Drug addiction: main causes of drug addiction, treatment features

For what reasons does a person become drug addicted? A pressing issue that worries people who are faced with the problem of drug addiction and more. Drug addiction is a pandemic of our time and that is why it is so important to know the causes and origins of its formation. The article covers the topic of drug addiction. This information can be used for drug addiction protection and prevention purposes.

Knowledge is power, not knowledge is powerlessness over drugs.

Basically, people see drug addiction as weak-willed and spineless. However, drug addiction is a disease, because some people can resist drugs, but others cannot. The point is, in general, as with a cold, one person’s immunity from birth is better, another’s is worse. Some people have an innate predisposition to develop addiction. .

Why do you think this is so?

Heredity is one of the main causes of drug addiction. Drug addicts have low levels of neurotransmitters (happiness hormones). Due to a lack of happiness hormones, people suffer from internal discomfort, unreasonable aggression, and constant dissatisfaction with everything that happens. A drug is a substance that provokes excessive production of these hormones.

For example, a child from Nigeria, who had been drinking only dirty water all his life, was given a taste of cold, sweet lemonade.

Can you imagine what feelings you might experience?

Likewise, a drug addict who has used a drug at least once can no longer imagine his life without the substance. The main reason is the inability to return to the previous lifestyle. The desire to once again experience a feeling of integrity, completeness.

Fact: the predisposition to drug addiction is innate. This is clearly demonstrated by experiment. The essence of the experiment:

A group of children were offered 1 piece of candy, which they could eat now or in 5 minutes and get two. The group of children was divided into those who can wait and those who cannot. After decades, a survey was conducted among the subjects. Those who managed to wait for the future prospect in the form of a second candy became successful people. And those who could not resist the temptation and ate the candy right away did not succeed in life. For the same reason, some of them became drug addicts.

The experiment shows a tendency towards intolerance among drug addicts.

Drug addiction is a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual disease. The true causes of drug addiction lie in all spheres of human life. It is impossible to single out any one specific cause of addiction; as a rule, a person is pushed to use by a whole complex of different reasons. For example, psychological problems and bad heredity.

Physiological causes of drug addiction

Where does biological drug addiction begin?

It begins long before we are born. Over the course of many centuries, the genotype of one person develops. There is no good genetics or bad, there is biological material that needs to be worked on.

Biological dependence is a potential predisposition to psychoactive substances, which consists of:

• Genotype.
• Management of pregnancy.

Reason 1. Genotype.

What exactly in the genotype relates to the topic of drug addiction?

As mentioned earlier, if one of the relatives suffered from addiction, then the likelihood of a predisposition to addiction in the offspring is high. This is due to the fact that children of addicts are born with an imbalance in the production of happiness hormones. The main neurotransmitters responsible for balance in the body:

serotonin, dopamine and endorphin are responsible for life satisfaction, self-motivation and comfort.

If the body does not receive this naturally, then when using drugs, compensation occurs from the outside.

Reason 2. Pregnancy management

All actions during pregnancy affect the fetus. This concerns not only the nutrition of the expectant mother, but also the moral state in which she arrived. During the formation of the fetus, in addition to ordinary food, the child is also fed with spiritual food.

Research in the field of prenatal psychology has revealed how the mental state of pregnant women affects the fetus. An unstable psyche increases the likelihood of developing emotional, cognitive and behavioral disorders.

What moral states are harmful to the unborn child:

• Anxiety;
• Thoughts about the child's unwantedness;
• Fear of motherhood;
• Severe stressful conditions;
• Negative thoughts;
• Aggressive behavior.

Such deviations negatively affect the formation of the psycho-emotional sphere of the child's fetus. The future generation may experience the following deviations:

• Emotional lability (unreasonable changes in mood);
• Internal discomfort;
• Negative thinking;
• Constant dissatisfaction;
• Aggressive behavior;
• Frequent depression;
• Psycho-emotional asthenia (chronic fatigue).

