Drug addiction is more common in some families and probably involves genetic predisposition. People of all backgrounds and beliefs can experience addiction. It can be difficult to understand why some people are more prone to it than others. Regardless of your education or moral code, many factors can increase your risk of becoming addicted to alcohol and other drugs.
Your genetics, environment, medical history and age play an important role. Certain types of drugs, and the methods of using them, are also more addictive than others. Addiction can happen to anyone of any background, social status, race, or gender. However, it is scientifically proven that many people have higher risk factors for substance abuse and addiction than others.
There are certain factors that increase a person's risk of developing a drug or alcohol addiction. Genetics, family history, mental health and the environment are some of the risk factors for susceptibility to addictions. While the factors that contribute to addiction and the risk factors for addiction are very similar, when analyzing risk factors, it is important to deepen the exploration of the human psyche. We can see what motivates us and makes some people more at risk of developing addictions than others.
These brain changes include alterations in the cortical (prefrontal cortex) and subcortical (limbic system) regions that involve reward, motivation, memory, impulse control and judgment neurocircuits. This can lead to dramatic increases in cravings for a drug or activity, as well as deficiencies in the ability to successfully regulate this urge, despite knowledge and experience of many consequences related to addictive behavior. Adapted from the Recovery Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. By teaching people to manage pain without opioids, psychologists are helping to prevent people at risk from falling into misuse.
The Department of Health and Human Services has declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. With many people affected by prescription and nonprescription opioid abuse and overdose deaths, psychological science and psychologists can help. Yale University graduate student Ashley Gearhardt has found connections between substance abuse and food cravings, and is pioneering a new field along the way. In this podcast, expert Sherry McKee, PhD, explores why women have a harder time quitting smoking than men.
More from APA Publishing on Substance Use Disorder. The home environment has a major impact on a person's risk of drug abuse and addiction. Teens are at greater risk if they live in chaotic homes where there is little parental or adult supervision. This type of home environment can be the result of parents or older family members suffering from a mental disorder, engaging in criminal behavior, or abusing drugs or alcohol.
On the other hand, a nurturing home environment, as well as clear rules of conduct in the home, can be protective factors that reduce the potential for drug abuse. Research has clearly shown that the availability of medicines in a person's home, school, or community is one of the key risk factors for a person developing drug-related problems. For example, prescription drug abuse, which has been on the rise in recent years, comes at the same time as a sharp increase in prescriptions. This increased availability, combined with a lack of understanding of the dangers of prescription drug misuse, affects the risk of addiction.
Regardless of a person's moral code or the way they were raised, there are many factors that can increase the risk of being an alcoholic or drug addict. Mental health conditions such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety are also contributing factors to substance abuse and addiction problems. Addiction is a chronic disorder with biological, psychological, social and environmental factors that influence its development and maintenance. Genetics is just one of the risk factors when considering the possibility that someone will develop a drug or alcohol addiction.
An important factor to consider is how mental health and addictions link and impact each other. Genes, combined with other factors, are estimated to contribute between 40 and 60% of the risk of drug addiction. The experience of addiction or substance use is different for each individual and there is often a combination of biological, psychological and social factors that can help explain why a person may be struggling with addiction or substance use. Substances that are available in one's social group can also increase risk factors for addiction.
Risk factors that contribute to addiction are biological or environmental, or many different combinations of both types of factors. If you notice that you have several risk factors for addiction or suspect that you have an addiction, it's important to get in touch with someone as soon as possible. . .
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