The question of why people keep using drugs even though they know it may be harmful. For instance, someone may promise to quit after a negative experience, but then again find themselves returning to the same behaviour. Substance use is not always perceived correctly (Goldstein & Volkow, 2011). Even though substance use causes people to lose their jobs, relationships, and their own health, they continue to use (Marlatt & Donovan, 2005. It might look like they are being obstinate, self-destructive, or simply lacking willpower. However, psychologically, it is both self-preservation and a very complicated process. To cope with the psychological toll of their actions, individuals develop systems of justification. These are not necessarily conscious attempts to mislead others, but unconscious mechanisms that protect self-image (Cramer, 2014). For example, substance use may be attributed to external stress rather than internal dependence. Freud’s defence mechanisms and Festinger’s cognitive dissonance help explain…