Why addicted to drugs

Drug Addiction Risk Factors. This is an age-old question that many people will ask, particularly when it is their loved ones suffering from an addictive disorder. Why is it that only some people will get addicted to drugs, while others can drink and use without ever having a problem?

Experts are always investigating this topic. What we know today is that some people are simply more vulnerable to addiction than others, based on the risk factors above.

Stressful early life experiences — such as being abused, suffering from trauma, even prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs — can put a person at greater risk for addiction. In the same breath, there are a wide range of genetic and environmental factors that promote a strong, psychosocial well-being and resilience to drug addiction, ultimately balancing or counteracting the risk factors listed above.

Anyone can try drugs, enjoy them, and continue using them as a result — spiraling into the addiction cycle. Drug addiction does not make exceptions. Some of those reasons include:. Despite all the possible causes of drug addiction, there is good news. More than ever, researchers understand how drugs affect the brain—and, as a result, have found treatments that can help people recover and lead productive lives. Drug addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed with the right help.

Studies support an integrated, multifaceted approach to addiction treatment , where behavioral therapies are combined with clinical treatments to help patients overcome this battle. This is key to achieving sobriety. If you suspect your loved one has a drug problem, do not blame yourself as the cause. Rather, take initiative to get your loved one the help that he or she needs. Turnbridge operates leading mental health and substance abuse treatment programs throughout Connecticut.

This blog is a resource for people seeking addiction and mental health recovery information and inspiration, and the latest Turnbridge news and events. It is very challenging to try to explain addiction. Especially as a concerned loved one, it can be difficult to explain to yourself let alone to others how your child, your boyfriend, your sibling, became addicted to drugs.

On the outside looking in, many people feel that substance addiction is a:. The fact is, drug addiction is none of the above. The truth is, there are many reasons that people use drugs, and many reasons that people become addicted. The truth is, anyone can become addicted to drugs, and there a variety of factors that put them at greater risk. Common risk factors, or potential causes of drug addiction , include:.

As you can see, there are a mix of genetic and environmental influences that can make a person more vulnerable to addiction. So, environmental risk factors also play a big role: things like stress, trauma, abuse, lack of education, low-income neighborhoods, high school parties.

People who use drugs during adolescence are also more likely to develop a drug addiction, because their brain is still in development. Exposing the brain to drugs during this critical time can leave lasting changes in the brain, and create greater risk for dependence down the road. Research shows that almost 70 percent of adolescents who try an illicit drug before age 13 develop a clinical addiction within the next seven years. Those between ages 18 and 25 are also at great risk, while their brains mature.

In fact, 9 out of 10 people who are battling substance addiction started using before their 18 th birthday. As a person continues to use drugs, the brain adapts by reducing the ability of cells in the reward circuit to respond to it.

This reduces the high that the person feels compared to the high they felt when first taking the drug—an effect known as tolerance. They might take more of the drug to try and achieve the same high.

These brain adaptations often lead to the person becoming less and less able to derive pleasure from other things they once enjoyed, like food, sex, or social activities. Long-term use also causes changes in other brain chemical systems and circuits as well, affecting functions that include:. Despite being aware of these harmful outcomes, many people who use drugs continue to take them, which is the nature of addiction.

No one factor can predict if a person will become addicted to drugs. A combination of factors influences risk for addiction. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that taking drugs can lead to addiction. For example:. However, addiction is treatable and can be successfully managed. People who are recovering from an addiction will be at risk for relapse for years and possibly for their whole lives.

Research shows that combining addiction treatment medicines with behavioral therapy ensures the best chance of success for most patients. More good news is that drug use and addiction are preventable. Results from NIDA-funded research have shown that prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media are effective for preventing or reducing drug use and addiction. Although personal events and cultural factors affect drug use trends, when young people view drug use as harmful, they tend to decrease their drug taking.