Why Do People Become Addicts?

[landmarkboston1]

Why Do People Become Addicts?

[Peter Pedant]

thank you to all readers who corrected 1968 to 1967
and remember it! - ter daaha !

[nailit]

Ive been fighting my addictions for the best part of 35 yrs.
More than likely my addictions will kill me.
I can honestly say that my 'addictions' 'occured' in my childhood and were a result of been sexually abused as a child.
Trying to get 'mental health' professionals to accept this is almost impossible.
So ****it!
Addict are just scum. At least that is what the mainstream would have you believe.

[mallyh]

a question i've asked many many times 2 children brought up the same one a drug addict ,keeping up with the crowd he hung out with????

[david small]

Because they like it. Whatever it is. It dulls pain, activating pleasure impulses in the brain. A rat being stimulated to continually have orgasm By pushing a button that discharges an electrical probe inserted into its brain. Will starve to death, rather than stop pushing the button. Liking and using constantly will weaken moderation, leading often to addiction.

[woofgang]

it must be wonderful to know everything

[237SJ]

^ People are just posting their opinions and views. I don't see where anyone is claiming to know everything.

[woofgang]

I was talking about david small's somewhat emphatic comment

[ummmm]

Allen - is your liver knackered?

Alcohol is socially acceptable so easy for people to slowly become dependent.

Harder drugs - I guess just because they feel nice and then it just gets out of control, obviously not in all cases, but something makes you feel bad and you know the drug of choice will make you feel better.

[Hopkirk]

Some people have more willpower than others.

[CrapAtCryptics]

Stupidity probably features in there somewhere.

[allenlondon]

No, ummm, I got out before my liver gave out.

Mind you, my drinking led directly to the loss of a leg, blindness in one eye, and failing kidneys, so not quite scot free!

A

[Musictv2019]

I'm actually addicted to sugar I can't stop eating it and if I give up eating sugar then I can't stay away from it for more than a week.

[nailit]

//Some people have more willpower than others//
Trust me, its got nothing to do with will power.
Ive known addicts (of all persuasions) that have had more will power in their lives than you have in your little finger and could have had fantastic lives, but when it comes to their own addictions have died.
Just that one chemical substance that they havnt overcome...

//Stupidity probably features in there somewhere//
It doesnt!
An abused childhood, bad parenting, low self esteem, mental problems, etc.
Anyone in their right frame of mind doesnt partake, and continue to partake, in a destructive substance that will eventually lead to their death.
Nothing to do with stupidity...thats a schoolkid's take on it.
Addiction is more complex than that.
Just wish I knew the answer.

[pixie374]

It's possible that some people enjoy something and it gets out of control. But I think, very often, it starts with people "self-medicating" for an underlying issue. A psychiatrist told me that speed is often the go-to for people with ADHD, their body actually tells them what it "needs". The problem is you still have the underlying issues, plus addiction on top. We aren't still great at treating a lot of mental health problems, so people find their own "help".

[pixie374]

Plus maybe some hereditary or normalising when young, by parents.