Causes of addiction

Most people are aware of the dangers associated with addictions, but the number of addicts is steadily growing. So why do people become addicted to dangerous substances or activities? Some people get addicted to drugs, alcohol, pills, and others to relationships, to chocolate or coffee; there are very strange addictions. But what cause those addictions? There are social, spiritual, emotional, genetic, mental health and cultural factors that can cause an addiction. 

The environment for example the home, neighborhood or community can influence a person to start any kind of addiction. For example, People who experience prejudice, discrimination or marginalization may use substances to cope with feelings of trauma or social isolation. If a person has a group of friends that use drugs or drink a lot, and that person suffer peer pressure he/she is going to start an addiction because the environment helps. Also, if a person has genetic predisposition it will be easier to become addicted to something.

Some people with mental health problems use substances to help themselves feel better, but end up making the situation worse. Other people may turn to substances as a way of coping with difficult emotions or situations, for example to calm themselves down when they feel angry. People may also use substances to help relieve stress or sadness.

Another factor is spirituality. Spirituality can mean different things to people. One aspect that many people experience is a need to feel connected to others and the world around them. People who lack this sense of spiritual connection may feel empty or hopeless. They may use substances to mask these feelings and develop a substance use problem as a result. 

All these factors may lead people to fall into an addiction. We have to be careful with addictions because once you are addicted it’s difficult to stop. We have to be careful and know how far to go; to avoid making mistakes that hurt us in our lives.