What leads to addiction? Seven possible reasons for drug abuse

Drug addiction causes uncontrollable behavior in people, making them helpless against substance abuse. Hence, they might try to get these medications, cigarettes, and alcohol by any means. Drugs include addictive substances such as heroin, opioid medications, cocaine, or methamphetamine. Once you start using them, your mind compels you to use them repeatedly, without factoring in their impact on your body and brain. Over time, you might need to use a larger quantity of the same drug to experience the same sensation you had the first time.

Drug abuse can take many different forms depending on the type of drug, its intensity, and frequency of using it. Moreover, the method of administering the drug is also a factor that can impact a person’s chances of becoming addicted to it. For instance, injectable and smoked drugs cause addiction more rapidly because they can affect the brain quickly.

People succumb to drug abuse because of many different reasons, but primarily, they are trying to overcome or escape problems in their life. Some people cannot cope with depression and stress, so drug abuse seems to be a perfect solution. On top of all, most people are unaware that they suffer from depression. They think of it as occasional fits of anxiety and might never seek professional help but take refuge in more temporary solutions like self-medication or drugs.

Drug addiction has become such a menace that its widespread use has led to the development of proper treatment and rehabilitation centers like Delphi Health Group. These centers offer personalized treatment to patients and help them lead better lives.

Apart from sorrow or difficulty in life, there are countless other causes of drug abuse. Please continue reading to know about them.

Family history of drug abuse

Some people are genetically predisposed to developing drugs because of their family’s history of addiction to alcohol or any other substance. Research suggests that 30% – 70% of a person’s chance to succumb to drugs is linked to the genes they are born with, along with many external factors. Many studies of twins and adopted children have also shown that 50% of a person’s inclination towards drugs is inherited. So, you might be using drugs to come out of stress, but your biological makeup might be buttressing this behavior.

To reach ecstasy

Ecstasy is the state of great and unbounded happiness, so people often consume drugs to make themselves feel good. While other reasons might be very complicated to understand, this is pretty straightforward. Drug consumption causes many chemical reactions in the brain and stimulates hormones that amplify the feeling of happiness and euphoria.

Using medication on your own

Using medication on your own can lead to drug addiction too. People often try to cure themselves from what they are feeling or get an escape from something bothering them. For example, they might be escaping from depression, physical pain, illness, or more. But once they receive their desired relief from a particular medication, they tend to use it repeatedly to achieve the same level of comfort. Ultimately, overdose or unnecessary intake leads to addiction.

Availability of the drugs

Easy access to drugs can likely cause drug addiction in many people. This might be because you want to try something new in your life. It is only understandable that you have more liberty to indulge in these life-damaging habits in the absence of any obstacles. Many drugs like nicotine and alcohol are available in prescription medicines, so they are easy to get. Raiding someone’s medicine drawer or running to a nearby pharmacy for a pack of the medicine and coupling it with vodka is the cheapest way to get your desired combination of drugs and develop an addiction over time.

Experimenting with something new

Many mind-altering drugs like cocaine and alcohol accompany a euphoric experience, so many people want to try it for experimentation to know if it delivers on its promises. But unfortunately, many of these drugs may start with mere trialing but eventually lead to an addiction problem.

A lesser evil leading to a bigger one

Sometimes, many substances such as prescription pain relievers, alcohol, and marijuana prove to be a gateway for bigger evils such as heroin and cocaine, which carry more intense mild-altering effects. This relief and joy motivate people to consume more and stick to them permanently.

Need to fit in

People often do weird things such as trying drugs or drinking under peer pressure to impress people or seek value. Therefore, peer pressure is one of the most commonly found causes of drug addiction in many people. This happens when people want to fit it into the company they enjoy; hence they start doing these things to blend in with their social circle and impress them. Unfortunately, this problem is not limited to any particular class or socioeconomic level of society. People from all walks of life might be doing this to feel loved and admired.

Conclusion

Drug abuse always starts small and transforms into an addiction. In fact, in most cases, it begins like a dabble, a recreational activity, a desire to experience something new or just a painkiller that you started using after an injury. But it transforms into a problem when you can’t control your urge to use it again and again. Whatever the cause, drug addiction is a severe problem, needing professional help immediately.