Did you know that more Americans suffer from substance abuse and addiction compared to any form of cancer? In fact, more than 20 million adults suffer from addiction each year. The most startling fact is only a small number of them get the necessary treatments.
If you want to get rid of drug and alcohol dependence, you need to find the root cause of the problem.
There are a lot of things that can happen, but the ones listed on this post are the most common ones around. It might convince people to know that therapy isn’t a waste of time.
Are you ready to learn the top causes of addiction? Read on and find out more today.
1. Existing Mental Health Disorders
One of the most common causes of addition is one or more mental health disorders. Among these, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders are the most prevalent. It’s often a result of failing to diagnose these illnesses, thus substituting drugs and alcohol for real treatments.
Drugs and alcohol offer a means of helping to get over the symptoms of depression. The euphoric feeling these drugs offer will often make it more attractive to them. But the reality is that it only worsens the mental disorders as time goes by.
2. Family History
Do you have family members that suffer from addiction? If so, there is a high possibility of you getting addicted later on. It’s especially the case when your parents suffer from it since the environment you grow up in normalizes substance abuse.
Often parents with addictions care more about spending time abusing substances. That makes children feel neglected, thus making them more inclined to see what’s so great about these addictive chemicals. Children will also learn to use alcohol as a coping method if they see a stressed-out family member turning to drugs for comfort.
This will happen even if the child grows up believing that drug addiction is bad. As long as a family member does drugs, they become more predisposed to becoming an addict.
3. History of Trauma
When people get into traumatic events, a lot of issues will appear because of it. One of these manifestations is addictions. There are a lot of traumatic experiences out there, like military service and the death of a loved one.
To cope with these negative memories and feelings, a lot of people use substance abuse. The feeling of artificial happiness they receive from it is brief. Once it’s over, the sting of grief and panic will come back tenfold.
That’s why it’s important to get the right addiction treatments as soon as possible. But the cycle won’t end until they treat the negative feelings from their trauma. Learn more and check the signs and traits you should know about drug addiction.
4. Lack of Self-Esteem
A lot of people with low confidence will turn to illegal substances as a coping mechanism. It allows them to deal with the various feelings related to their perceived self-image. Often, people suffering from issues related to their gender or sexual identity can’t deal with it due to the associated stigma.
People with self-esteem issues will try to suppress what they feel and forget about them. Instead of dealing with the problem, they choose substance abuse to deal with it. It’s also often their means of “fitting in” with their peers and colleagues.
These people might find the confidence they need to talk to people when they’re drunk or high. The outgoing attitude isn’t their real selves, but they’re forced since they’re more well-liked. But the right way of treating them is to undergo therapy and develop a healthy set of coping skills.
5. Curiosity and Social Pressure
A lot of teenagers often develop drug addiction since peer pressure is strong. After all, compared to adults, teenagers are more likely to do risky behaviors. They want to act as daring as possible to feel like they aren’t boring and killing fun.
Another good reason for teenagers to start taking drugs is to impress their friends. With this, they can show how independent they are from their parents. It also makes them feel like they’re above the social norms while expressing their individuality.
6. Early Use of Highly-Addictive Drugs
This cause relates to curiosity and social pressure. Most teenagers that begin using drugs earlier in life are more likely to develop addictions. After all, their body undergoes through a tremendous change during puberty.
What this means is that during these times, the brain will make actual physical changes. Taking drugs early on will change the way the brain experiences pleasure. This modifies the neurons that make your moods and sensation to become wired into drugs.
It doesn’t help that powerful drugs like cocaine, stimulants, and opioids cause addiction more than other substances. Teenagers injecting or smoking these drugs will have little hope of resistance against addiction. It’s especially powerful if they also have the abovementioned mental illnesses.
7. Lack of Family Support and Involvement
Drug addiction often targets people isolated from loved ones and other people they care for. If your family is mostly indifferent and uninvolved in your life, drug addiction might become your coping mechanism. Add that to the fact that there’s a severe lack of parental supervision, that means most children in these environments tend to develop harmful habits.
Prevent Drug and Alcohol Dependence Today!
There are a lot of ways for an individual to develop drug and alcohol dependence. It can stem from their genetics as well as the environment they grow up in. Individuals with past traumatic experiences and mental illnesses are more likely to use destructive habits to cope.
If you’re suffering from these, don’t hesitate to seek out help. There are many methods to deal with it, especially if you opt to work with a professional. These people will figure out the root cause of the problem to ensure that the cycle breaks.
Do you have a loved one suffering from substance abuse? Read our guide here and learn some good advice.
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