Drug addiction is one of the most common health problems in the world, especially among the young population, which is why today we will talk about the causes of drug addiction more common.
Drug or psychoactive addiction
Causes of drug addiction
A drug is a substance used to prevent or cure some type of disease, it also refers to psychoactive substances that are used illegally.
It is believed that the term "drug" comes from the Andalusian Arabic language and was originally used to refer to dried plants intended for medicinal purposes.
It was in the middle of the XNUMXth century, when laws were enacted for the first time that sought to control and prohibit the consumption of these substances by the population.
As a chemical substance, once introduced into the human body, it travels through the blood to reach the brain (nervous system) where it causes changes with specific effects such as improving mood or inhibiting pain.
Drugs have been used for many years, however, before being used illegally for recreational purposes, they were used in medical sciences.
Currently, the most popular and consumed drugs around the world are caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, which are obtained legally; and on the other hand, amphetamines and opiates, illegal in most countries.
Drug dependency or drug addiction
A drug or psychoactive substance generates dependency in the user when exposure to it is continuous, that is, the person addicted to drugs feels an exacerbated need to consume these substances.
Dependence becomes apparent through the individual's lack of control over the amount and frequency of drug use.
Similarly, there are a series of changes known as adverse effects that are behavioral, cognitive, physiological and psychological, all caused by substance abuse.
Dependence can occur in two ways, the first physiological type, occurs when the body begins to develop tolerance for substances and demands larger and larger doses.
The second is of a psychological nature, causing the continuous need to consume the drug, losing total control over the act in order to seek pleasure or relief.
It is considered that a person has generated dependence on a substance when they develop tolerance, withdrawal syndrome when trying to stop consumption and spend a large part of their time on everything that has to do with the drug, leaving aside activities that they used to carry out everyday.
Tolerance and withdrawal syndrome
Tolerance is the term used to define the need to increase the doses consumed, generally occurs when the proportion of substance normally used no longer produces the same effects, losing effectiveness.
On the other hand, the withdrawal syndrome is the condition by which a series of physical and psychological reactions occur when the addicted person tries to give up consumption.
As stated above, alcohol is one of the most used drugs worldwide, so if you know someone who has problems with its consumption or if you are yourself, we recommend you visit the following link and learn to quit little by little: how to stop drinking.
Drug effects
Repeated drug use interferes with the proper functioning of brain neurotransmitters, responsible for transmitting the information captured from one nerve cell to another.
Then they bind to specific receptors in the brain that normally receive substances generated from the body itself and that are the cause of sensations such as pleasure, happiness or pain relief.
By constantly receiving drugs, the body decreases the production of these substances and becomes dependent on the external consumption that the individual contributes through them.
The effects that occur range from aggressive behavior, hallucinations, delusions, pleasure, sedation, euphoria, mental confusion, coma and even death.
Factors that cause drug addiction
Drug addiction does not occur by itself, it is the result of a series of factors that exist previously and that are maintained when consumption is already established.
These factors are not the same for all addicts, since they depend a lot on the coping capacity that each individual has to deal with certain circumstances that may or may not lead to substance abuse.
Within the causes of drug addiction, it is not possible to point out one as the only one, in general, the problem arises when a series of causes come together at the same time.
10 Causes of drug addiction
Curiosity
Curiosity is one of the main causes of drug addiction in youth. It is known that drug use usually begins in early stages such as adolescence.
Adolescence is a crucial period in a person's life, since it is at this stage that independence and social acceptance are sought, often being influenced by misinformation from acquaintances and the media.
Traumatic experiences
Not all people deal with negative experiences in the same way, for some they are nothing more than bad memories, while others seek different ways of escape, including drug addiction.
What these types of people are looking for is to distract their mind so as not to resort to thoughts that recall the events they have experienced and that have been so painful that they have led them to resort to drugs to try to heal their pain.
Social pressure
Along with curiosity, this is undoubtedly one of the causes of drug addiction in young people that is most evident today. The pressure exerted by social groups, that is, the circle of friends, on a young person can encourage him to enter the world of narcotics.
It is very likely that having friends who are into drug use, the young person will also want to try this practice to gain acceptance from their peers.
Stress
People who feel pressured or overwhelmed by situations inherent in their lives, whether in the family, work, educational or social spheres, tend to develop high levels of stress.
As a means to solve these circumstances, they usually turn to narcotics to obtain effects such as relaxation and relief, which help reduce the tensions that have been caused.
What they do not consider is that when using drugs to calm stress, they generate greater tension as time passes between one intake and another, causing the shortening of consumption times.
Improve performance
It is common that to improve performance in school or sports, some individuals choose to use one of these substances that cause dependence if they cannot be controlled.
The mistake that people make is to think that addiction is not something that can happen to them, that is, to believe that they can have perfect control over consumption so as not to end up depending on the substance.
However, as explained before, these substances have a great capacity to somehow take over brain function and modify behavior so that they are consumed in greater doses and frequency.
Family
A dysfunctional and unstable home causes young people to grow up in widely unfavorable conditions that can lead them to implement bad life habits.
Having parents or siblings who are drug addicts, experiencing domestic violence or the presence of a mental disorder in one of the authority figures (mother or father) are some of the causes that can lead to drug use.
Difficulty getting to sleep
Having trouble sleeping is another of the most common causes that lead to this health problem. The number of people who consume substances with sedative and relaxing effects is large.
People who cannot fall asleep or who have to sleep at different times than usual, usually start the consumption of drugs that allow them to recover sleep.
It should be noted that when these problems are common and the use of drugs is repeated continuously, the person can easily become addicted to them.
Another important point is that addiction can also come from substances that the individual does not get on their own, but are prescribed through a medical prescription.
Mental diseases
Mental illnesses generate a predisposition to consume drugs since they cause conditions related to the pathology itself and that lead the person to seek relief.
Disorders such as schizophrenia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and illnesses such as anxiety and depression are known causes of drug addiction.
Genetic factors
Various studies have shown that addiction-oriented behaviors can be passed down from parents, that is, there is a possibility that they are inherited.
The debate about the veracity of these studies is still open, there are those who defend this possibility and there are those who do not believe in the fact that addiction can be transmitted genetically.
Personality
Shy or introverted people may take refuge in drugs as a method to feel more secure when exposing themselves socially.
The decision whether or not to use drugs may also depend on the degree of influence they have on the individual, figures admired and followed by him.
In general, young people copy the behavior of their favorite public figures such as singers, actors or athletes. If, for example, a guy sees on social media that his idol is experimenting with drugs, he probably wants to do it too.
Conclusion
Whether illicit substances or drugs, addiction is a health problem that requires the attention and support of the whole family. The most important thing is to establish close ties and healthy relationships between the members of the family group.
Respect and communication must prevail in homes, in this way, together with trust, situations that in the short term generate drug addiction can be avoided or treated.
The education that is taught at home will determine many of the behaviors that people have outside of it, that is why it is so important that the necessary information is offered about topics like this and that the causes of drug addiction mentioned here are taken into account.