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Many of us know the challenges and struggles that accompany drug and alcohol addiction. Whether it’s financial, emotional, psychological or physical, the damage substance abuse can do to our lives can be devastating. No one wants to become an addict, let alone admit that they’re well on the road to becoming one or realize it’s time to seek help, but there are multiple substance abuse reasons, and they vary from one person to another.
Nobody wakes up one day and makes the conscious decision to become an addict and potentially ruin their life. Becoming addicted to substances is rarely a choice. When trying to identify what went wrong, complex things happening beneath the surface often come to light.
In 2021, approximately 16.5% of the population aged 12 and older struggled with some type of substance abuse disorder. Addiction can start harmlessly enough but easily snowball into something beyond the person’s control. Since it’s unlikely someone became an addict by their own free will, we’re left with many questions as to why people abuse drugs and alcohol.
The following is a breakdown of some of the most common reasons people may turn to substance abuse.
1. To Feel Good
Feeling good is the simplest and most obvious substance abuse reason. Drugs and alcohol impact a person’s physical or mental state, and some drink to get drunk or smoke marijuana to get high.
Typically, these substances trigger feelings of pleasure or reward in the brain, which feels good. Provided a user hasn’t had an extremely negative experience with a substance, they may try to recreate that sensation of feeling good by using the substance again.
2. To Feel Accepted
Humans are highly social creatures and have an innate and subconscious desire to fit in with their fellow humans. The need to fit in during college and teenage years intensifies as young adults yearn to establish their identity.
Substances are commonly available in certain social circles and situations, and decision-making is heavily influenced by the desire to fit in. However, feeling accepted isn’t exclusive to young adults, as peer pressure can occur in all phases of life. When substance abuse commonly takes place in a social environment, the choice to abstain only becomes more difficult.
3. To Self-Medicate
Everyone develops a method of coping that helps them accept the stressors life throws at them. Dealing with traumatic parts of life — failed relationships, feeling overworked or the loss of a loved one — can be extremely difficult for anyone.
At times, our weakened mental or emotional state can be too much to bear, and some people may find the only solution to get through a difficult period is to use drugs or alcohol. Some people abuse substances, or self-medicate, to disconnect from the world. Substances help temporarily numb or ease the pain or provide a means of escape from reality. Without proper treatment, this often leads to a perpetual cycle of substance abuse.
4. To Enhance Performance
Drugs and alcohol are often thought of as a way to escape real life or provide a recreational outlet, but many turn to substances to help them perform better. The most common example of this includes athletes who use human growth hormones or steroids to reach physical gains over other athletes.
Another common example is young adults using medication intended for those diagnosed with ADHD. Professional video game Esports athletes and those engaging in all-nighters often turn to Adderall and Ritalin to enhance their attention and ability to focus.
5. Legality and Availability of Substances
When substances are readily available and there’s almost no threat of legal punishment, people can be tempted to overdo it. For example, alcohol is perfectly legal, but it’s also the single most abused substance in the United States.
Opioid pills, some of the most addictive substances on the planet, are common in the treatment of ongoing pain issues. While we’re experiencing an addiction epidemic with these drugs, many of these pills are obtained legally through physician-provided prescriptions.
6. Undiagnosed Mental Health Issues
Countries all over the world are slowly coming to terms with the prevalence and impacts mental health issues are having on our society. While the stigma behind mental health treatment is starting to dissipate, the fact is that there are so many people throughout the world who may go their entire lives without a proper diagnosis for the mental health issues which plague them.
Even when a person has been properly been diagnosed, there’s no telling if they have the means to get the treatment they need. Left unchecked, a person with mental health problems may turn to substance abuse to get some kind of relief from daily life.
7. Curiosity
We tend to downplay the curious side of our mind, but curiosity can feed an obsession to try a drug or drink a certain amount of alcohol. This is more common in young adults, but this curious nature can lead to unintended consequences.
Curiosity also becomes one of the driving reasons behind finding a bigger, better high. Gateway drugs, like alcohol or marijuana, can start a user down a path of more substance abuse if they are constantly looking for the next substance they can abuse.
8. Rebellion and Ignorance
While the initial reason some take a drug is most often a conscious decision, continued and repeated abuse of a drug usually becomes less about personal choice. In young adults, rebellion is part of the process of trying to figure out who they want to be. As a result, they may abuse substances simply to rebel against the authority figures in their lives. Despite knowing the negative effects drugs can have on their bodies, they choose to ignore this information and fail to accept the reality of the consequences that beset them.
9. Environmental Risk Factors
Many reasons for substance abuse are related to a person’s overall mental health, but some risk factors are beyond a person’s control and predispose them to substance abuse. These factors can include living in poverty or growing up in an abusive household. In these cases, the road to treatment can be long and difficult without the right treatment.
10. History of Family Drug Use
Studies have shown shared genetic markers can lead to substance abuse among members of the same family, meaning addiction is a genetic condition that can be passed from parent to child. If someone close to you, such as a parent, has struggled with alcohol or substance abuse, you may carry the same genetic predisposition.
11. Loneliness
Individuals struggling with loneliness often turn to substance abuse as a replacement for healthy relationships. Addiction serves as a distraction from loneliness. Ironically, addiction can lead to further isolation, causing the person to push away the few people left in their lives and leaving them feeling even lonelier.
12. When Alcohol Isn’t Enough
Grabbing drinks with friends after work or having a few beers on the weekend may be enough at first to provide feelings of relaxation. Over time, an individual may find they need more and more alcohol or different substances to achieve the same feelings. Either they start to drink heavily or start taking drugs, which eventually makes quitting more difficult.
How To Move Forward
Addiction is one of the most difficult things a person can try to tackle, particularly if they are trying to do it alone. Substance abuse has no simple solution, but understanding the reasons why we drink or take drugs is a helpful step toward recovery.
Are you or a loved one struggling with addiction, lying to yourself and others? Don’t wait any longer to ask for help. In today’s environment, you never know when your next dose could be your last. Our Neuro Rehabilitation approach helps address the reasons for substance abuse once and for all. Contact FHE Health to speak to one of our counselors and get on the path to recovery.