Accordingly, each of these deviations can lead to the onset of drug use, as well as to the rapid development of addiction. Therefore, it is so important during pregnancy to pay attention to your spiritual component.

What measures need to be taken during pregnancy?

It is impossible to avoid all stress. However, it is necessary to minimize negative factors.

• It is necessary to: limit communication with unpleasant people;
• Visit a psychologist;
• Surround yourself with a pleasant atmosphere;
• Find a useful and interesting activity;
• Follow all recommendations prescribed by your doctor;
• Do not engage in self-criticism, but share with loved ones.

Effects of drugs on the body

We have already noted that drugs have a strong effect on brain activity. Indeed, there are several organs in the body that are subject to the most powerful and severe impacts from narcotic drugs, these are target organs: the brain, heart, liver, kidneys.

Many drug breakdown products, metabolites, are fat-soluble substances and easily bind to the fat cells that make up the brain. Many drugs have the ability to easily and instantly penetrate the blood-brain barrier, which protects this organ from harmful biochemical influences. As you can see, our brain is completely defenseless against drug use.

The entire cardiovascular system suffers greatly from drug addiction, because, on the one hand, psychoactive drugs have a harmful effect on the condition of blood vessels, making them inelastic and fragile, on the other hand, they cause pressure surges, which leads to the risk of vascular damage and hearts.

The reasons why the liver and kidneys suffer are quite obvious. These organs are the body's natural filters that detoxify it. Of course, when a huge amount of poison enters the human body, they are the first to take the blow. Since our body is not designed to accept the amount of toxins that enters it during drug addiction, the liver and kidneys begin to break down. But even healthy organs cannot cope with the entire volume of the drug, so part of the poison enters the blood in its pure form or in the form of half-life products.

The drug and its toxic derivatives circulate in the human bloodstream, enter all of its organs, and are deposited in all tissues. The process of removing drugs from the body, even when you stop using them, lasts quite a long time, up to several weeks. All this time, living cells of internal organs are exposed to harmful effects, dying or acquiring pathological changes. This is one of the worst aspects of drug addiction - all the addict’s organs are destroyed. If the addiction is not treated, then at the last stage of the disease they simply give up one after another.

Social causes of drug addiction

1. Social phobia. Often during rehabilitation, many patients revealed an initial fear and hatred of society. With the help of drugs, social phobics felt more confident. It was much easier to overcome the difficulties associated with communicating with other people. Social phobia often becomes one of the auxiliary causes of drug addiction.
2. Enforced collectivism. To put it simply, it’s a herd mentality. When the time comes to confront something, most succumb to collective pressure. Parents often say, “it’s all the bad company that’s affecting him so much...”. And there is certainly some truth in this.

It must be remembered that every person must be part of society, but development must be separate. The ability to withstand social pressure begins in early childhood.

Social consequences of drug addiction:

• Problems with work, study.
• Damaged relationships with family.
• Loss of trust from loved ones.
• Insulation.
• Loss of previous interests and hobbies.
• Negative changes in your social circle.
• Everything around seems hostile.

Without society, a person cannot be happy. It is important for an individual to be part of society. Without interaction with society, a person will be lonely, aggressive and full of self-pity. Lack of contact with the outside world can often be one of the reasons for drug addiction.

Creative search

This point directly relates to the world of science and art. The reasons for heroin addiction may lie in the desire to create a real masterpiece. History cannot be remade. Many geniuses of the past and present have taken drugs. An altered consciousness helps you see the world from a different angle. Creative people are ready to sacrifice their lives to make a sensational discovery or create a unique work. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of such creators are left with nothing. Drugs destroy their careers and leave them without a livelihood. All that remains is bitter regret and severe dependence. Drugs can trigger a “flash of insight,” but the absurdity of the situation is that it will not happen again. As a result, all efforts will be reduced to avoiding painful withdrawal. There will be no more buzz or inspiration.

