The 14 most common causes of drug addiction
The consumption of drugs is an increasingly widespread problem worldwide, and the consequences of these cause numerous problems for people at a physical, psychological and social level.
Therefore, the first step when fighting against drug addiction in knowing the causes of this. In this article we will see 14 causes that drug addiction have shown to be habitual ; they range from social and family influences, to the neurotransmitters' own performance and genetics.
- Related article: "15 consequences of drug use (in your mind and in your body)"
Are there factors that cause drug addiction?
Of course, both the initiation of drug addiction habits and the maintenance of these do not appear spontaneously or randomly, but rather they are the answer or the result of a series of previous situations that predispose her .
However, it is necessary to specify that each person is totally different when facing these situations, and that the experience of these does not necessarily have to end with a habit of drug addiction. Even in those causes of genetic origin, the person should be influenced by many other factors that predispose him to it.
This means that the drug does not have a unique cause. Although there are numerous elements that influence its appearance, must appear together two or more of these for the person decides to start using drugs recurrently.
- Maybe you're interested: "Types of drugs: know their characteristics and effects"
Most common causes of drug addiction
Among the most common causes of drug addiction are the following.
1. Curiosity
After numerous investigations it has been concluded that Curiosity is one of the main causes of drug addiction behavior .
This factor occurs especially in the youngest population, which starts in the consumption of drugs influenced by information received from the environment or the media.
2. Traumatic experiences
Although not all people who have experienced a traumatic experience or with a high emotional content develop behaviors or habits of drug addiction, many others find in drugs an escape route that helps them cope with certain especially complicated situations.
The objective of these behaviors is to forget certain memories that they torture the mind of the person and thus, distract the intellect so as not to have to face them. In this way, there are many people who decide to experiment with drugs to achieve a state of relaxation or daze.
- Related article: "What is trauma and how does it influence our lives?"
3. Relief from stress
This point is closely related to the previous one. Those people whose rhythm of life carries great pressure or stress , whether at work, family or social level, they may find in drugs a way to relax and relieve tension even for a few moments.
However, the addiction itself will generate more and more tension between one consumption and another , so the person will need more and more doses and will do so more and more recurrently.
- Related article: "Types of stress and its triggers"
4. Improve performance
In certain areas such as sports or academics, it is common for some people they resort to the consumption of some type of narcotic substance to try to improve their performance .
What these people ignore or think they can avoid, is that although the drug is only consumed at specific times for a specific purpose, there are many chances that it ends up becoming an addiction.
5. Lack of motivation and objectives
There are numerous cases of drug addiction people who do not find any kind of motivation in their life, therefore they look for drugs the experimentation of pleasant sensations or euphoria .
6. Influence of the family context
Certain studies establish that coexistence in an unstable family environment , being the child of drug addicted parents or mental disorders in parents are factors that facilitate the use of drugs in the youngest.
In a family environment in which the consumption of drugs is normal and even normalized, it is common for children to develop some type of addiction and that parents, as consumers, do not condemn these behaviors.
7. Pressure or influences of the circle of friends
One of the most frequent causes of drug addiction in adolescents is the pressure they receive from their group of friends to start the consumption . In groups in which the consumption is habitual or frequent, it is very possible that the minor initiates and maintains the consumption of drugs with the intention of fitting in or integrating into it.
8Lack of social skills
The properties of certain drugs of abuse facilitate that the person feels uninhibited and safe. Therefore, those people of introverted character or with little social skills They are more likely to consume some substance at times when they have to face social interaction.
9. Imitation by admiration
Especially at younger ages, the influence of certain known people or public figures can make some people want to imitate some of their behaviors among which is the experimentation with drugs.
10. Sleep problems
Sleep problems are becoming more common in many people, also those people who need to rest properly for any reason, or who do their work at night and need to sleep for the day, they can start using drugs or relaxing compounds that help them sleep .
However, if the person begins to persist with the hours of sleep and fatigue, the repetitive consumption of these compounds or drugs can lead to a serious addiction.
- Related article: "Combat insomnia: 10 solutions to sleep better"
11. Medical prescription
In most cases, when we think of an addiction, only all kinds of illegal substances or alcohol come to mind. However, those Prescribed drugs with risk of addiction and administered incorrectly , are likely to become possible drugs of abuse or, at least, generate a lot of dependency.
12. Mental illnesses
There are certain disorders and mental illnesses whose symptomatology can instigate the person to consume some type of drug. Good to relieve pain. or to alleviate psychological distress.
The disorders that are most frequently associated with drug use are:
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Psychotic disorders : schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
- Attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity.
13. Genetic factors
Although it can not be considered a direct cause of drug addiction, there is an extensive debate among the investigations that defend the existence of a genetic predisposition to drug addiction and those that insist that this association is really due to learning.
However, studies conducted on twin brothers have found evidence pointing to a strong relationship between the partial relationship between drug addiction and genetics.
14. Neurochemical mechanisms
In most cases, the very mechanism of pleasure and reward carried out by different neurotransmitters involved in addiction processes, are those that lead the person to want re-experience the pleasant sensations they felt during the first consumption .
In this way, a person with an organism especially sensitive to the action of certain substances, can go from experimenting with drugs for the first time to develop an addiction that allows you to repeatedly experience the same sensations of pleasure.
