Causes Of Drug Addiction – Factors Linked To Drug Abuse

Drug addiction is one of the greatest problems facing the United States. Drug abuse affects more than seven percent of the total population at some point in the person’s life, with an estimated 2.6 percent suffering from substance addiction. Substance abuse and substance addiction are recognized mental illnesses.

So what are the causes of drug addiction?

Drug addiction has a variety of causes that are both genetic and environmental. The causes of drug addiction are as unique as the individuals who become addicted to substances.

Research has shown that some individuals are more genetically predisposed to addictive behaviors. Once they begin using a drug or alcohol, their genetic make-up makes them more susceptible to becoming addicted than those who do not share common genetic markers. The majority of studies in this area have focused on alcohol addiction in which there have been definite links made in genetics and alcoholism.

Your genetic make-up, however, does not mean you will definitely become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Many individuals with these genetic markers will never become addicted to substances.

While there is no one specific gene that determines a person’s susceptibility to becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol, research has shown certain trends in people with addictions that are significant. For example, individuals with two copies of the ALDH*2 gene are less likely to become addicted to alcohol than those who do not.

Environmental factors are much more common indicators of substance abuse, and they show the most variations. There are a number of environmental factors that can be cited as causes of drug addiction. The most common is experimentation (which is widely practiced among teens – a growing population in the addiction communities). Approximately ten percent of all individuals who experiment with drugs or alcohol will become addicted.

Other environmental factors that are possible causes of drug addiction include recent exposures to disasters or other trauma, the community in which a person lives, their family life, their school life, and their peer supports. Individuals who live in high drug areas are much more likely to become addicted by simple process of having more access to substances. Also, individuals who grow up in homes with substance abuse are more likely to become substance abusers (also a trend that is being tracked in the genetic field).

What are other possible causes of drug addiction?

Mental illness is also a high indicator of potential substance abuse issues. The majority of individuals with a dual diagnosis (mental illness along with substance abuse) initially started using substances in an attempt to self medicate the symptoms of the mental illness. Additionally, individuals with a mental illness are more likely to try various substances in an attempt to feel “good” or feel “normal.” Medications in the benzodiazepine class (commonly used to treat anxiety disorders) are also highly addictive and widely abused.

Individuals with physical illnesses that cause a great deal of pain are also more likely to become addicted to narcotic pain medications. Prescription drug abuse continues to rise each year in the United States.

By understanding the underlying causes of drug addiction, mental health and substance abuse professionals can better treat individuals for not only the addiction, but also the underlying causes. By looking at the total picture, the individual is much more likely to develop a drug or alcohol free lifestyle.