Finding the root of the drug problem
Whenever medicine or science sets out to determine what the cause is or what is at the root of the drug problem, a number of possibilities and variables come into play. Here is what we do know. A substance dependency can be physical, psychological, or both depending. Additionally, no one seems to have the answer to does the addiction cause the mental issue or is there a mental issue at the root of the problem. The only answer is that it is possible for it to happen both ways.
NIDA (the National Institute on Drug Abuse) and the NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) have similar views on what triggers the abuse. These include:
- anxiety
- depression, loneliness
- easy access
- ethnicity, race
- genetics
- peer pressure
- personality
- social issues
So in a sense, the above reasons are biological, developmental, or environmental. Medicine and psychology feel that these three areas are the key to finding the root of the drug problem and that they either cause an individual to start using drugs or to walk away from drugs altogether.
The bottom line is that the greater the number of risk factors that a person has, the greater the chance that they will start abusing drugs or get addicted to them. The warning signs can be emotional, mental, and physical or they can be financial, legal, and social in nature. As the warning signs are labeled in one of the above ways, so too are the consequences or the impact they have on the individual.
Many individuals become abusers or addicts by experimenting with alcohol or drugs. Typically, these are teenagers who decide to experiment because of peer pressure. Others turn to drugs as coping mechanisms in order to handle the pressures and stress of everyday life. What is important to realize is that just being around drugs can be enough of a temptation for the non-user to start using. And, there are some individuals who are genetically prone to addiction while others are not.
Let our referral service find a rehab program that works
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