Spiritual Causes of Drug Addiction

Human spirituality includes all life values ​​and moral principles of a person.

The addict's values ​​and principles are displaced as a result of drug use. The drug fills the addict’s life with new meaning, with new principles.

The spiritual principles of a drug addict are:

• Consumer attitude towards people;
• Justifications for your actions;
• Manifestation of paranoid disorder;
• Consider everyone as due;
• Neglect morality and ethics;
• Hostile attitude towards the world.

All these principles work for the benefit of the drug.

From time to time, drug addicts experience a feeling of shame, at such moments, they think about quitting. But thinking and wanting does not mean doing it. Therefore, drug addicts gradually recognize that they cannot live without drugs and that they are destined to spend the rest of their lives this way.

The reason is the point of no return, they have nothing to lose.

Psychological dependence on psychoactive substances

We have explained the mechanism of physical dependence on drugs, however, this does not at all clarify the issue of psychological dependence. Many drug addicts, who at the beginning of their recovery journey were most afraid of withdrawal, later claimed that the most difficult thing was overcoming their mental attachment to drugs.

Drugs negatively affect the psyche: with drug addiction, a person experiences constant and uncontrollable mood swings, sudden and causeless aggression appears, memory and intellectual abilities deteriorate, a loss of sense of reality occurs, and as a result, personality degradation gradually begins. What makes a drug addict do all this?

Possible consequences

Drug addiction leads to loneliness

1. Problems with law. A person, for the sake of a dose or money for it, may decide to steal and even kill.
2. Social problems. The person experiences mood swings. All interests are to use drugs. This is followed by problems communicating with loved ones and friends, drug addiction leads to divorce, job loss or expulsion from university, and a possible criminal record.
3. Financial difficulties. A person spends all his money only on drugs, forgetting about other needs.
4. Severe deterioration in health:

• organ damage;
• gastrointestinal diseases;
• hormone imbalance;
• infertility;
• the risk of cancer increases;
• likelihood of HIV infection.

Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and stress

Mood and feelings of well-being can play a big role in a person's perception of whether things are right or wrong. People are often driven to take drugs by depression, anxiety or stress. As a rule, people with a weak psyche and low self-esteem try to improve their mood and suppress anxiety with the help of psychotropics. These substances change the state of mind, add a sense of self-worth to a person, paint vivid pictures, and give a feeling of euphoria.

Alas, all these positive changes are temporary, they are the first step towards self-destruction.

Stages of drug addiction development

It all starts with the first dose. After this, a person is faced with the most important dilemma, during the solution of which he must decide for himself:

• I tried it and stopped
• I will continue to accept

If a person chooses the second path, he deliberately ruins his life, dooming himself to death in advance. Because after the second or third dose, it’s no longer so easy to settle accounts with drugs. It is after about the third time that addiction appears, the consequences of which are terrible and destructive.

There are two stages of addiction, then one smoothly flows into the other. This:

• psychological causes of drug addiction
• physiological causes of drug addiction

The psychological causes of drug addiction are expressed in a person’s constant search for pleasure. And if he satisfies them with drugs, then they then move into the second stage. The physiological causes of drug addiction are clearly expressed by “breakage”, abstinence, when the drug ceases to give the expected results. The drug addict keeps increasing the dosage, and in the end he finally leaves for another world - the world of the dead.

How to protect yourself from drug addiction

Risks can only be reduced through personal responsibility. When it comes to a child, parents or guardians are responsible for taking preventive measures. It is important to create a warm and trusting relationship. Adults must instill in their children a critical perception of reality and awareness. The strongest defense against drug addiction is peace of mind and correct life guidelines. There are no guarantees, because there are a great many reasons that provoke drug addiction. Nobody knows where trouble will come from.

If a person is still “hooked” on drugs, he should immediately consult a doctor. To understand the problem of drug addiction of a particular person, you need the work of a professional psychotherapist. Dependence on psychoactive substances is formed not only at the physical level. The main problem lies in psychology. Physical cravings for drugs are eliminated quite quickly, but spiritual disorders require colossal work. To overcome drug addiction, you need to undergo a full course of rehabilitation.

