What are the Causes of Drug Addiction?
There has been a lot of research done to try to pinpoint the exact causes of drug addiction. While research still continues, there really is no way to accurately predict drug addiction in any single person. However, there are certainly some common risk factors that are likely to play a role in developing a drug habit.
Low self image or low self worth can be one of the biggest indicating factors. When we feel that we are worthy of caring for ourselves one thing we tend to avoid is putting anything in our bodies that might hurt us. We prefer to live cleanly and enjoy our good health. This applies to everything from smoking cigarettes to shooting heroine.
Access is another indicating factor. Access can be anything from having someone in the household who sells or constantly uses drugs or it can be having an approved prescription for narcotic medications. Access makes it much easier to start developing the habit and then creating situations that the habit can be reinforced.
Some people like to point to childhood abuse, broken homes, and other such childhood trauma. While this can be a factor, there are enough clean adults that grew up under such circumstances to put this theory into question. It actually takes you right back to self worth. Many children who come from broken homes, have a history of childhood trauma, or have been abused do not have the self worth they need if nobody stepped in and cared for their self image during that critical time.
Some science points to DNA and the potential for developing a drug addiction based solely on predisposition. These same theories apply to violence and alcoholism as well. Some scientists embrace this idea fully while others remain firm in the belief that despite our DNA, education and emotional factors play into our choices. We may not have control over our eye or hair color when we are born, but we do have the capacity to choose to change it. Hence, we can easily have the capacity to choose not to be become addicted to drugs despite our DNA. Blaming DNA will obviously create a wide hole in personal responsibility for everything from drug use to murder to child abuse.
Perhaps the question that many of us should be asking isn't what causes drug abuse. Rather, maybe we should be asking what prevents drug abuse. We already know that community programs and after school supervision play a role in reducing drug use among teens. Maybe the harder we look at why these things are successful we will be able to provide other avenues of drug prevention.
Low self image or low self worth can be one of the biggest indicating factors. When we feel that we are worthy of caring for ourselves one thing we tend to avoid is putting anything in our bodies that might hurt us. We prefer to live cleanly and enjoy our good health. This applies to everything from smoking cigarettes to shooting heroine.
Access is another indicating factor. Access can be anything from having someone in the household who sells or constantly uses drugs or it can be having an approved prescription for narcotic medications. Access makes it much easier to start developing the habit and then creating situations that the habit can be reinforced.
Some people like to point to childhood abuse, broken homes, and other such childhood trauma. While this can be a factor, there are enough clean adults that grew up under such circumstances to put this theory into question. It actually takes you right back to self worth. Many children who come from broken homes, have a history of childhood trauma, or have been abused do not have the self worth they need if nobody stepped in and cared for their self image during that critical time.
Some science points to DNA and the potential for developing a drug addiction based solely on predisposition. These same theories apply to violence and alcoholism as well. Some scientists embrace this idea fully while others remain firm in the belief that despite our DNA, education and emotional factors play into our choices. We may not have control over our eye or hair color when we are born, but we do have the capacity to choose to change it. Hence, we can easily have the capacity to choose not to be become addicted to drugs despite our DNA. Blaming DNA will obviously create a wide hole in personal responsibility for everything from drug use to murder to child abuse.
Perhaps the question that many of us should be asking isn't what causes drug abuse. Rather, maybe we should be asking what prevents drug abuse. We already know that community programs and after school supervision play a role in reducing drug use among teens. Maybe the harder we look at why these things are successful we will be able to provide other avenues of drug prevention.
