Development. Dependency risk is determined by genetic and environmental factors. Addiction can be developed at any age. However, drug use should begin early to avoid addiction. This is especially true for teens. Teenagers might be at risk because they are still developing areas of their brains that regulate decision-making, judgement and self-control.
Biology. A person's genetic makeup can affect half of their chances of falling prey to addiction. Drug use and addiction risk can also depend on the person's gender, their race, and whether they have any mental disorders.
Remember that it is common for people with a high tolerance to pain medication to require higher dosages of pain medication to obtain the same level. This is normal, and it is not a sign that you are addicted to pain medication. Addiction can lead to higher doses of medication, but not for pain relief. If you are concerned about this, speak to your doctor.
It is important to keep in mind that painkillers can be abused. People may develop a tolerance, which means they need to take greater amounts of the drug to provide the same relief. This is perfectly normal and does not suggest an addiction. If you take higher doses of medication for an addiction, it's not because your body is in pain. You should still see a doctor if you feel the adverse effects are severe.
Long-term drug use can create alterations in various chemical processes and neural pathways in the brain. They can impair your judgement, decision-making, memory, and learning capacity. Together, these brain alterations might lead you to seek out and consume drugs in ways that are beyond your control.
Substance abuse can often be treated and effectively controlled.
Your brain becomes accustomed to the additional dopamine. For the same effect, you might need more dopamine. It is possible that you will feel less pleasure from other things, such as eating or hanging out with your family.
Over time, the brain adjusts to the extra dopamine, which lessens the high that the person feels relative to the high they felt when initially taking the drug—an process known as tolerance. They could take more of the medicine, hoping to obtain the same dopamine high.
Relapsed drug users will relapse if they have not made an effort to stop using drugs. Relapses are a sign that you need more therapy or a different therapeutic approach.
Brain abnormalities that occur over time as a result of chronic drug use provide a challenge to the self-control of a person who is addicted to drugs and interfere with their capacity to resist overwhelming desires to use drugs. It's little wonder that drug dependence often manifests as relapses.
Dopamine is the main chemical messenger in drugs. Dopamine spikes in the reward circuit drive the reinforcement of dangerous but pleasant behaviours. People are more likely to repeat similar behaviors.
Environment. The environment that surrounds a person has many impacts. These include their family, friends as well as their economic position and general quality of life. Peer pressure, sexual and physical abuse, early drug exposure, stress, parental monitoring, and peer pressure all have a major impact on someone's likelihood of becoming addicted to drugs.
Important Points to Keep in Mind: Drug addiction refers to a long-term condition that includes compulsive drug use and seeking.
Development. Genetic and environmental factors interact with critical developmental stages in a person’s life to affect addiction risk. Although taking drugs at any age can lead to addiction, the earlier that drug use begins, the more likely it will progress to addiction. This is particularly problematic for teens. Because areas in their brains that control decision-making, judgment, and self-control are still developing, teens may be especially prone to risky behaviors, including trying drugs.