How to tell if someone is using drugs

The appearance of a real drug addict is familiar to many. This is a person detached from everything, often unkemptly dressed. A drug addict is identified by a special look, voice, hand trembling and other signs. However, even in the case of “milder” drug addiction, the external state of a person changes.

For example, he may be in an overly upbeat and cheerful mood; he may be too positive, which does not fit with the circumstances of his life (problems in studies, debts, lack of work). He can laugh at stupid things and also constantly talk about topics that revolve around drug use. In other cases, the drug addict is characterized by a depressed, depressive mood, especially if he is in a state of withdrawal syndrome.

A person's behavior can change dramatically if he suffers from drug addiction. So, to get a new dose, a drug addict can get involved in some kind of criminal activity. He can go to rob, kill, or distribute drugs (for example, work as a “treasurer,” that is, secretly placing doses in pre-arranged places). Let us remember the famous Russian drug addict Dmitry Tsorionov under the pseudonym “Enteo” (the pseudonym is taken from the name of one of the types of drugs); in order to obtain money for drugs, he became involved in criminal political actions, organizing customized “Orthodox rallies” and other gangster actions covered by the state; at the same time, he positioned himself as a “recovered” drug addict, which was not true - his appearance and manner of conversation gave him away. Now that the Kremlin bosses have stopped giving money for doses, Enteo has retrained as an “oppositionist,” working for the new bosses in exchange for new doses.

Treatment of drug addiction: a long and complex process

It is easy to become a drug addict and get hooked on a “substance,” but it is very difficult to recover. Of course, the difficulty of recovery depends on the type of drug, but even in the case of “easy” types, recovery is not an easy task.

The most difficult, almost insoluble task is the treatment of the most severe types of drug addiction - addiction to heroin, morphine, desomorphine.

In general cases, people suffering from drug addiction must be hospitalized in the narcology department. After this, they are sent for rehabilitation to a specialized department. At the first stage, it is necessary to carry out detoxification, that is, rid the body of the remains of toxic substances and normalize the functioning of internal systems and organs. Drug treatment is widely used: patients are prescribed tranquilizers, nootropics, vitamins, drugs to restore liver function and other means. If necessary, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, and antidepressants are used.

However, it is almost impossible to cure a drug addict with medications alone. Psychotherapy is an essential part of recovery from drug addiction. Thus, cognitive behavioral therapy has shown good results. When using it, patients learn to analyze the situations in which they are most drawn to drugs, and avoid such situations in later life. Patients also learn to identify the pathological beliefs that drive them to use drugs and to get rid of such beliefs. It is important to change the patient’s attitude towards himself, his life and his future.

Successful recovery from drug addiction requires a comprehensive effort. As already mentioned, the main causes of drug addiction lie in socio-economic factors. That is, in order to cure a person of drug addiction, you need, for example, to give him a job if he needs it. It is not allowed to leave him alone; a person suffering from drug addiction must definitely find a society that will understand and support him.

Prevention

1. In order to prevent the development of drug addiction, it is necessary to prevent the use of any narcotic substances.
2. If a person is prescribed medications that can be addictive, then they must be taken carefully and only as prescribed by a doctor, observing optimal dosages.
3. In order to prevent drug addiction in adolescents, it is necessary to talk to them about the dangers of drugs, as well as provide support if the child is under pressure from outside. Don't forget to talk about the consequences of drug addiction.
4. If you have already encountered this problem, then you need to do everything to prevent the recurrence of addiction. To do this, you need to follow the doctor’s prescriptions; if you have thoughts about drugs or a relapse, immediately seek help from a doctor.

Now you know what drug addiction treatment is. It's no secret that the issue of drug addiction is very acute in our time. It is necessary to understand that drugs ruin the destinies and lives of people. Protect yourself and your loved ones from the harmful effects of drugs.

