Causes of drug abuse

Introduction

Drug abuse is a term used for a disorder which involves adestructive pattern of using various substances, which leads to distress andproblems. The disorder may also sometimes be referred to as chemical abuse orsubstance abuse. The number of people who indulge in such activities is notsmall, and lately it has become normal that the number of teenagers who engagein prescription drugs constantly increases. Drug addiction is sometimesreferred to as chemical dependency or substance dependence, and it is actuallya medical condition which involves a destructive pattern of the aforementioneddrug abuse, but it leads to numerous other medical problems. A person maysuffer from both drug abuse and drug dependency issues, and those may even be accompaniedby serious mental health problems. This is sometimes referred as dualdiagnosis, and in most cases it is very hard to treat.

Signs and Symptoms

The destructive pattern involved with drug abuse can becharacterized by certain symptoms which need to take place in the same year.Those include continued drug use in spite of numerous relationship and socialproblems, recurrent legal problems triggered by drug use, recurrent drug use indangerous situations and recurrent drug use which results in not meetingimportant obligations at home, school or work. The destructive pattern involvedwith drug addiction can be characterized by certain symptoms which need to takeplace in the same year. Those include significantly reduced participation invarious important work, school, recreational and social activities, longamounts of time spent getting using and then recovering from the substance,persistent desire to take the drug, unsuccessful attempts to decrease the useof the substance, larger amounts of drug taken, psychological or physical signsof withdrawal and several other signs and symptoms. Even though the person is fully aware of thedestructive pattern and the harm the substances causes, he or she commonlycontinues to use the substance.

Causes

Drug abuse and drug addiction can be triggered by numerousdifferent types of causes and factors. Various social, psychological,biological, social and other risk factors contribute a lot to these infamousactivities. Some families even suffer from what appears to be an addictiveenvironment, so there is actually even a genetic aspect to the risk of drugaddictions. Bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression and other psychologicalfactors may also contribute to the development of drug abuse and drugaddiction. Women are much more prone to these “activities” than men are.