Drug addiction and alcoholism are two of the most difficult addiction problems to battle. Many people write off addiction and wonder why an addict just can’t quit. Some people attribute addiction, of any kind, to a poor or weak mental state, but it’s not that simple in reality. Most people addicted to drugs and alcoholism desire to quit, as they’re aware of the damage it does to their health, but that’s the problem with addiction – it makes it difficult to quit on your own. Considering all the health implications, you might be wondering what leads people to drug addiction and alcoholism in the first place.
What Causes Drug Addiction?
Like many other psychological and mental health issues, multiple factors contribute to drug addiction. But you can group most of these factors into two main causes – environment and genetics.
- Environment: Environmental factors like peer pressure, an environment that encourages or supports drug use, easy access to drugs, access to healthcare, personal beliefs, and attitudes can lead to and escalate drug addiction or abuse. But that’s not all; other factors like stress and depression can push people to seek some sort of refuge in drugs.
- Genetics: The way a person’s body and brain react to a particular type of drug can also be attributed, to some extent, to inherited traits – those encoded by a person’s genes. These inherited traits can either slow down or speed up the way addiction develops.
What Causes Alcoholism?
Just like drug addiction, your religion, culture, family, relationships, and work can influence your behaviors, including drinking. Some people may resort to drinking as a coping mechanism to deal with various issues in their lives, whether emotional, financial, or even physical.
The family also plays a crucial role in the likelihood of a person resorting to alcoholism. For example, various studies have shown that children exposed to alcohol abuse in their homes at very early ages are at greater risk of picking up a dangerous drinking pattern.
How Can You Get Out of Drug Addiction and Alcoholism?
Addiction of any kind is very difficult to break. While it is possible to free yourself from alcoholism and drug addiction on your own, it is important to seek professional assistance when you start noticing the following:
- Your addiction is affecting your family life
- You can’t go a day without indulging
- You’re investing all your finances into feeding your addiction
- Your work or academic productivity is falling
- You’re becoming more isolated from social life
- You’re neglecting your responsibilities to your children because of the addiction.
A professional treatment provider or rehab uses various treatment programs to help set addicts free. Some of the programs or services include the following:
- Outpatient program: This option provides a less intensive level of care or treatment.
- Intensive outpatient: This offers a more intensive, long-term, continuous, and sustainable treatment option.
- Telemedicine: There are virtual telemedicine sessions that you can fit into your daily life.
- Multiple pathways: You’ll find multiple options for addiction recovery through traditional and evidence-based programming.