International Day Against Drug Abuse

Since 1986, June 26 has been considered International Day Against Drug Abuse. By this date, government officials in different countries are preparing special programs that call for giving up drugs. Unfortunately, these efforts have not yet been successful as the problem continues to grow and affect more and more people from all over the world. Day Against Drug Addiction is just one way to solve this problem. In fact, programs to combat addiction have been developed every day for many years, but so far none of them have yielded positive results.

Only people themselves can influence this problem. Read the right literature, raise your children in accordance with all moral values, try to avoid dubious companies and offers. In a word, everyone should think about their situation, then drug addiction will cease to be such a global problem.

Personality Features

When addiction is just forming, drugs cause pleasure and a feeling of euphoria. After using them, a person becomes more active, relaxed, and self-confident. Some seek such sensations due to personal characteristics, due to their character:

• tendency to melancholy, reflection, apathy, depressive moods;
• lack of self-confidence, dissatisfaction with oneself or one’s behavior, one’s position and environment;
• infantilism;
• weakness of character, inability to provide;
• excessive shyness, shyness, modesty, etc.

These character traits either provoke drug use or make it difficult to quit. To eliminate the risk of addiction, you need to work with a psychologist to correct behavior, self-esteem, and relationships with others.

General information

Drug addiction is one of the most dangerous diseases of the modern world. It leads to problems not only with health, but also with the law. Young people and teenagers are most susceptible to drug addiction.

This dependence significantly reduces life expectancy and affects the occurrence of degradation, both moral and intellectual. Individuals with addiction engage in criminal activity in the hope of getting a new dose.

Most addictions occur when experimenting with substances that are prohibited. Some people limit themselves to one time, while others need constant use. The rate at which addiction develops is determined by the specific substance used. Some drugs cause addiction much faster. Over time, a person needs larger doses, because the previous volumes do not allow one to become intoxicated. Over time, a situation arises that normal existence is no longer possible without taking medications. Attempts to stop using illegal drugs end in withdrawal; it is almost impossible to cope with it on your own.

Drug addicts who inject themselves with drugs intravenously have a high risk of contracting infectious diseases when using the same syringes, in particular, infection with hepatitis or HIV.

Main factors contributing to the development of addiction

The main cause of drug addiction is the emergence of dependence, in which the addict’s body requires a certain amount of the drug from him for normal functioning. However, this condition does not develop immediately - only after a certain period of use of psychotropics. However, there are always some factors that push you to take a dose for the first time.

The most common cause of drug addiction can be:

• curiosity;
• anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and stress;
• social factors;
• heredity;
• pursuit of pleasure;
• environment and parental influence.

Let's consider these factors separately.

Treatment

Psychotherapy is an important component of drug addiction treatment

In order to rid an individual of drug addiction, it is necessary to undergo a whole range of measures. It is worth considering that for a complete recovery, everything must be done to completely eliminate the possibility of relapse.

When thinking about such therapy, you need to understand that the process will be very long; in addition to taking medications, psychotherapy sessions, in particular group and behavioral, will be prescribed.

In a situation with drug addiction, the patient is very rarely aware of his problem. Therefore, treatment may be forced. Such therapy will be prescribed if:

• there is a serious danger to human health;
• loss of ability to work;
• threat to the lives of others or their property;
• the presence of physical injuries in others or the patient himself.

Therapy will include several stages.

1. Detoxification. An important stage during which all toxic substances are removed from the body.
2. Behavioral therapy. The specialist communicates with the patient, convincing him to change his attitude towards narcotic drugs. The doctor strives to develop the correct skills and needs in the individual.
3. The use of medications to help reduce withdrawal symptoms. Also taking medications to prevent the development of relapses. Medicines are also prescribed for the treatment of concomitant diseases that arise as a result of drug addiction.
4. Treatment of emerging mental disorders such as depression or increased anxiety.
5. Observation by a narcologist in order to avoid relapse.