RSS FeedWhy do some people become addicted to drugs or alcohol and others do not? It’s a perplexing question. People used to think that addiction showed a lack of personal discipline or lack of character. They believed that addicts could stop taking drugs or overindulging in alcohol if they really wanted to. Scientific research has proved this to be untrue. When taken repeatedly, drugs and alcohol effect changes in the chemistry of the brain (see our July 24 post) that make it impossible for an individual to stop using the drug without professional help. Drug addiction and alcohol addiction (called alcoholism) are diseases. Like diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic medical conditions, drug addiction and alcoholism cannot be “cured”; but they can be treated and successfully controlled with help from a professional alcohol and drug rehabilitation treatment center. With treatment, addicts and alcoholics can learn to live without drugs and alcohol and can live productive, satisfying lives.
But why do some people become addicted while others don’t? The risk factors for addiction are similar to those for any chronic disease: biology, social environment and lifestyle. The more risk factors present, the greater the chance the individual’s use of drugs or alcohol will develop into an addiction.
- Biology. Some people are born with genes that predispose them to addictive behavior. If your parent was an alcoholic, you are at greater risk of becoming an alcoholic than other people. Gender, ethnicity and certain mental disorders, in combination with other influences, make addictive behavior more likely. There’s nothing you can do about the genes you’re born with. But if other family members have had problems with drugs or alcohol — particularly when there is a pattern that goes back generations — it is likely that you too share an elevated genetic risk for addiction. New genetic research is working to isolate the genes that contribute to addiction with the hope of generating new prevention and treatment protocols for drug addicts and alcoholics.
Next time: How the social environment contributes to addiction.
