10 Risk Factors for Addiction: What You Can Do

Knowing the risk factors for addiction can help you determine whether it’s time to encourage a loved one to get drug and alcohol addiction treatment. Finding a center that also offers addiction treatment in Florida can lead to stronger bonds and healing for everyone caught up in the web of addiction. Let’s take a closer look at risk factors that can trigger substance abuse. 

If you’re worried that a loved one is struggling with addiction, it’s important to be proactive. Talk to your loved one about your concerns and offer to help them find a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center. It can be difficult for someone who is addicted to drugs or alcohol to admit that they need help, but getting treatment is the best way to overcome addiction and start rebuilding your life.

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, don’t wait any longer—call us today at 866.605.0532.

10 Risk Factors for Addiction

There is no one single cause for addiction. Rather, it is the result of a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors. However, researchers have identified several risk factors that may increase the likelihood of developing an addiction:

1. Age

Age is one of the top risk factors for addiction. According to The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, young adults between 18 and 24 have the highest likelihood of drug and alcohol use disorders. Additionally, those who use drugs early become more vulnerable to mental health disorders later in life.

2. Substance of Choice

Some drugs have highly addictive qualities, while others take years to develop. The drug you choose serves as one of the risk factors for addiction. Methamphetamines, cocaine, and heroin have highly addictive qualities. On the other hand, addictions to alcohol and marijuana take more time to develop. Those who use cocaine and heroin face painful withdrawal symptoms when they stop using drugs. Addiction treatment in Florida can provide the medical and counseling support needed to detox from drug and alcohol use.

3. Method of Use

Risk factors for addiction include how you take it. Injected and smoked drugs produce more addictive behavior than those that you swallow. When substances are injected or smoked, your body absorbs them into the bloodstream rapidly, and they affect the brain more intensely.

4. Impulsive Actions

Many people decide to experiment after experiencing a traumatic event. This includes a breakup, loss of a job, or a death in the family that leads to reckless behavior. Unfortunately, your brain may begin to accept compulsive behavior as normal. From a few extra drinks on Friday night to extra desserts every day, impulsive decisions can lead to cravings that become harder to satisfy. Those with a tendency toward compulsive actions should avoid addictive drugs. 

5. Loneliness

Loneliness and similar feelings, such as anxiety and depression, cause strange behavior. Many people do things they wouldn’t normally do to avoid being alone. This includes giving in to peer pressure regarding substance abuse, which tends to give people a false sense of control. Too often, abuse turns to addiction. 

If this happens to you or someone you love, seek addiction treatment in Florida to overcome your substance use disorder.

6. Family History of Addiction

Risk factors for addiction include family members with substance use disorders. Genetics play a role in your predisposition to use drugs and alcohol. If your parents or grandparents had an issue with drug addiction, you should take extra care to avoid it. 

Learning from the mistakes of your ancestors can help you avoid the pain of withdrawal and recovery. If you feel vulnerable to substance abuse, it may be time to seek a family therapy program in Florida. Additionally, choosing a rehab center with a family therapy program in Florida can help your whole family begin to heal from the effects of multigenerational substance abuse. 

7. Lack of Support

If you don’t have a strong network of family and friends who support your sobriety, you are at increased risk of relapse.

8. Poor Coping Skills

People who don’t know how to deal with stress or emotional problems are more likely to develop addictions.

9. Stress

High levels of stress can increase the risk of addiction. The desire to escape stress can lead some people into substance abuse.

10. Peer pressure

Peers can play a role in triggering or reinforcing addiction behavior. If you are around people who use drugs or alcohol, you are more likely to develop an addiction yourself.

Addiction Treatment in Florida

Pay attention to the risk factors for addiction. If you notice signs of substance abuse in yourself or those you love, it’s time to discuss drug and alcohol addiction treatment. The longer you wait, the more your body becomes dependent on drugs or alcohol. Eventually, your brain won’t be able to function without it. 

When you seek help for addiction, you have access to medical professionals and counselors who can help you put drugs and alcohol in your past. Knowing how to read the warning signs can also assist you in staging an intervention for a loved one headed down the wrong path.

Call Beaches Recovery today at 866.605.0532 and get started on the path to a successful recovery.