Alcohol or drug abuse negatively impacts a person's behavior, physical, and mental health. It often leads to a person’s inability to stop or control their use of the addictive substance. There are many addictive drug and alcohol options to appeal to individuals’ urges to self-medicate or use consciousness-altering substances. A person with multiple risk factors for addiction can typically access a range of substance choices to satisfy those urges and may go on to struggle with addiction.
Common Addictive Drugs in the U.S.
Risk factors for addiction to one type of drug or another vary between individuals, based on a broad range of contributors. Depending on their sense of need for one drug effect or another, a person may gravitate to and become addicted to one of these or other common kinds of addictive drugs:
- Cannabis substances: marijuana, hashish, THC, or synthetics like K2 (spice)
- Opioids from opium or synthetics: heroin, morphine, codeine, methadone and oxycodone, other narcotics
- Barbiturates: sedatives: pentobarbital (Nembutal), secobarbital (Seconal), belladonna, other depressants
- Benzodiazepines: muscle relaxers, sedatives, hypnotics
- Stimulants: Methamphetamine (Meth), amphetamines, cocaine, others
Causes of Drug Addiction and Alcoholism
Substance addiction is a mental disorder that may have multiple factors contributing to its development. The primary causes of drug or alcohol use disorder include:
- Genetics: Inherited traits may slow or accelerate the addiction’s progression.
- Environment: Long exposure to the practices and attitudes of one’s family, social group, or peers may strongly encourage drug or alcohol use.
- Brain Changes: Physical addiction occurs due to repeated use of alcohol or a drug causing changes to neurons in the brain.
Risk Factors for Drug Addiction
People of all ages, occupations, and economic positions can become addicted to alcohol or drugs. But, there are some life factors that increase a person’s risk of addiction, such as:
- Family history of addiction, especially addicted parent(s) and/or sibling(s)
- Depression or other mental health disorder(s)
- Peer pressure, especially for younger people
- Lack of family supervision, support, or involvement
- Early alcohol or drug use, causing changes in a young, developing brain
- Using a highly addictive substance, such as methamphetamine or opioids
When It’s Time to See Your Doctor
Symptoms of addiction can vary by the type of drug a person is using. If substance abuse is causing you problems in your life, it’s probably time to obtain effective help. Your probability of sustaining long-term recovery is higher with professional support. See your primary care doctor or a mental health professional, or a licensed drug addiction treatment specialist.
See your healthcare professional if:
- You keep using the drug even though it has been negatively impacting your life.
- You have been demonstrating risky behavior while high or attempting to obtain a drug.
- You have experienced withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop using the drug.
Alcohol and Drug Rehab in Arizona
Renaissance Recovery Center, Gilbert, Arizona, provides drug and alcohol addiction treatment services that focus on the underlying causes leading individuals to substance addiction. We don’t just focus on stopping the substance use. This approach to rehab therapy can help significantly reduce the risk of relapse and enable you to move past self-damaging patterns and live your best life.