Editing Jeffrey Dahmer (section)

==='''Substance use disorder and Alcoholism'''===

Dahmer had a long history of substance abuse and dependence. By his early teens, Dahmer was considered a loner who was known to drink heavily and was prone to act the fool in order to attract attention. This alcohol abuse increased throughout his years at Revere High School and occurred during the time his parents' marriage had begun to deteriorate. The separation was also difficult for Dahmer as he witnessed fierce arguments between his parents over who would achieve custody of his younger brother, David. Although he was by then in his mid-teens, his parents did not vocalize concerns over his own living arrangements.

Dahmer's heavy drinking continued throughout his sole term at Ohio State University: his three roommates later harked to being unnerved at his unremitting intake of hard liquor, which often resulted in his being too inebriated to attend classes. On the occasions Dahmer was able to attend classes or lectures, the alcohol abuse would continue and occasionally resulted in his passing out on his way back to his [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormitory dormitory].

After dropping out of the University of Ohio in the fall of 1978, Dahmer enlisted in the army. Here, his alcohol abuse was again noted: two fellow soldiers noted he concealed alcohol upon the barracks inside a briefcase which opened into a portable bar that included a martini kit. While stationed in Germany, Dahmer's alcohol abuse escalated from initial evening and weekend [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binge_drinking binge drinking] to almost constant alcohol abuse. Inevitably, his performance as a medic deteriorated as a result of this behavior;<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-220">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_dahmer#cite_note-220 [220]]</sup> Dahmer was repeatedly reprimanded for disobeying orders; failing to report for duty; and reporting to work late, intoxicated or in improper uniform. In February 1981, the army placed Dahmer in a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_rehabilitation drug rehabilitation program], but within a short period a counselor recommended he be declared a "failure." On March 24, 1981, Dahmer was honorably discharged from the army due to alcohol and drug misuse.

Dahmer's subsequent violent behavioral pattern in which he had to drink himself almost into a stupor in order to commit murder was not borne from instrumental aggression but from a desperate attempt to prevent abandonment.

In addition to alcohol, Dahmer was also a heavy user of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marijuana marijuana] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphetamine amphetamines]. He was also an occasional user of both [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine cocaine] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine benzodiazepine]—a minor tranquilizer Dahmer is also known to have used to sedate his victims. (Dahmer had a preference for either [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triazolam triazolam] (Halcion) or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temazepam temazepam] (Restoril).