What causes drug addiction

Generally what addiction is?

You may wonder what causes drug addiction. Addiction is a disease of the body and the brain. Addiction, also called substance use disorder, is the loss of control over the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or medications-whether legal or not-and causes uncontrollable behavior. Compulsive drugs such as nicotine, alcohol, opioids, and marijuana, as well as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, are considered addictive drugs. Once a person becomes addicted to a drug, he or she cannot stop using it, no matter how much damage it does to his or her body, brain, or life. At the best addiction treatment center in Karachi, we talked about this topic for a long time.

Drug addiction is not always an immediately obvious problem and often starts small. Drug use can start with simple recreational use, experimenting "casually," trying something new or getting a prescription for a painkiller needed after an accident or surgery. The problem is that for some people - those who become addicted - the use of addictive substances becomes frequent and necessary.

How long a person becomes addicted and the overall risk of addiction depends on the individual and the substance. The route of administration also affects the addictive potential of the drug. For example, injection and smoking drugs are more addictive because they act on the brain instantly.

Over time, most users need more of the same drug to achieve the same effects as with smaller doses. Eventually, the user will need to take the drug to function and will stop feeling sick or ill. This is one of the trademarks of drug addiction. When the drug is stopped, the user many times undergo strong cravings for the drug, which is an additional indication of exit and dependency. The experts at the best addiction treatment center in Karachi have dealt with people addicted because of bad habits.

Almost everyone needs help and support to overcome addiction.

Causes of addiction

Mental health problems

As with many mental and physical health problems, many factors can and usually do contribute to the development of addiction. The most common causes of substance use disorders are the following.

Genes

How the body and brain respond to certain drugs depends in part on genetic characteristics, that is, traits encoded in the genes. These characteristics can hasten or delay the onset of addictive diseases.

Environmental factors

Environmental factors such as access to medical care, contact with peers who condone or encourage drug use, educational opportunities, availability of drugs in the home, a person's beliefs and attitudes, and family drug use are factors that influence whether most people will first use drugs and whether that use will develop into dependence.

Genetics and drug use

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 50% of the risk of developing drug and alcohol addiction is determined by genetics.

Three factors influence a person's predisposition to a particular behavior:

Capacity: the psychological or physical ability of an individual to perform a behavior.

Motivation: both the automatic and reflexive mental processes that drive behavior; this includes both the euphoric feelings that arise immediately after drug use and the more conscious, volitional attitudes towards drug use.

Opportunities: physical and social factors in your environment, including the age of first use, that inhibit or encourage the behavior.

Environment and drug dependence

The addiction specialists at the best addiction treatment center in Karachi say that in normal circumstances people don't become addicted there are external factors involved in it.

The environment also plays a role in the development of drug addiction by influencing behavior. Environmental factors that may contribute to the development of drug dependence include:

Lack of social support

1. Peer drug use
2. Socio-economic status
3. Stress and resilience
4. Parental and family involvement
5. History of abuse or neglect
6. History of compulsive behavior

Changing environmental factors such as socioeconomic status is not easy, but there are ways to reduce the impact of adverse environmental factors and combat or prevent substance dependence. One tactic is to delay starting to use drugs altogether. Another tactic is to promote positive behavioral motivations in the environment, such as education and employment. Vigilant friends and family members can also show positive behavior and participate in abstinent activities with risky users.

All these measures can help to address environmental factors that can contribute to addiction.

Drug addiction and changes in the brain

Drug addiction often causes real physical changes in the brain. In particular, drug addiction changes the way the brain experiences pleasure by altering certain nerve cells (neurons). Neurons communicate with each other and create moods and other sensations using chemicals called neurotransmitters, and addiction can change the way neurotransmitters work in the brain.

History of drug addicts

Historically, addicts and drug addicts have been seen as morally weak people who have made bad choices. However, this purely behavioral model does not take into account the biological changes that addiction causes in the body and brain. It also ignores the problem of comorbidity; many addicts also suffer from mental health problems and use drugs to overcome these problems.

Although the view that drug addiction is a lack of willpower and a sign of bad character is fading in most progressive sectors of society, it still exists in many circles.

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