1. People suffering from anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, or other mental illnesses use drugs and alcohol to ease their suffering.
Mental illness is such a burden for some people that they will try almost anything to ease the pain. Drugs or alcohol can temporarily make that person feel ‘normal’ again, the way they remember feeling in the past. Mental illness is frightening to the person experiencing it, so they are afraid to go to a doctor or a family member for help and instead turn to drugs or alcohol to try to solve the problem themselves. .
2. People see family, friends, role models, or artists using drugs and rationalize that they might as well.
As teens and young adults, it’s all too easy to think that drug and alcohol use can be managed and controlled, especially if they see others they know doing the same. It can become easy to rationalize like: ‘hey, my friend has been doing this for a couple of years and I’m fine with it.’ Entertainment and music are full of drug references and that can add to the rationalization that drug use is okay sometimes. People with a family history of drug or alcohol abuse are much more likely to develop an addiction than someone with no family history of addiction.
3. People get bored and think drugs will help.
Boredom is a major factor in drug abuse in adolescents and young adults. People in this age group usually don’t have bills, jobs, and all the stress that comes with adulthood. So it’s easier to get bored and want to try something new and exciting. Drug use is often seen as a way to escape the mundane world and enter an altered reality.
4. People think drugs will help relieve stress.
Our modern world is filled with new stresses and strains that humans have never experienced in the past. Although many things in life are now easier than ever, the burdens are also very high. Just having a family, maintaining a home, and having a job are major stressors. Some drugs are considered a means of relaxation, a way to calm the storm in your mind. Although medications can be very effective at doing this, there can be serious side effects.
5. People think that if a doctor prescribes a medicine, it must be fine.
It is easy for an individual to rationalize the use of a medication because it comes from a doctor. The idea is this: “It was prescribed for someone I know for the same problem I have, so it makes sense that it would work for me too.” The dangerous part of this rationalization is that it can lead to drug mixing, overdose, unwanted side effects, and/or dependency.
6. People hurt themselves physically and unintentionally get hooked on prescription drugs.
People at risk for this are physical workers, the elderly, and anyone with pre-existing injuries. Some people are born with chronic pain due to deformities, others are injured. Doctors then prescribe drugs for what they are intended for and a person can quickly develop a dependency. Especially if that drug makes them feel better, they rationalize that it must be okay to keep taking the drug, which can result in dependence.
7. People use drugs to hide painful memories from their past.
Many people go through extremely traumatic events in their lives, often as children, and turn to drugs to cover up the horrible memories. Children are extremely susceptible to trauma, either physically or emotionally, and those feelings can haunt them well into adulthood. These people could benefit from working with psychologists to help repair their damaged mind. Drugs usually only deepen the problem.
8. People think drugs will help them fit in.
When hanging out with friends, it’s easy for people to want to fit in and seem like part of the team. If others are drinking or using drugs, there is a good chance that someone will fall into that trap. Peer pressure can be a tremendous force that causes someone to try things they normally wouldn’t try on their own.
9. People chase the high they once experienced.
Ask anyone who’s tried drugs and they’ll tell you it’s one of the best feelings of their life. The effects of drugs are much more extreme than regular everyday joys because most drugs overload the pleasure sensors in your brain. Once a person feels this extreme pleasure, it’s common for that person to get hooked on a drug simply by chasing the initial high he once felt. As we all know, this is a vicious cycle that is extremely difficult to break. The highs are just as powerful as the lows you get from quitting drugs.
