We all have our daily habits, some stuff without which we can’t imagine our lives. For some people, it’s a cup of coffee in the morning, for others, it’s a bottle of beer in the evening or a dope of heroin on a regular basis.
Even being hooked on our exes and current partners, or even always getting into destructive relationships are forms of addiction. You’ll ask why? Because we always seek rare and unsurpassed feelings that we can only get from a particular source. And we use it until we empty it. If such a case occurs, we ultimately start looking for a substitution. And it goes round and round in a loop.
Some people desperately need a glass of whiskey every Friday, some can’t help but gamble all their savings away hoping to get rich despite the fact that their favorite venue is on the list of blacklisted casinos, some just need to relax and forget about the outside world, you name it. All in all, we’ve all got our own addictions, and there are reasons for that.
Genetics
Studies suggest that people are more susceptible to get hooked on drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol due to genetic predisposition inherited from their parents or relatives. Other people who have a stronger resistance, may have a better tolerance of narcotic substances. Even after multiple uses of a certain addictive product, they are less likely to get hooked on it.
What actually propels people to abuse different dangerous substances is their constant need for dopamine, a chemical that our brain releases prompting a sudden feeling of excitement and exhilaration.
For many drug addicts, shooting another dope is the only way to get this chemical as their bodies learn to regulate the release of dopamine after multiple overdoses. What actually happens is that the human body limits the amount of natural dopamine, or even blocks its production in severe cases. This way, the body needs to find another source of this chemical, causing a major craving. This fact totally changes people’s behavior. Calm and well-behaved by nature, people go crazy just to get another “taste” of their drug.
Age and Peers
Psychologically, it’s very hard to resist the urge to imitate the behavior of the person you look up to. Whether it’s your relative or a best friend, or just a company you are looking to get into. Society has an undeniable power over us, and we need to adopt in order to be socially accepted.
Statistically, people are more likely to get hooked on drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes at a young age, which makes it harder for them to quit in the future.
Being psychologically immature, children are more susceptible to imitate their friends’ behavior, so once they get to a certain company where drinking, smoking or taking drugs is acceptable and encouraged, a young mind has no other choice than comply to these standards.
There are exceptions, of course, especially when we are talking about people who have a social role of leaders and don’t get under someone’s influence easily. Nevertheless, statistically speaking, the majority of teenagers adopt bad habits and destructive behavior, and this only depends on their will and inner strength to quit.
Hype
As mentioned before, our closest circles have a huge influence on our behavioral habits, but what about society in general?
Many people do really act according to the principle: if you jump, I jump, too. It all originates from the fact that some people have a less developed psyche and depend more on other people’s opinions. That’s why they are more likely to get into the trap of a bad habit “just because others do so.” Here we are talking mostly about smoking, vaping, and alcohol.
During times, when smoking was considered safe and pleasurable, starting from late 1800 up till late 1900, almost half of the adult population worldwide smoked heavily on a daily basis. It was like that until scientists decided to conduct research on the destructive consequences of cigarettes for human health.
The same went for heavy drugs which were first introduced to people as antidepressants or painkillers.
Before people find out the destructive nature of a substance, they tend to use it without much of a second thought.
Fame
It’s no secret that most celebrities (singers, artists, writers) abuse different substances to either get a new source of inspiration or distract themselves from constant excessive attention.
The majority of us have dreamed of fame, wealth, and prosperity at least once in our lives. However, few really realize what a price famous people have to pay for being widely recognized and appreciated. Constant intrusive attention, no personal life, no secrets for them or their family, it can all change the way you perceive life, especially at a young age. Even adoration and love they get are not unconditional. Hate always comes along with love, and there is no way to escape it.
Other than that, you have to maintain your reputation. You need to impress people. All eyes are on you. It’s not for everyone, and not all people with talent can take it in large doses. That’s why they start taking doses to escape to another world, to find peace in their heads. Or just because they have enough money to do so, and everybody else does it.
Pain and Depression
Although everybody has their own path to addiction, some people are driven to this choice because of life circumstances.
Long-running depression can become a reason for people to start looking for a distraction. And there exists no better distraction than the euphoria an individual feels when getting high on a drug or an antidepressant.
Constant pain can also cause a painkiller addiction that stays ongoing for the whole life if not treated on time.
For some people, the psychological impact of a narcotic substance can be so strong, their body adopts a way to get the drug no matter what. Even the phantom pain is a frequent case among people who had suffered an injury or a major health issue that made them take drugs. But even when there is no cause for pain anymore, they can still feel it as it is driven by psychological processes of addiction.
Loneliness and Absence of Support
As we get deeper into our inner worlds, we can find some really dark places there. When we reach the bottom, we need someone from outside to help us get out. But what happens to those who don’t have anybody to help them in coping with their addiction? Well, they get stuck.
Our family and friends are really important figures in the process of getting out of an addiction. We need constant support and help, and we also need a reason to fight.
Lonely people are more likely to end up hitting rock-bottom or even die because of their destructive habits. That’s why it is so important to share things with your loved ones and let them help you, even when you think that there is no salvation.
Conclusion
All of us have our own reasons for destructive behavior. Some of us pick up drinking or smoking habits because we are insecure or socially unaccepted. Or because our love lives are a mess. Or we don’t get enough appreciation at work.
There is no universal reason for that. That’s not a physical disability you necessarily inherit genetically, but certainly, that’s a psychological dysfunction that drives us towards getting addicted to different substances, and we need to take care of it, the earlier, the better.
If you happen to have an addiction or you are unable to control yourself, you need to seek help. Start by telling your family and friends about it, don’t be ashamed. If you feel reluctant to do so, try to find an impartial expert who will help you find a way to sort it out.
All in all, we must have at least some control over our own lives, and do everything in our power to put it on the right track.