The Root Causes Of Addiction: Why Do People Become Addicted?

Addiction is now classified as "a chronic, often relapsing brain disease", similar, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says, to "other chronic, relapsing diseases, such as diabetes, asthma, or heart disease". Make no mistake, though; a lot of stigma remains attached to this disease, with many people continuing to see addiction as a choice, the result of a character flaw, or a lack of willpower. 

Addiction leads to very real, physical, changes in brain functioning that shackle the brain's (otherwise potentially extremely useful) pleasure and reward system to the substance or behavior a person is addicted to, causing immense distress and anxiety when the addict doesn't have access to the addictive substance or behavior, and in the case of many substances also creating a physical dependence. 

1. Genetics

Not everyone who experiments with substances known to be highly addictive become addicts. Why is that? Researchers have come to the conclusion that as much as 50 percent of a person's risk of addiction is indeed down to genetics. How does that work? Well, for starters, genetics can determine how a person metabolizes substances like alcohol and nicotine.

Genetics also play a role in the development of mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety, both of which increase the likelihood that someone will seek "self-medication" through potentially addictive substances. 

Together these things may mean that people who have a family history of addiction will want to stay well away from substances that are known to be addictive, though that doesn't guarantee they won't fall into the trap of a behavioral addiction. Everyone has to eat and shop, for instance, and it's possible to develop an addiction to both. 

2. Adolescence

The adolescent brain is still developing — a process that continues well into a person's twenties, we now know. This makes young people more vulnerable to peer pressure, at it also means they have poorer impulse control. While both these factors increase the risk of addiction, adolescents also actually experience more pleasurable effects when taking substances. The effect of nicotine is more potent in youngsters, and research suggests that the same is probably true for cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine.

3. Trauma 

Traumatic experiences increase the risk of addiction greatly, research has shown over and over again. This holds true for both traumatic experiences in childhood and later in life, such as among combat veterans. Among people with a history of trauma, 39 percent are addicted to alcohol, more than 34 percent are addicted to cocaine, and more than 44 percent are hooked on marijuana. Around 59 percent of all people with post-traumatic stress disorder will eventually become addicted to something. 

4. Environment

Environmental factors that add to a person's risk of substance addiction cover the trauma and peer pressure we already looked at, of course, but something else also falls under this category — people who grow up in, or live in, environments where substance use is normalized are much more likely to fall victim to addiction themselves. That is because something that's all around you is going to be seen as "an option", while something you never have contact with or only have contact with in a very negative way likely won't. An environment that normalizes addiction or substances is also one in which substances are going to be more readily available in many cases. 

Environmental factors would also include things like how a person was parented, and what their socioeconomic status and outlook for the future is. Stress is another big one, that is similar to trauma in this context; the more stress a person is exposed to, the more likely they are to seek out ways to alleviate that stress, sometimes in ultimately detrimental ways. 

In conclusion

Various risk factors increase the risk that a person ultimately becomes an addict — and being aware of these factors may help you avoid an addiction. However, there is no such thing as a person who cannot become addicted. If you are reading this because you believe you are developing a problem or already have one, seek help. Though there's no easy "cure" and addiction is often considered a chronic disease, it can be managed with treatment just like other chronic diseases.