Question: How do the colors coincide with the use of substances?

First a word on why people abuse substances. Most people, when feeling out-of-esteem and are unable to extract enough joy from doing things they value from their primary color, often shift to their secondary, then tertiary, then quaternary colors. In chapter six of my book, Standing Naked in the Shower (SNITS), this is referred to as “downshifting.” Along the way, they may turn to substances, legal and illegal, to help them cope with their primary color unhappiness or their transition to a different color in their spectrum.

As you can imagine, there are chemicals that will turn any color into a different color. For instance, amphetamines and other “uppers” induce Orange behaviors; hallucinogens and “mind-expanding” drugs like LSD induce Green experiences; cannabis induces Blue relaxation; methylphenidate or “Ritalin” induces Gold behaviors. And the list goes on and on. Oranges, ever the risk-takers, are more prone to use the illegal drugs. Golds, ever the obedient ones, are more prone to use legal drugs, like alcohol. Again, they use these drugs to enhance characteristics in the primary color that they value, or they use them to help perform the behaviors of other colors in their spectrum when their primary color fails them.

Finally, alcohol use, because it is legal and socially acceptable, is the drug of choice for Golds and Blues, and those who could lose their jobs if they started using illegal substances and failed to pass a drug screening test. Alcohol is often used by these types of people who are trying to cope with unhappiness in their immediate relationships and experiences.

For example, let’s examine the men and women serving in the armed forces. Because the majority of people in the military are Gold, or Oranges acting like Golds, alcohol is often used to escape from their responsibilities or help them relax when they finally have a moment to let their hair down. Unfortunately, substance abuse also brings out the dark side of their personality, which for these two colors is often aggression, domination, belligerence, and violence. Chapter six of SNITS identifies some of these negative behaviors by personality type.

In dealing with substance use, legal or illegal, the best way to help the person overcome their dependence is to help them adopt attitudes and healthy behaviors that bring them joy. For example, Blues need to do activities that bring them joy such as taking care of others, building interpersonal relationships where there is a lot of expressed love on both sides of the relationship, giving them opportunities to make a difference in the world, or any of the other Blue values that are identified in chapter one of SNITS. Greens, Golds, and Oranges each have different attitudes and behaviors that bring them joy. Therefore, as a counselor or coach, help these individuals develop the skills they need to make positive choices that will bring them the joy they need to survive and thrive—choices which are significantly different for each color.