You have a parent with an alcohol problem. Is that why you can never turn down an invitation to go drinking with your friends on the weekend? And does your desire to drink consume all your waking thoughts? Family history is just one factor that can influence substance abuse disorder, but knowing other causes may help you find a treatment that works.
What is Substance Abuse Disorder?
Drug addiction, also known as substance abuse disorder, is a disease that can affect your brain and behavior and make you lose control when using a legal or illegal drug or medication. People affected by this disorder often fall into the habit of using substances which may include nicotine, cannabinoids, depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. Addiction compels you to continue using the substance even when you know of the potential harm it may cause.
Factors Which Influence Substance Abuse Disorder
Substance abuse is a significant problem in the United States. In 2016, a study by the U.S. National Institutes of Health of people aged 12 and older (265 million in total) showed that 17% reported using “an illegal drug, non-medical use of a prescribed drug, or heavy alcohol use during the prior year.” According to the same research, the problem accounts for significant harm to individuals and those around them – with costs of more than $400 billion each year and $120 billion in healthcare expenses.
But what causes someone to fall under the influence of legal or illegal substances to the point they’re a risk to themselves or others? There are no easy answers.
There could be several factors that cause substance abuse disorder. Healthcare professionals, researchers, and others sometimes have competing ideas, but always find common ground.
- Cultural and societal issues may decide on tolerable or permissible types of drug or alcohol use. Children who see adults or caregivers continually use substances like drugs or alcohol may be at greater risk of becoming addicted later.
- Public laws determine what’s legal or illegal and can influence usage.
- Human genetics. Once you’ve begun using a substance, the fall into addiction can be influenced by inherited traits passed down between blood relatives, which could delay or speed up how quickly someone becomes addicted.
- Environmental stressors, including a person’s family beliefs and attitudes, and membership in a peer group where drug use is encouraged, could play a role in first-time drug use.
- Social pressures from friends or a desire to fit in.
- Individual personality characteristics.
- Changes in the brain, especially those related to how chemical messengers called neurotransmitters function.
- Psychiatric problems. The U.S. National Library of Medicine reported that mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder frequently occur in people with substance abuse disorder.
It’s important to remember that all these factors can affect one person differently compared to another and may or may not trigger addiction.
- Feeling like you must use the substance regularly – daily or multiple times a day
- Intense urges to use the substance overwhelm all other thoughts
- The same effect is only achieved over time by using more of the substance, more often
- Using greater quantities of the drug over an extended timeframe than you intended
- Always keeping a supply of the drug on hand
- Spending money you can’t afford to spend
- Ignoring personal obligations and work duties, or avoiding social or recreational events because of drug use
- You keep using the substance of choice, ignoring signs of harm that it causes to you and others, including physical or psychological harm
- Taking potential illegal action to obtain the substance, including stealing or fraudulent activities
- Risky behavior when under the influence of the substance
- You spend a lot of time getting the drug, using it, or recovering from its side effects
- You try to stop using the drug but fail
- You have withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop using the drug
Anyone, regardless of age or gender, can have a substance abuse disorder, and there are many risk factors to watch for. You could be at greater risk of having substance abuse problems based on family history, mental wellness, absence of family support, childhood experiences with a legal or illegal substance, and using a highly addictive substance.
A Specialty Clinic May Offer Innovative Treatment Options
If you’ve been diagnosed with substance abuse disorder, see a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment options. Certain medicine, psychotherapy, and in-patient treatment centers are possible options. Another option is to ask your medical professional about ketamine therapy from a specialty clinic.
