Hedonic effects also have a ceiling, perhaps evolved due to resource limitations (Lende and Smith, 2002). This ceiling, high as it may be, is sufficiently low in many individuals not only to preclude continuous consumption (of food, alcohol, drugs, sex, etc.), but also to be outbalanced by negative effects to keep a consummatory behavior under control or even abolish it. Consumption of alcohol – a natural and ancient food component – is frequently limited by the noxious response that reduces the risk for incapacitation and addiction, assisted in humans by the societal norms that frequently restrict inebriated behavior (up to its full prohibition) and sometimes ritualize consumption of psychoactive substances (also up to its prohibition). Acute and developing tolerance further decreases hedonic effects, which may be an evolved, albeit no longer particularly effective (even acting in the opposite direction), mechanism to disincentivize further consumption of psychoactive substances. It is possible, however, that this mechanism contributes, along with the above discussed factors, to the not-so-seldom observed controlled use of alcohol and drugs as well as “maturing-out” of addiction, which occurs as
