Addiction is a difficult thing to decipher. Some people can take drugs and not develop an addiction while others can get hooked on it just once.
It can happen for many reasons, and it can be difficult to determine what causes some people to become addicted while others do not.
No worries. I’m here to help. I’m sharing this article because I’m a leading Behavioral Change Coach with a passion for understanding the human psyche. I founded The Anxiety Cure – which is a therapist-recommended online program. I am committed to helping people to improve their life circumstances and live their highest potential lives.
Coming up I’m going to explain the various societal pressures which might be the root cause of addiction.
Many people who enter addiction treatment will say that they got into drugs and/or alcohol because they wanted to fit in with the rest of their peers. This kind of addiction typically starts in young adulthood, where the decision-making process is still immature. Young adults want to fit in and do what everyone else is doing.
Young adults are also in the throes of studying in college and will turn to certain drugs in order to help them study longer. In these kinds of situations, it doesn’t take a lot of time for a drug addiction to develop.
Peer pressure isn’t the only root of addiction; there are other factors that come into play. Being more susceptible to mental health disorders tends to increase the chances of developing an addiction. Mental illness, whether it’s triggered by trauma, genetics, or a combination of both, can make it difficult to determine if it came before or after the addiction. Some of the most common mental health disorders that increase the addiction risk include:
Many people turn to alcohol or drugs to relieve some of these symptoms instead of getting professional medical help for proper prescriptions.
Sudden changes in one’s life can leave them feeling aimless and confused. Turning to drugs or alcohol can feel like they have some control over what’s going on in their life.
These substances can also help them to cope by reducing the feelings of stress during certain periods of their daily life. Experiencing negative emotions forces the brain to seek out some means of pleasure or happiness, and drugs or alcohol can be the easy way to satisfy that need.
This creates a loop where the brain starts to crave these chemicals in order to avoid that downward spiral feeling and feel pleasure again.
Recognizing that you have a problem is the first step to understanding that you have an addiction. It’s not a hopeless situation and you can recover from it now that you know that what you’re experiencing is not normal. Seek out a medical health professional to help you construct the right plan for your addiction so that you can harbor control over your life again.
Don’t give up hope if you discover that you have a drug or alcohol addiction. Whether it has been caused by peer pressure or coping with a stressful situation, there are the proper steps and programs in place to help you out of your situation and get back to your normal life again.
If you want further support consider working with me in 1 on 1 coaching sessions to strengthen your mindset. Plus explore my therapist recommended program The Anxiety Cure.
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