Drug addiction is a compulsive and chronic disorder of the mind that leads an individual

to habitually use a substance in an effort to achieve a desired outcome from it — often

the trademark high. Across America, around 20 million people who needed substance
abuse treatment in 2013 didn’t receive it, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration. Over time, the outcome the addict is seeking may
change. For instance, initial experimentation with a drug is often rooted in curiosity. As
use of the substance becomes more frequent, the body starts to grow physically
dependent on the drug in order to function properly.

Signs of addiction include tolerance, a loss of control over how much or how often you
use, an obsession with the substance, abandoning events and activities you used to
enjoy, and continuing to use drugs even though they have had negative effects on your
life. Anyone who begins to experience symptoms of withdrawal — whether mild or
severe — in the absence of the substance, is likely dependent on the substance.
Withdrawal symptoms can vary from drug to drug and include:

 Trembling
 Fatigue
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Nausea, with or without vomiting
 Excessive perspiration
 Headache
 Insomnia

Further reading
 9 common myths about substance addiction
 A study of drug addiction between the genders
 Addiction stigma
 Addictive personality traits and signs
 By the numbers: American’s spend on addictive drugs
 Club drugs
 Consequences
 Date rape drugs

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Why do people use drugs?

For many, drug use starts with mere experimentation. This can stem from curiosity
about what it’s like to be high or peer pressure. Others stumble upon drugs as an
escape from the uncomfortable feelings of sadness or anxiety they experience.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports about 20 percent of
substance abusers have an anxiety disorder or a mood disorder, such as depression.
When someone is struggling with mental illness, it often isn’t visible to the sufferer, who
is in the thick of it.

For many Americans, drug use starts with a prescription. Opiate-based drugs
like OxyContin are notorious for both their addictive properties and their likelihood of
being overprescribed. The Los Angeles Times reported more around 92,200 people
were treated for overdoses on prescription opioid pain relievers in 2010. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention notes an astounding 259 million prescriptions were
written for opioid painkillers in 2012 alone.

There are certainly individuals who are given prescriptions they are very much in need
of, such as a patient with anxiety who is given a script for benzodiazepines. These
drugs are highly addictive, and as a result, they should only be prescribed for short
periods of time. In fact, Helpguide states that individuals who take prescribed benzos for
a couple months or longer will very likely become addicted to them, noting that the anti-
anxiety therapeutic qualities of the drug will lose their efficacy after four to six months’
time.

What are they using?

The most commonly abused substance in America is alcohol. Across the country,
the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. states that 17.6 million
adults are either dependent on or abusing alcohol. When it comes to drugs, no one drug
is abused more than marijuana. In 2012, 18.9 million Americans over the age of 11
were current marijuana users, per the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Other drugs
that often lead to addiction include:

 Prescription opioid pain relievers, such as hydrocodone

 Cocaine
 Heroin
 Prescription benzodiazepines, like Klonopin and Xanax
 Spice
 Prescription amphetamines, such as Adderall
 Barbiturates, like phenobarbital

Root causes of addiction

Most professionals agree that addiction isn’t solely attributed to one solitary cause.
Rather, addiction is a complex disease that forms as a culmination of many factors. One
such factor is mental health issues. As mentioned, mental health disorders are highly
common among substance abusers. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports
over 50 percent of drug addicts have one or more severe mental health disorders.

When two or more disorders exist simultaneously, it is known as a comorbid condition.

When this situation is present, all co-occurring disorders must be treated at the same
time for the patient to have the best chance at recovering. Failure to treat both issues
typically sets the patient up for relapse. For example, a patient with generalized anxiety
disorder may take Klonopin to ease the symptoms that plague them each day, but a
genuine need for the drug doesn’t make the patient exempt from becoming dependent
on it. In fact, when the drug helps with symptoms, the patient is more likely to use it
regularly, and addiction could take hold.

