4: Genetics. Those who have family members who are addicts will be more at risk.
5: People dealing with a mental illness may self-medicate with recreational drugs
6: People wanting to fit in with older peers
Anyone Can Become Addicted:
While most people will not become addicted to alcohol or drugs this does not mean that are somehow immune to the possibility. It is not just a case of this behavior only being a worry for the weak willed. Anyone who takes medication for a long period of time will develop at least a physical dependency on that substance. This is why there are many people who have unintentionally become addicted to prescribed medication. There is little doubt though, that certain individuals are far more at risk of developing this type of problem.
Addictive Personality:
It has been suggested that individuals may have certain characteristics that make them more likely to become addicts. 15% of the population in the US is said to have this type of addictive personality. The National Academy of Science has outlined the following characteristics as being associated with addicts:
1: Low self-esteem
2: Those who don’t like to conform to societal expectations
3: Those who are attracted to deviant behavior
4: Those who find stress difficult to manage
5: Antisocial behavior
6: Episodes of depression
7: Episodes of high anxiety
8: Feelings of insecurity within relationships
9: Attention seekers
10: Those who find delayed gratification difficult
11: Impulsiveness
Addiction as a Learned Behavior:
It is suggested that people may fall into addiction because of learned behavior. This would explain why those who grow up around substance abusers are more likely to become addicts themselves. Learning theory is based on the idea people don’t have to experience every behavior themselves in order to decide if it is good or bad. If it is observed that a certain action brings reward to another it can be enough to convince the individual to copy it. If a child sees other people who seem to be getting enjoyment from alcohol or rug abuse they will likely go on to model this behavior. According to this theory the answer to addiction is to unlearn the maladaptive behavior.
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Addiction