A person can feel bad or worthless, even though this totally contradicts reality. Feeling insecure and inadequate makes a person more vulnerable to escapism, so often accomplished via mood-altering drugs. The person feels different from the rest of the world, as if he or she doesn’t belong anywhere. Alcohol or other drugs, or other objects of addiction, anesthetize the pain and allow this person to feel part of the “normal world.” Indeed, many alcoholics or other addicts state they did not seek a “high,” but only to feel normal.
