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Drug addiction has long been associated with middle-aged, violent men who made some mistakes to lead them to their situation. And while maybe it’s true that males are at a higher risk of developing some level of substance abuse, what got us here?
It’s all too easy to throw the blame on the individual. If he had paid a little bit more attention in school or spent less time partying in college, maybe he wouldn’t have ended up here. But with over 19 million adults battling substance abuse, it’s time we re-examine the onset of drug addiction.
What is it that makes men three times more likely to binge drink than women? Is it something ingrained in a man’s DNA or is it environmental factors that make some people more susceptible than others?
While there’s no one factor we can point to that single-handedly predicts the development of addiction; there are a variety of characteristics that are important to pay attention to in understanding the risks.
Risks at Birth
Not only are men more likely to face issues with alcohol abuse, but they are also 60% more likely to use illicit drugs than women. Whether that’s due to behavior or genetics is still up for debate, but the truth of the matter is men are at a higher risk of substance abuse simply because of their gender. However, women are not entirely excluded from the conversation, as they are more likely to become dependent on prescription pain relievers.
Additionally, if you’re born into a family with a history of substance abuse, your own risk is extremely elevated. Children of addicts are eight times more likely to become one than the average person, solely due to the uncontrollable situation they were brought into.
Contributing Environmental Factors
The decisions you make throughout your life course also have a large effect on the development of substance abuse. Children who used marijuana or drank alcohol before age fourteen are four times more likely to later depend on drugs or alcohol than the rest of the population. Unfortunately, actions taken at a young age, even when the adolescent may not know better, have resonating impacts on the entirety of a person’s life.
As an adult, entering the prison system, chronic unemployment, and needing or receiving treatment for substance abuse can all increase the risk of drug addiction or relapse. While it may have been uncontrollable circumstances that led to these situations, it’s the actions people take within the situation that lead to substance abuse.
Arguably, substance abuse is developed simultaneously through both nature and nurture. A combination of environmental and genetic factors influence a person’s track to drug dependence. However a person ends up with an addiction, it can have serious harmful impacts on their health, body, and lifestyle.
Drug addictions morph the brain, affecting everyday functioning – creating challenges with memory, vision, and empathy to name a few. These damages can be long-term and irreversible, which further emphasizes how important it is to prevent drug addiction in any way possible.
While this no easy task, understanding how people progress into substance abuse will better allow us to take preventative actions to stop the permanent damage before it happens. Despite potential genetic predispositions that disadvantage certain groups over others, with increased knowledge and awareness there is hope in reducing future addictions.
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The post Pinpointing Drug Addiction: Nature or Nurture? appeared first on The Good Men Project.