Top 10 Reasons Why Individuals Start Doing Drugs: Understanding Recovery

Introduction

Why do people start doing drugs?

Well, there is no universal answer to this question. Some people start doing drugs due to social pressure, and some start doing it as a way of experimenting. Some people also treat drugs as a gateway to fit in with the so-called ‘Cool’ people in school or college.

But when people start doing drugs, they never for once lay back and think about its consequences. Instead, most people view drugs as a temporary escape route from their daily problems.

However, when they realize they have fallen victims to its addictive traps, it’s already too late. So, before you start treating these patients and revert them to the mainstream way of living life, you must understand why they started doing drugs in the first place.

10 Reasons Why People Start Doing Drugs

Drug abuse is not necessarily a result of mental illness or poor upbringing. Even well-educated people fall victim to this substance abuse problem despite knowing its consequences. Let’s find out the top 10 reasons why people start doing drugs;

#1: Experimenting

Experimenting with drugs is one of the most common reasons people start doing drugs. Especially teenagers in school start taking marijuana or drinking alcohol out of curiosity. Even if they cough profusely after the first drag, that doesn’t dissuade them from carrying on the experiment.

It seems harmless to them at first, and before they know it, they become patients of substance abuse problems in their adolescence. Admitting these people to the best outpatient and detox medical centers as soon as possible is the best way to solve this problem.

If you want to know more about the best detox centers, click https://www.ascendantny.com/detox-centers-new-jersey/

#2: Peer Pressure

Starting doing drugs due to peer pressure is another common reason behind the substance abuse problems of teenagers. The overwhelming desire to impress one’s peers or the compulsive need to fit in sometimes propel teenagers to develop awful habits like drug abuse.

Peer pressure can influence teens’ choices to do many things prone to risk-taking. Unlike adults, teens ignore the risks of such behaviors in favor of the rewards. For example, when they imagine enjoying the hallucinating impact of drugs, they ignore its other consequences and obsess over drugs before they know it.

#3: Loneliness

People do all kinds of things when they are alone. Some dive deep into their creative realms, while some fill the void with alcohol and drugs. Unfortunately, everyone is not strong enough to deal with loneliness positively, so it becomes a significant reason why people start doing drugs.

Lonely people start doing drugs because they want to escape the negativity of solitude. When they start doing drugs, it keeps them content, happy, and they feel like they don’t need anybody else anymore. Therefore, drugs act as a coping mechanism for these people.

#4: Grieving

People often start doing drugs when they grieve over the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship. Some relationships are too meaningful in our lives, and when we lose those people, life stops making sense to us.

We understand this problem, but everyone has their own way of dealing with tough times. That’s why people struggling with such physical or emotional loss often start doing drugs to cope with the grief for the short term and become dependent on it in no time.

#5: Self-Medication

When doctors recommend people a little dose of opioids to cure physical pain, sometimes, they become dependent on it so much that it becomes an addiction. Then, even when the doctor releases the patient from that dose, they continue taking it, which initiates their drug abuse problem.

Initially, it may not indicate much of a difference. Still, gradually it will make the patient obsess over the medication so much that spending one day without taking it will be impossible. Therefore, avoid overconsumption of these medications if you don’t want to develop drug abuse problems.

#6: Mental Health Issues

People with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, PTSD, paranoia often fall victim to drug abuse problems. However, you have to remember that these people don’t possess the inherent strength to cope with their fear, so finding an escape from drugs seems like an easy option to them.

People suffering from mental health disorders often prefer taking drugs to rationalize their illness. Unfortunately, it is one of the most dangerous reasons why people start doing drugs, so consulting with a trusted adult or a doctor is recommended as soon as possible.

#7: Performance Enhancement

Certain drugs can energize your muscles and enhance your performance for the short term, which is why many athletes start doing drugs. Especially, swimmers and runners start doing drugs to cope with the media pressure to win a match or win huge financial rewards.

But they don’t stop taking it after one match. Instead, the urge to win one game after another persuades them to continue taking drugs to enhance their performance. They may not even stop taking it even if it poses a risk to kill them, so you can imagine how threatening it is.

#8: Genetics

Substance abuse disorders have a strong correlation with genetics. If you have a family history of drug abuse problems, you may be predisposed to take drugs more than your peers. These people have alcohol-metabolizing enzymes and gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptors in their body that makes them more prone to drug abuse.

Research shows that almost 30%-70% of persons stay at an increased risk of substance abuse problems with these genetic disorders. Therefore, getting treated for these kinds of risky genetic diseases at the earliest onset is the only viable solution in this context.

#9: Rebellious Nature

Some people who are rebels without a cause often find drug abuse a way to show off their rebellious nature. Since drug abuse is socially unacceptable, it makes them feel courageous or a renegade in their social circle.

While these people start doing drugs to show how they are different from others, it soon becomes an addiction problem before they know it. Therefore, find other ways to show rebellion other than simply harming yourself.

#10: Easy Availability

With the convenience of the internet, people can access drugs whenever they want. It does not even cost them much. So, the easy availability of drugs is also a significant reason why many people start doing drugs nowadays.

We are not talking about hard drugs like cocaine, heroin, brown sugar, or LSD. There are also soft drugs such as prescription medicines available in any chemist store near you. Even people can obtain them from their friends or colleagues, and what starts as simple fun ends in drug abuse problems in no time.

To Conclude

There are other reasons why people start doing drugs besides the ones we have mentioned here. However, if you want to treat these patients, understanding the root cause behind their substance abuse problem is a must.

You can never start drug abuse as a silly experiment and leave the world without getting addicted to it. Talk to a trusted adult if you are already undergoing this problem to get the necessary treatment right now.