Often, if you face a drug-related charge, you may have a substance abuse disorder. According to MayoClinic, drug addiction is a disease that affects your behavior and your brain’s ability to control whether you use narcotics or other substances.
Those with substance abuse disorders may continue to use a drug or other substance despite the harm they face because of it.
What causes substance abuse disorder?
There are a lot of factors that may contribute to a person’s substance abuse disorder. Everyone is different and so your story may not match another person. The two leading factors behind addiction are environment and genetics. Your environment, such as your family’s belief system, peer group’s actions and the attitudes of people around you, may contribute to drug addiction.
Genetics can also play a role in addiction. Some people may have genetic traits that speed up the disease’s progression. If you have family members who suffer from substance abuse disorder, you have a higher likelihood of addiction.
Other factors may include:
- Other mental health disorders
- Lack of family support
- Use of drugs early on
If you experiment with or have a prescription for a highly addictive drug, this may also lead to an addiction.
What are the symptoms of substance abuse disorder?
One of the main symptoms of a substance abuse disorder is your inability to stop using the drug. For example, you may feel compelled to use it regularly or several times a day. If you do not use, thoughts of the drug may block out everything else. As time progresses, you may need more of the same drug to deliver the same effect.
Many people with substance abuse disorders have difficulty meeting obligations and other responsibilities, regardless of how important.
