Why do people become addicted to drugs or alcohol?

Why do people become addicted to drugs or alcohol?

These past few years, you have seen how the number of people who use drugs and alcohol increase. This has resulted in a more serious problem, such as early, and problematic pregnancies and failures in various parts of life. What are the possible reasons of allowing this malevolent thing to happen? And why do people become addicted to drugs or alcohol?

Substance addiction is one of the major problems across the world. It doesn’t only cause suffering and pain for the people involved, but also to the society and those around the addicted individual. Regardless of the continued efforts to understand and eliminate drug and alcohol abuse, there’s no sign that it is narrowing. It is a complicated issue because there are various reasons as to why people consistently get involved in substance addiction.

Understanding drug and alcohol addiction

Drug and alcohol addiction is described as a relapsing, chronic brain disease. It is characterized by obsessive drug seeking and misuse, in spite of harmful effects. It is regarded as a brain disease because these harmful substances can change the brain’s structure and how it works. These brain changes may be lifelong and result in harmful behaviors. Addiction can be compared to other diseases, like heart disease. Both disturb the healthy, normal functioning of the essential organs, are treatable and preventable and have severe harmful consequences. If not treated immediately, the addiction of a person to drugs and alcohol can last for a longer period of time.

Factors that lead people to experiment with alcohol and drugs

There are many different reasons why people, especially teenagers, try the harmful use of alcohol and drugs – from biological to developmental, to environmental factors. Some use the substance due to peer pressure or teenage rebellion, while others use it to promote relaxation or as a way to handle stress.

• Peer and school

Acquaintances and friends can have a gradually stronger influence in adolescence. Poor social skills or academic failure can put a student at further risk to use or become dependent to drugs and/or alcohol. Drug-using peers can potentially encourage fellow classmates to drink alcohol or take up drugs to just have fun.

• Rebellion

Teenagers like to test the restrictions with their parents and declare their growing maturity. Often, teens with strict, overprotective or nagging parents hit out in a passive-aggressive manner. Instead of talking with their parents regarding their frustrations, they are constantly rebelling by using drugs or alcohol, especially if they know it will hit the anger of their parents.

• Self-treatment

People who deal with lots of emotional pain are mostly at risk of substance use and addiction. Especially for teens, they use alcohol and drugs to ease their sorrow from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder or others. They know that getting drunk or getting high will, at any rate, ease or numb their pain temporarily and offer them with a method of escape.

• Modeling the behavior of their family members or friends

Young adults that come of age with parents or befriend with someone who abuse drugs or alcohol often follow the same path. After all, that is what they know and what they have learned. The curiosity will arise into them, enabling them to try the destructive substances.

• Boredom

Those who cannot bear to be alone have problems keeping their minds occupied. This is why some people have no fear taking drugs or alcohol. These substances give them something to do and help fill the inner emptiness they feel. Drug use and addiction is often considered as a way to escape the dull world and enter a different reality.

• Lack of confidence

Many shy adolescents who lack self-confidence claim that they do things under the influence of drugs or alcohol that they could not otherwise. For them, the substance is a great help in releasing their inhibitions and alleviating their social fears.

• Misinformation

The most stoppable cause of substance addiction is incorrect information on alcohol and drugs. Almost all teenagers have friends who assert to be experts on many recreational substances and assure that the risks are only minimal.

• Easy and quick availability

This is true especially in today’s continuing development of technology. You will see that street drugs, alcohol and prescription drugs are more convenient than ever. People can obtain prescription drugs through doctors, on the streets and even over the internet. In fact, many websites are claiming to offer different types of drugs and alcohol. This is indeed very alarming especially on the part of parents.

• For experimentation

It is common for obsession to stem from an individual being curious and trying drugs. Often, it is a set-up that starts with marijuana or alcohol but ends up with heroin and crystal meth, prescription medication and cocaine. This experimentation frequently leads to a regular intake of harmful substances, which is eventually difficult to remove in the habit of a person.

What happens to the brain when drugs are being abused?

Drugs are compounds that tap in the communication system of the brain and interrupt the process nerve cells that typically send, process and receive information. There are (at least) two ways that these substances are able to do this: (1) imitating the natural compound messengers of the brain; (2) over stimulating the brain’s reward circuit.

Heroin, marijuana and other drugs have the same structure to chemical messengers – known as neurotransmitters. These are commonly produced by the human brain. Due to this similarity, these drugs have the capacity to fool the receptors of the brain and initiate nerve cells for the purpose of sending abnormal messages.

Whereas, other drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine can lead the nerve cells into abnormal release of large quantities of natural neurotransmitters, or even prevent the normal reprocessing of the brain chemicals, which is necessary in shutting off the warning sign between neurons. This interruption generates a greatly enlarged message that ultimately interrupts normal patterns of communication.

