Most people view drug addicts as irresponsible people who don’t care about themselves or other people, and others don’t even understand them at all. They think that if someone wanted to stop using drugs, then he or she can just stop. However, the decision and will to stop using the drugs is not enough to eradicate addictions. This is because it is a problem that has already affected the brain and the changes in the brain are usually persistent such that even if one wants to stop taking the drugs, he or she has no control over it.
Reasons People Start Using Drug or Alcohol
Different situations and reasons cause people to take drugs or drink alcohol. Some of these include:
- Relieving Stress: When people are suffering from depression, anxiety or any kind of disorders brought about by stress, drugs can become their consolation. When individuals take drugs they forget about their stress for a while, but in reality, the stress never really goes away. And therefore, they start using the drugs all the time to forget about their problems and end up with an addiction.
- Peer Pressure: Peer pressure can be a major cause of drug addiction. This is because people feel they need to fit in a certain group and so they end up doing anything to be in that group. They get invited to smoking joints, raves and social parties that encourage drug use. At first, they do it for fun and to please their friends, but with time they become addicted.
- Satisfy a Need: These drugs have a way of making one feel intense pleasure. For example, cocaine makes one feel confident, energetic and also very in control of things. Whereas drugs such as heroine make one feel relaxed and satisfied. You may drink to calm yourself or to make you more confident. A person may start using prescription drugs to cope with panic attacks or relieve chronic pain. They may take harder drugs to numb pain caused by neglect or abuse by a partner. The truth is people use to make themselves feel better about something negative in their life, it may even be subconscious.
- Biology: Research has shown that half of addiction problems are caused by a person’s genes. This involves the type of gender, culture as well as association with people who have mental disorders. These factors have been proven to make one addicted to drugs.
- Environment: How a person is brought up and the type of friends’ one associated with can make a person a drug addict or not. If one is exposed to an environment that encourages drug use, he or she may get addicted. Some of the environmental factors that may cause drug addiction include peer pressure, depression, lack of parental guidance, and sexual abuse among other factors.
When one gets addicted to drugs, he or she starts neglecting personal and family responsibilities. In some cases, one starts failing to go to work and or have inadequate performance.
What Should You Do to Help an Addicted Friend or Family Member?
If you find out that your friend or family member is having a drug or alcohol problem, the best thing is to accept them and offer your support without judging them. Make sure they get the help they need before it’s too late and avoid being so much involved in a person’s problems to a point you forget about your own needs or even expose yourself to dangerous positions. Pathways Real Life Recovery is among the best addiction treatment centers you will find in Utah. We treat our patients with love, respect, and dignity. For more information, please contact us for a free assessment.
