Genetics

Those who have a parent or other family member who once had a substance use disorder are more likely to develop one themselves.

Experts are still hunting for specific genes that cause addiction. However, it is more common that environmental variables, such as exposure and the acceptance of drug use, are to blame for family tendencies for addiction.

Personality Traits

While no person's personality has been identified as being particularly prone to drug or alcohol misuse, psychologists and other addiction specialists have identified some characteristics that seem to be associated with a higher risk of substance abuse:

Stress

The Substance’s Action

Some drugs, like stimulants, cocaine, and opiate medicines, may cause addiction quicker than others. Also, injecting or smoking narcotics increases addiction risk.

Family History

One of the most significant factors influencing addiction, outside of biology and genetics, is family and early experiences. Family dynamics, parenting methods, and control all have an impact on people's ability to cope with pressure and their mental health.

Authoritarian or negligent parenting, familial violence, and divorce are associated with subsequent drug abuse.

Peer Pressure

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure, but adults may still be swayed by it, too. Friends influence what people do, and drug- and alcohol-using environments foster such conduct.

Mental Health Conditions

What’s the Next Step After Identifying Symptoms of a Substance Use Disorder?

There are many other signs and symptoms of substance use disorders, but if you notice any of these in either yourself or a loved one, it might be time to seek help. Reaching out to a treatment center or other healthcare facility can be the difference between getting the help you might need and continuing use.

Alcohol

Everyone's behavior response to alcohol varies. However, your risk of being hurt or having an accident increases if you drink excessively and too often. Heavy drinking may result in liver and other health issues or a more severe alcohol disorder.

Prescription and Over the Counter (OTC) Drugs

Sixteen million Americans, or roughly 6% of the population, have misused any prescription psychotherapeutic medicine in the previous year. The most commonly misused prescriptions in the United States include hydrocodone, oxycodone, Vicodin, Percocet, and Oxycontin.

Heroin

Heroin is derived from the opium poppy, a shrub that mostly grows in Mexico, South America, and Asia. It's highly addictive, which is why the United States has outlawed it since 1924.

Cocaine

The leaves of the South American native coca plant are used to make cocaine, a highly addictive stimulant narcotic. Although it is permissible for medical professionals to use cocaine for legitimate medical procedures, such as local anesthesia during certain operations, it is prohibited for recreational usage.

Marijuana

Marijuana is a combination of the dried flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. It is also known as weed, pot, grass, and many other slang words. Some individuals consume their marijuana through joints, pipes, bongs, or blunts.

Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products

More than 12.5% of adults in the United States who are at least 18 years old report being current smokers. This means there are now 30.8 million adult smokers in the United States.

More than 16 million people in the United States suffer from a disease directly linked to smoking. To make matters worse, this problem affects everyone, even those who use electronic cigarettes. Cigarettes and e-cigarettes both contain nicotine, a highly addictive chemical, which is the primary element in both.

Substance-Induced Psychotic Disorder

Substance-Induced Bipolar and Related Disorders

These are mood swings that alternate between manic and depressive states that are brought on by drug use. They are normally absent when narcotics aren't used.

Substance-Induced Depressive Disorders

These are the feelings of sadness, despair, suicidal thoughts, poor energy, difficulties focusing, and social withdrawal caused by drug use and are not usually present when drugs are not used.

Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorders

Generalized anxiety disorder, along with fear, anger, and sleeplessness, are all examples of side effects that may occur when a person is taking medication but not otherwise.

Substance-Induced Sleep Disorders

Insomnia, or the difficulty of falling or remaining asleep at night, excessive daytime sleepiness, or a mix of the two, are examples of sleep disruptions that can be brought on by drug use but are not normally present when narcotics aren't used.

Substance-Induced Sexual Dysfunction

Drug misuse may cause serious problems with sexual desire and libido, but these concerns are significantly less serious than the common side effects of drug addiction.

Substance-Induced Delirium

Drug or alcohol abuse may cause delirium, a condition characterized by confusion and mental disorientation.

Substance-Induced Neurocognitive Disorders

This consists of cognitive impairments such as memory problems, aphasia (the loss of the capacity to comprehend speech), and apraxia.

Genetics

Substance Use at an Early Age

Most drug users begin their habit when they are still teenagers and still living with their parents. These risk elements consist of:

Exposure to Advertising

Substantial evidence suggests that drug use is often portrayed in a good light in media for teenagers and young people, and that this exposure is linked to later substance use.

A Current Mental Health Diagnosis

Some individuals self-medicate with drugs and alcohol to relieve their own mental tension. This more likely tends to result in some kind of drug use problem.

A History of Abuse or Neglect

People who experienced abuse or neglect as children mostly use alcohol and drugs as a kind of self-medication. Maltreatment in early childhood is strongly correlated with addictions later in life.

Resources