Drugs have serious side effects especially to our mind

Usually, when an individual thinks of something, the mind is extremely fast and information comes quickly. But when you take drugs, your memory becomes blurry. This eventually leads to blank spots. You cannot get information with this cloudy mess. Drugs will make you feel stupid or slow and will cause you to have disappointments in life. And as you have more failures and difficulty in life, you have the initiation to take more drugs due to the belief that it will lessen your problem or help you manage the challenges you are struggling with.

Drugs can destroy your creativity

Contrary to what other people believe, drugs will not help you become more artistic or creative. The truth is somewhat different. You might think that drugs can help you get a feeling of contentment, but it doesn’t actually work. The truth is that, these harmful substances can completely destroy all the creativity you possess.

Many previous users claimed that taking drugs is quite fun at first, but soon after you start drinking, you will quickly become the different person you never thought you could be. Some began stealing money from loved ones to support their alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and LSD habits, while others start cutting ties to all their families and drug-free friends.

 

 

Can addiction to drugs and alcohol be prevented or cured?

As with other chronic ailments such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes, addiction treatment is generally not a cure. But, addiction is curable and can be managed in a successful manner. Those who recover from alcohol or drug addiction, will be vulnerable to revert for years and potentially for their entire lives. According to a research, the best chance for addiction recovery can be guaranteed when behavioral therapy is combined with addiction treatment medicines.

Other good news is that drug addiction and use is preventable. Prevention programs including schools, families, media and communities play integral, effective roles to reduce or prevent drug/alcohol use and addiction. This is why you will see various schools, organizations and communities implementing programs with regard to prevention and treatment of addiction. This is helpful especially to people who cannot afford consulting a professional.

Outreach and education are major assistances in helping people, particularly teens, to understand potential risks of alcohol and drug use. Health care providers, teachers and parents have integral roles in teaching young people for their healthy, successful future.

Alcoholism and Addiction: Who are the real victims?

Addiction doesn’t only take a toll on the addict – it hurts every person in the life of the addict. Families, coworkers, friends and anyone with a connection to the addict can likely experience harmful side effects. But, who are the real victims of alcoholism and addiction?

Though the father, wife, grandparents or distant relatives often experience immense pain from drugs and alcohol addictive behavior, it is the children who grieve the most. A child who is being neglected by substance abuse is one of the saddest things you will ever see. Adults are given various options to handle a drug addict or an active alcoholic. They can defend themselves if attacked, call the authorities or even kick out an alcoholic if the case warrants.

Children are lacking all of these choices. They are totally innocent. They are unprotected and the addictive parent or alcoholic can do massive damage through terrible choices and bad parenting. Why is this happening? We cannot just easily conclude because there are many reasons as to why these children are suffering from substance addiction.

Perhaps, these kids suffer through their addict or alcoholic parent. Otherwise, they have been influenced by peers or even by their own family. Another sad part is that, babies are too often born addicted to substances, or with any number of serious mental or physical birth defects. To see a kid suffer by no fault of their own is undeniably infuriating and heart-wrenching. Such is the real nature of addiction; it doesn’t care who it harms.

Good thing, the communities are doing programs to prevent more children from suffering this kind of traumatic event.

What and addict can do to recover from addiction?

Good thing addiction can be treated successfully, thanks to the many different programs offered by the rehabilitation centers. The experts will help you engage in substance use condition treatment, modify your behaviors and attitudes associated with drug and alcohol use, and increase your life skills to successfully deal with environmental cues and stressful circumstances that can trigger strong cravings for alcohol and drugs. Not only that, the therapies will improve the medication’s effectiveness and help you stay in treatment longer.

What kinds of treatments do Addiction Treatment Centers offer?

If you think you believe you need professional help on your addiction treatment and recovery, Couples Rehabs offers different kinds of treatments suited to any personal requirements and budget. These include:

• Individual therapy – depending on the client’s needs, level of care and length of treatment.
• Family therapy – can include involvement of the client’s spouse, parent, sibling, significant other, etc.
• Group therapy – includes therapeutic groups managed by a licensed clinical specialist. Clients are given the chance to explore problems and process their recovery treatment in a peer-supported and safe setting.
• Trauma therapies – Seeking Safety Sessions, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, etc. can be offered under this type of treatment.
• Psychiatric and medical sessions – covers group discussion and interactive instruction, such as Medication, Substance Conditions and The Physiological Effects of Substances.
• Recovery oriented challenge therapy – centered on activities where a clinical expert can actively participate with clients, such as games, outdoor activities, group challenges and other skill building treatment activities.

Inclusive outpatient treatment services are provided for people with chronic or acute substance use disorders. Addiction to alcohol and drugs is a condition that ultimately affects all aspects of family and personal functioning. Thus, the program has a universal method to care delivery, addressing social service, psychiatric, medical and family needs with integrated program service.

Regardless of your reason for getting involved in drugs and alcohol, you should start making a plan on how to release yourself from addiction and getting the necessary addiction treatment. CoupleRehabs.org  is guaranteed to help people achieve sobriety and an enjoyable life. Call us today at  to talk with one of our live counselors.