessened effect. This tolerance is believed to underlie drug dependence and is demonstrated with all the common drugs of abuse. The psychic dependence exists when stopping use of the does not produce the continued physical reactions but results in drug seeking behavior or ?craving,? or ?to Joan?s? and the person must employ larger and more frequent doses to attain the original effect. They may now change their drug of choice given by the doctors to the 100 or more drugs and chemicals used for recreation. Drug use has been defended as an integral part of individual and social needs, accepted as normal in many contemporary circles. Alcohol remains the cornerstone of recreational drug use worldwide. Smoking marijuana and hashish is used in certain Moslem groups where alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Chewing coca leaves in South American countries have caused problems with relations with the United States, because they do not want our medicines. Another drug widely used is caffeine, which is a stimulant of the central nervous system and causes degrees of tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, and high psychological dependence. The physician prescribes drugs to lessen the severity of the disease, to relieve pain signals to the brain, to improve the patient?s day to day life, and to increase the survival time of the disease, without any expectation of a cure. Symptomatic relief remains the most important part of the practice of medicine and the goal is the use of prescription drugs.
