Factors That Can Lead to Addiction in Your Loved Ones
Before you decide on how to help an addicted friend, you need to know the cause of the addiction. There are a lot of other factors, both internal and external that may lead to addiction. Identifying the source of such addictions can make it easier to help.
Some of these potential factors are:
- Drug abuse from an early age
- Family history of drug intake and drinking
- Emotional and physiological trauma
- Genetics
Understanding the origin will enable you to know how to provide support for them during addiction treatment. We will go into each factor in detail for the sake of clarity.
Drug abuse from an early age
Addiction can begin at a tender age. Early exposure to such vices can make addiction difficult to curb at a later age. A person who takes drugs and alcohol very early gets these substances hooked to their system.
They become dependent on the substances and it negatively affects their body’s chemical composition. The pleasure centers of the brain become used to the effects of the drugs. Over time, the body gets used to the drugs and craves higher amounts.
Family History of Drug Intake and Drinking
Most habits developed in a person manifest from within the family. If you want to help loved ones with addiction treatment, make sure to know their family history. A person with an alcoholic father will most likely follow in his footsteps.
Emotional and physiological trauma
Stress and anxiety have been heavily associated with substance abuse. A person who has suffered great pain in the past may use drugs to numb the pain. In doing so, they can be dependent on these substances to get through their daily lives.
To support loved ones struggling with addiction, the trauma must be confronted. Help your family members to navigate their trauma without relying on their addiction.
Genetics
This can be a difficult factor to battle when helping loved ones with addiction treatment. A long abuse of substances by a progenitor can greatly influence the hereditary of a person.
Addiction from a parent can also manifest as natural cravings in a family member. When these cravings are managed poorly, the end result is addiction.
Ways to Help Loved Ones With Addiction Treatment
You have identified the potential factors that can lead to addiction. Next, you need to help loved ones with their addiction treatment. It is important to not rush the process when helping an addicted friend.
Educate Yourself on Their Addiction
It is easy to judge someone from a distance without understanding their plight. Before you can help your loved one with their addiction treatment, you need to be familiar with it.
Read up on the triggers for their addiction. Understand the disease process of the addiction. Find out how it affects families and friends. Awareness is a strength, and it will assist you to appreciate yourself and your loved one further.
Consult Support Groups on Their Behalf
It will cause a great deal of stress when you have a loved one with an addiction. Thankfully, there are some groups that can help you learn how to work with addicts.
Credited to: Addictionrehab
