The Performance Highs

The Arrogant Highs fade away and are replaced by the slightly less euphoric Performance Highs. The Performance Highs are so named because these highs do seem to enhance performance. They are not to be confused with physiological effects of certain performance enhancing drugs such as steroids, human growth hormone or erectile dysfunction medications. These Performance Highs come from psychotropic drugs.

We all know of musicians who have used drugs to enhance their performance or creativity. We have heard of athletes using cocaine, writers using alcohol, artists using various substances believing that their talent and skill were enhanced through using. Perhaps for a time this was true. Eventually the musicians lost their creativity. The athletes lost their ability. The writers and artists no longer produced. Too many talented people eventually lost their lives.

You do not have to be an artist, musician or athlete to use for a performance high. Anyone is who needs a few drinks before they are willing to dance is using for a performance high. The same is true for those who need something (psychoactive) in their system in order to chat up a member of the opposite sex. If need to smoke weed in order to enjoy a concert this is also a sort of performance high. Obviously students abusing stimulants in order to prepare for a test are using for a performance high. So are workers who use drugs on the job in order to get through the day.

During the Performance High stage of the addiction process a person's actual performance gradually declines. This is because as they come to rely (remember that word from the 1/12/13 post?) more and more on the drug(s) for their performance they put less and less effort into the kinds of things that help real performance. In other words the musician ignores practice, so does the athlete, the lover depends on a drug and loses his charm, the student ignores her studies, the worker  becomes less reliable as he relies on drugs more.

Friends and family are not much help. Because they care about the drug user they are loathe to hurt his feelings. Instead they try to bolster her pride (to meet her Esteem Needs for her) by telling her she is doing a good job. Family tells the drinker he is a great dad despite his declining ability to fulfill the role of a good father. His wife makes excuses. Her coworkers take up her slack. They do this because they don't want to be jerks. Friends, family, coworkers make excuses, take up slack, and offer encouraging words up to a point. This the point when they can no longer make excuses, are unable to take up any more slack. Some reach that point sooner than others, some take a long, long time. Eventually the Performance Highs fade.

Before they fade the people using for a performance high will demonstrate denial concerning their substance disorder. Denial at this stage in the Lowarchy of Highs is slightly different than at the previous stage. In the Arrogant High stage of addiction denial was absolute. Now denial takes the form of rationalization. People using for a performance high rationalize about their substance use. They believe it is an asset. The will explain how their use of drugs or alcohol enhances their life in some important way. They rationalize a deficit into an asset, it's a kind of like they are cooking the books and embezzling from their esteem account (the esteem of others and their own self-esteem).

The Performance Highs like the Arrogant Highs which preceded them are also replaced by another set of highs. These next highs are not as rewarding but, they correspond to more basic needs on Maslow's Pyramid so, they are much harder to do without. They are more addictive.







Russell P. Mai, LCDC, AAC