Some people are able to use recreational or prescription drugs without ever experiencing negative consequences or addiction. For many others, substance use can cause problems at work, home, school, and in relationships, leaving you feeling isolated, helpless, or ashamed.If you’re worried about your own or a friend or family member’s drug use, it’s important to know that help is available. Learning about the nature of drug abuse and addiction—how it develops, what it looks like, and why it can have such a powerful hold—will give you a better understanding of the problem and how to best deal with it.
People experiment with drugs for many different reasons. Many first try
drugs out of curiosity, to have a good time, because friends are doing
it, or in an effort to improve athletic performance or ease another
problem, such as stress, anxiety, or depression. Use doesn’t
automatically lead to abuse, and there is no specific level at which
drug use moves from casual to problematic. It varies by individual.
Drug abuse and addiction is less about the amount of substance consumed
or the frequency, and more to do with the consequences
of drug use. No matter how often or how little you’re consuming, if
your drug use is causing problems in your life—at work, school, home,
or in your relationships—you likely have a drug abuse or addiction
problem. Why do some drug users become addicted, while others don’t?
As with many other conditions and diseases, vulnerability to addiction differs from person to person. Your genes, mental health, family and social environment all play a role in addiction. Risk factors that increase your vulnerability include:- Family history of addiction
- Abuse, neglect, or other traumatic experiences in childhood
- Mental disorders such as depression and anxiety
- Early use of drugs
- Method of administration—smoking or injecting a drug may increase its addictive potential
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