Substance abuse can be a difficult challenge for many. Some sufferers may wonder, however, “How can a substance be so addictive?” Learning how and why this is can help one to overcome their addiction.
1. Chemical Changes
One of the most common reasons for substances to be addictive is due to their properties and how they interact with the chemicals in our brains. Substances can affect some people differently, and substances may trigger different chemical reactions from one another. In the end, substances of all sorts alter the natural chemical production in our brains. As a
result, this change in chemicals may trigger a change in the way we experience pleasure, how we communicate, how we think and react, alter our memory, and even impact our sleep, among other things.
When substance use is delayed or discontinued, our body reacts due to the change in chemicals, making us crave the substance even more as our body yearns for stability.
2. Existing Mental Illness
One’s existing mental state can also affect how addictive a substance may be for someone. For instance, if someone suffered from depression prior to substance use, a high from a drug they may be taking may temporarily aid with their depression symptoms, that is, until that high wears off. Then the individual may go back to taking the substance in order to get that high again.
3. Emotional or Mental Dependence
Sometimes substance use may not start out with existing mental illness. For some users, they may start out using a substance for fun or for social reasons. As time goes on, they may form an emotional or mental dependence. But what does this mean, you might ask? An emotional or mental dependence is a psychological dependence, a perceived need for the substance.
For example, one may think that if their mental health is fine during substance abuse that there is zero need to get off the substance. “I’m fine; it’s not hurting me in any way,” they may tell people. There may even be a fear that their mental state will decline if they get off the substance, even if they had great mental health prior to using the substance.
Others may essentially see a substance as their “friend” or form a bond with it, having difficulty letting go of it because it’s all they know. These folks tend to struggle to see life without substance use and view change as intimidating, not knowing how their mind/body will react or how their life will change after they stop using a substance.
4. Social Influence
Substance addiction can also be started or continued by a social influence. What may start as simply trying something may end up causing someone to become addicted because they received encouragement from the wrong crowd.
Other times, one might not be directly encouraged to try or continue substance use, but they may be passively encouraged through an enabler. Enablers can have a negative impact on one’s substance addiction even during treatment.
Conclusion
Once you become aware of what makes a substance addictive, it will make sense how one could struggle with substance abuse. Not only that, but this can also make it easier for one to overcome their addiction. Substance addiction recovery starts with learning about all the hows and whys.