LISTEN TO AUDIO OF THIS CONTENT
Once you find out that a family member or a close friend is using drugs or they are drinking dangerously, the normal reaction is to feel angry, frustrated, confused and scared. So as to effectively deal with drug related issues it is important to understand why they turn to drugs and alcohol. There are some factors that make some people likely to start using drugs and they are called risk factors. It is estimated that 9.4% of the population used drugs in the past month. Examples of risk factors include; Friends or parents that use drugs, drugs are easily accessible, addiction in the family, drug use at an early age, depression, low formal support among others.
- In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans aged 12 or older—9.4 percent of the population—had used an illicit drug in the past month.
- Self-Medicating Untreated Disorders
- Family Members, Friends & Role Models
- To Relieve Stress
- To Fit In
1) People who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and other mental illness can use drugs to ease suffering. Mental illness can be a huge burden for some people and they will try anything to relieve their pain. Drug and alcohol use can temporarily make them feel normal. Mental illness is scary and instead of going to a doctor they turn to drugs to solve the problem on their own. Research shows that alcohol and marijuana are the most abused drugs.
2) For a young adult it is easy for them to think that drug use can be controlled and handled. They can easily say since my dad has been using for years and he seems fine why I shouldn’t try. Someone with a background of a family that uses drugs have a high chance of becoming dependent compared to a person with no family history. Genes could play part as well.
3) In the modern world, life has become full of strain and stress than ever before. A high demanding job and family can be a cause of huge amounts of stress. So some people will take drugs as a form of relaxation. To help them calm the storm in their minds. Some drugs also help the user become focused, more confident, sociable and even boost their creativity.
4) This mostly affects teenagers and young adults. When they do hang out with their friends they might want to feel like part of the crew. If others are taking alcohol and using drugs there are chances that one will feel the pressure and fall into the trap. Peer pressure is a tremendous force that causes people to try something that they would not on their own.
5) Boredom is is a big factor young adults that do not have stresses that come with adulthood. They easily get bored and are always looking to try new and exciting things. Using drugs is a way to escape their mundane world and have them enter an altered reality. Drug usage is higher among young people at least 11% of the population aged 16-24 had taken drugs in the last one month.
It is important to note that people do not start using so that they can become dependent. But with continued use of the substance they become hooked and develop an addiction. Those who eventually become addicts cause a lot of harm to themselves and to their families. Some people begin using drugs as an experiment and move to using it more regularly and it becomes part of their lifestyle. Statistics show that 5% to 10% of the people that use drugs for recreation later show signs of dependency.