While it may not be a cause in and of itself, a genetic predisposition to addiction has
been shown to contribute to most cases. According to the Addictions and Recovery, you
are eight times as likely to be an addict if one of your parents was an addict. Research
points toward hereditary taking responsibility for about 50 percent of the development of
addiction, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Merely growing up in a household where drug abuse takes place — even in the
absence of addiction — can have the same effects. Per the Pennsylvania Family
Support Alliance, all it takes from the adolescent’s point of view is the parent implying
that drugs are no big deal or nothing to be concerned about, and the youth is more likely
to use drugs. When parents don’t make a big deal out of educating their children against
drug use, or they don’t reprimand such use, the adolescent grows up thinking it’s not
that bad. This mentality often leads to increased use.

Drug addiction refers to the compulsive and repeated use of increasing amounts of
drugs with the appearance of withdrawal symptoms when drug use ceases. While the
specific causes of drug addiction are not known, genetic, psychological and
environmental factors are thought to play a significant role. Rather than a single cause
of drug addiction, it is likely multiple factors lead to drug addiction in any given person.

Some drug addicts also identify drug use and ignorance as a cause of drug addiction.
Often, if a person is dealing with pain-management issues, the drug they receive, like
oxycodone, can be very addictive. The ignorance of the drug's addiction potential, along
with the physical pain of the condition, becomes a cause of drug addiction.

Psychological Causes of Drug Addiction

While biological causes of drug addiction have been suggested, many people still
believe psychological factors comprise the bulk of what causes drug addiction. Some of
the psychological causes of drug addiction appear to stem from trauma, often when the
drug addict is young. Sexual or physical abuse, neglect, or chaos in the home can all
lead to psychological stress, which people attempt to "self-medicate" (decrease the
stress's pain through drug use). This self-medication becomes a cause of drug
addiction.1

Other psychological causes of drug addiction include:

 A mental illness such as depression

 Inability to connect with others, lack of friends
 Poor performance at work or school
 Poor stress coping skills

Environmental Causes of Drug Addiction

A person's environment can be part of what causes drug addiction. Drug addiction is
more common in environments where drug abuse is seen or where it's seen as
permissible. Children who grow up in homes with drug addicts often become drug
addicts themselves.

Because most drug use starts in adolescence (read: teenage drug abuse). Those with
inattentive, abusive or neglectful parents are more prone to drug abuse. One cause of
drug addiction can be the combination of drug experimentation with the lack of parental
oversight.

Other environmental factors that can be causes of drug abuse include:

 Participation in a sport where performance-enhancing drugs are encouraged

 A peer group that uses or promotes drug use
 People of lower socioeconomic status are at greater risk of drug addiction
 Gender and ethnicity contribute to addiction of some drugs

Genetic Causes of Drug Addiction

Drug addiction tends to run in families, indicating genetics may have a role in causing
drug addiction. In fact, in studies of twins it appears half of someone's risk of becoming
addicted to drugs is genetic.2 Genetic causes of drug addiction appear to involve
multiple gene sequences and science has not yet been able to pinpoint all the genes
involved. However, it is known some genes, like those involved in brain receptors of
nicotine, contribute to the cause of drug addiction.

article references
next: Effects of Drug Addiction (physical and psychological)
~ all drug addiction articles
~ all articles on addictions
Risk factors

People of any age, sex or economic status can become addicted to a drug. Certain
factors can affect the likelihood and speed of developing an addiction:

 Family history of addiction. Drug addiction is more common in some families and likely
involves genetic predisposition. If you have a blood relative, such as a parent or sibling,
with alcohol or drug addiction, you're at greater risk of developing a drug addiction.

 Mental health disorder. If you have a mental health disorder such as depression,
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or post-traumatic stress disorder, you're
more likely to become addicted to drugs. Using drugs can become a way of coping with
painful feelings, such as anxiety, depression and loneliness, and can make these
problems even worse.

 Peer pressure. Peer pressure is a strong factor in starting to use and misuse drugs,
particularly for young people.

 Lack of family involvement. Difficult family situations or lack of a bond with your parents
or siblings may increase the risk of addiction, as can a lack of parental supervision.

 Early use. Using drugs at an early age can cause changes in the developing brain and
increase the likelihood of progressing to drug addiction.

