There are people who do not understand how other people can develop a drug addiction, mistakenly thinking that those who use drugs lack moral principles or willpower and that they could stop using drugs without any problem.
However, drug addiction is a complex phenomenon, a multitude of factors intervene in the causes and consequences of addiction and stopping consumption requires more than good intentions or intense willpower. In this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about drug addiction, its causes and consequences.
What is drug addiction?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an addiction is a physical and psychological illness that creates a dependence on a substance, activity or relationship.
To be more specific, drug addiction is a condition in which a person engages in the consumption of a substance whereby the rewarding effects provide an incentive to continue that consumption behavior repeatedly despite the consequences. harmful. Addiction can involve the use of alcohol, inhalants, opiates, nicotine and other substances.
There is scientific evidence that addictive substances and behaviors share a key neurobiological characteristic: intense activation of the brain’s reward and reinforcement pathways, many of which involve dopamine.
Drug addiction has a high probability of being accompanied by different mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety or other problems. Furthermore, it is characterized by a social deterioration with interruption of daily activities and social relationships, since continuous consumption is usually detrimental to relationships and work or school obligations.
It is also common for them to continue using despite the physical or psychological damage caused by said consumption. And tolerance to the substance typically increases as the body adapts to the presence of the substance.
Effects of drug addiction
Drug use has effects at various levels, from the brain or biological level to contextual effects. Luckily, research has advanced a lot and today we know some of the effects of drugs on the life of the person who has developed an addiction, as well as treatments that can help help people recover from addiction and engage in productive lives.
What are the causes of drug use?
Not all people who use drugs become addicted. There is no single factor involved in or causing addiction; rather, it is a set of social, biological, environmental or contextual factors that increase the risk of a person becoming addicted to drugs. To know in depth the drug addiction, its causes and consequenceswe must take into account the following risk factors:
- Biological factors: These factors along with environmental factors increase a person’s vulnerability to developing addiction. Being a man or having a mental health disorder can increase your risk.
- Environmental or contextual factors: Family, friends, and socioeconomic status have a significant impact on a person’s likelihood of developing an addiction. , physical or sexual abuse, stress, and peer pressure can influence the development of addiction.
- Development factors: Although people can become addicted at any age, the earlier substance use occurs, the more likely it is that use will become an addiction.
Consequences of addiction and drug use
Today, part of the deaths, illnesses, accidents or others can be caused by substance abuse. Prolonged drug dependence interferes with a person’s life and has effects on almost all organs of the human body.
Consequences of drug addiction on the body
Although each drug has different harmful effects, these are some of the common conditions that substance use can cause:
- Damaged immune system: increasing susceptibility to various infections
- Cardiovascular conditions: including heart attacks and collapsed veins
- Nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain
- Overstrain of the liver or liver failure
- Seizures and strokes
- Widespread brain damage which can interfere with memory, attention and decision making, as well as even permanent brain damage.
Social consequences of drug use
On the other hand, some of the worst effects of substance use are not health related. Substance use can have a series of harmful consequences for the person and socially. Some of these consequences are:
- Job’s lose
- Loss of important or appropriate relationships for the person
- Economic problems
- Risk behaviors
- Become homeless
- Imprisonment
Many of these problems can be reversed or minimized by quitting the addiction, but there may be some health and emotional problems that will remain over time. The best way to prevent permanent damage is a fast professional treatment to overcome addiction.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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