Drug addicts can be caused by these 4 things, beware!

Based on the latest data from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN), the number of drug addicts in Indonesia currently reaches approximately six million people. With so many people using drugs, you may be wondering "Why are they doing it?" Everyone can actually be addicted to something. Whether it's addiction to food, work, playing video games, alcohol, sex, shopping, even drugs.

Before knowing the reasons that might make someone become a drug addict, it's good to understand first how addiction can occur.

Addiction is different from habit

Addiction is a condition that makes a person lose control of what he does, uses or consumes on something that they make addictive. This loss of control can be caused by various things and occurs over a long time.

Addiction is different from habits that are repeated over and over again. When you are accustomed to doing something, for example taking a bath twice a day, you can stop it at any time according to the current situation and condition, also follow your personal desires both consciously and unconsciously - feeling lazy, cold, stuck in other activities, and so on.

But not with addiction. Addiction causes you to completely lose control of yourself, making it difficult and / or unable to stop the behavior, regardless of all the efforts you make to stop it. This loss of control makes an addict tend to do various ways to be able to complete his addiction desire, regardless of the consequences and risks.

The addiction that a person has over time can have a negative impact on his health, especially psychological health. It is not impossible that addiction causes changes in personality, characteristics, behavior, habits, and even brain function.

What causes addiction?

Addiction is a complex process. However, one thing that can lead to addiction is a disruption in the production of the hormone dopamine. Dopamine is a happy hormone that is released by the brain in large quantities when you find or experience something that makes you happy and satisfied, whether it's good food, sex, winning gambling, to addictive drugs like alcohol and cigarettes.

If the dopamine levels produced by the brain are still within normal limits, it will not cause addiction. But when you have an addiction, the object to which you are addicted stimulates the brain to produce too much dopamine.

Drugs manipulate the work of the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that is responsible for regulating the emotions and moods of the body owner. Drugs make users feel very happy, excited, confident, to 'high'. This is the result of the amount of dopamine released by the brain beyond tolerance. This happy effect will make the body automatically crave, requiring repeated use of the drug and in even higher doses to satisfy the need for extreme happiness. Prolonged substance and substance abuse destroys the brain's reward and motivation receptor systems and circuits, leading to addiction.

What is the reason someone becomes a drug addict?

There are certain factors that make a person more susceptible to addiction, for example genetics, physical and psychological trauma, a history of mental disorders, to impulsivity. In addition, there are various other things that can influence a person's decision to start using drugs, and eventually become addicted. The following is the review.

Environmental influences

The environment also plays an important role in the emergence of a person's addiction. One of the most common reasons why someone is tempted to try using drugs is from outside, either directly or indirectly - especially from people they meet or idolize, including parents, friends, siblings, and even celebrities. We live in an era where drug use is openly discussed and even promoted by important people. This then affects curiosity and triggers the desire to experiment.

Curiosity

Curiosity is a natural human instinct. Many teenagers become drug addicts because they are started by experimenting with drugs and alcohol out of curiosity about what it feels like. Many teenagers, even though they know that drugs are bad, do not believe it will happen to them, so they decide to try. There are also those who use drugs to gain recognition of their social status, as well as to experience the same experience with their friends.

Addiction by accident

Some pain relievers are very easy to abuse thanks to their "sedative" effect, even in accidental cases. One of them is an opiate class of drugs. Initially opiates (such as oxycodone, percocet, vicodin, or fentanyl) were prescribed by doctors to treat excruciating pain. Opium drugs are very effective in dealing with unbearable pain, for example during cancer therapy or post-surgical care.

There are also those who use ecstasy to relieve symptoms of excessive anxiety in certain social situations. However, over time, the body can develop a tolerance to the effects of this drug, so some people tend to increase the dose without the doctor's permission. This is why they gradually become dependent on the drug inadvertently.

Addicted by choice

Many of us deliberately indulge in addictive substances, such as alcohol or nicotine from cigarettes. For most people, the indulgence of drinking alcohol is less addictive because they manage to balance or control themselves and seek alternative pleasures, such as spending time with family or engaging in other hobbies.

Some people decide to abuse prescription drugs for ADHD sufferers, such as Adderall, to help them study better or lose weight.

People who are prone to addictions tend to feel the strongest sensation of increased dopamine when they try the thing that triggered it for the first time. Therefore, it may be difficult for them to maintain that balance the next time and choose to satisfy their cravings by returning to using the opium.

Drug addicts we must help

Many of us have had to rethink the problem of addiction. We usually associate addictions with weak faith and self-control. However, the real reasons behind their decision to use drugs are far more complex than just moral defects.

A lack of understanding of what are the risk factors and causes of a person to become a drug addict has blinded many people with prejudice. A person who falls into the trap of opium is powerless to control his desires and behavior. This is why people struggling with addictions need support and love, not exclusion or judgment.