 Taking a highly addictive drug. Some drugs, such as stimulants, cocaine or opioid
painkillers, may result in faster development of addiction than other drugs. Smoking or
injecting drugs can increase the potential for addiction. Taking drugs considered less
addicting — so-called "light drugs" — can start you on a pathway of drug use and
addiction.

Complications

Drug use can have significant and damaging short-term and long-term effects. Taking
some drugs can be particularly risky, especially if you take high doses or combine them
with other drugs or alcohol. Here are some examples.
  Methamphetamine, opiates and cocaine are highly addictive and cause multiple short-term
and long-term health consequences, including psychotic behavior, seizures or death due
to overdose.

 GHB and flunitrazepam may cause sedation, confusion and memory loss. These so-called
"date rape drugs" are known to impair the ability to resist unwanted contact and
recollection of the event. At high doses, they can cause seizures, coma and death. The
danger increases when these drugs are taken with alcohol.

 Ecstasy or molly (MDMA) can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and complications
that can include seizures. Long-term, MDMA can damage the brain.

 One particular danger of club drugs is that the liquid, pill or powder forms of these drugs
available on the street often contain unknown substances that can be harmful, including
other illegally manufactured or pharmaceutical drugs.

 Due to the toxic nature of inhalants, users may develop brain damage of different levels of
severity.

Other life-changing complications

Dependence on drugs can create a number of dangerous and damaging complications,

including:

 Getting a communicable disease. People who are addicted to a drug are more likely to
get an infectious disease, such as HIV, either through unsafe sex or by sharing needles.

 Other health problems. Drug addiction can lead to a range of both short-term and long-
term mental and physical health problems. These depend on what drug is taken.

 Accidents. People who are addicted to drugs are more likely to drive or do other
dangerous activities while under the influence.

 Suicide. People who are addicted to drugs die by suicide more often than people who
aren't addicted.

 Family problems. Behavioral changes may cause marital or family conflict and custody
issues.

 Work issues. Drug use can cause declining performance at work, absenteeism and
eventual loss of employment.
  Problems at school. Drug use can negatively affect academic performance and
motivation to excel in school.

 Legal issues. Legal problems are common for drug users and can stem from buying or
possessing illegal drugs, stealing to support the drug addiction, driving while under the
influence of drugs or alcohol, or disputes over child custody.

 Financial problems. Spending money to support drug use takes away money from other
needs, could lead to debt, and can lead to illegal or unethical behaviors.

Prevention

The best way to prevent an addiction to a drug is not to take the drug at all. If your
doctor prescribes a drug with the potential for addiction, use care when taking the drug
and follow the instructions provided by your doctor.

Doctors should prescribe these medications at safe doses and amounts and monitor
their use so that you're not given too great a dose or for too long a time. If you feel you
need to take more than the prescribed dose of a medication, talk to your doctor.

Preventing drug misuse in children and teenagers

Take these steps to help prevent drug misuse in your children and teenagers:

 Communicate. Talk to your children about the risks of drug use and misuse.

 Listen. Be a good listener when your children talk about peer pressure, and be supportive
of their efforts to resist it.

 Set a good example. Don't misuse alcohol or addictive drugs. Children of parents who
misuse drugs are at greater risk of drug addiction.

 Strengthen the bond. Work on your relationship with your children. A strong, stable bond
between you and your child will reduce your child's risk of using or misusing drugs.

Preventing a relapse

Once you've been addicted to a drug, you're at high risk of falling back into a pattern of
addiction. If you do start using the drug, it's likely you'll lose control over its use again —
even if you've had treatment and you haven't used the drug for some time.
 Stick with your treatment plan. Monitor your cravings. It may seem like you've recovered
and you don't need to keep taking steps to stay drug-free. But your chances of staying
drug-free will be much higher if you continue seeing your therapist or counselor, going to
support group meetings and taking prescribed medication.

 Avoid high-risk situations. Don't go back to the neighborhood where you used to get
your drugs. And stay away from your old drug crowd.

 Get help immediately if you use the drug again. If you start using the drug again, talk to
your doctor, your mental health professional or someone else who can help you right
away.