Adaptability, self-esteem, and learned helplessness in connection to alcohol consumption

Man has been experimenting for thousands of years with a

variety of naturally occurring substances that act on his nervous

tissues. In ancient times alcohol was used by royal families or kings,

just to get the freshness of mind and pleasure. But the poor used the

drugs in the natural form (Bhang, Opium and Nicotine etc.). Thus the

problem of alcoholics and drug addiction is not new in the history of

mankind. In India although fermented alcohol "Somras", bhang,

opium have been in use for a long time, the use of synthetic or

chemical drugs relatively new. The menace of drug abuse is not only

spreading alarmingly in urban areas, but also in rural areas and

targets young adult population.

Drug abuse and alcoholism is widely recognized as a serious

problem world over with severe psychological, social and physical

consequences. Hence the problem of drug and alcohol abuse is not

unique either to India or to present times (Sachene, 1990) but is a

chronic menace.