Why is this happening to you? Addiction is a disease that impacts the way the body and brain function. Formally referred to as substance use disorder (SUD), addiction to drugs and alcohol can happen for various reasons. Some of the most common include genetics, biological factors, and environmental conditions. Psychological factors also play a role in the development of SUD.
At Iron Bridge Recovery Center, we work to better understand what caused your addiction through a comprehensive assessment. That includes physical, mental, and emotional assessments. One of the most important things to know about SUD is that it’s treatable. And we can start helping you right away. Addiction treatment therapies can be highly effective.
Common Causes of Substance Use Disorder
As a form of mental health disorder, SUD can happen for various reasons. Many times, it is a combination of factors that plays a role. This includes:
The Environment
Your environment can determine whether the use of substances becomes a factor in your life. Specifically, environmental factors such as the following contribute:
- Family’s beliefs and use: A person who grows up in a family where alcohol or drugs are readily available is more likely to use those substances. It may mean the substances are more accessible.
- Peer pressure: Your peer group also contributes. Their attitudes and use of substances may impact your desire to use those same substances.
- Trauma and stress: People with physical or emotional trauma are also more likely to turn to substances. In these cases, the substance seems to ease the painful feelings they have. Substances become a type of escape.
Your environment doesn’t define your outcome. Many people who grow up in highly vulnerable situations never turn to substances. Others seemingly have a simple upbringing and still develop SUD.
Psychological Factors
About 37% of people who lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2024 suffered from a mental health disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Addiction can worsen underlying mental health disorders. This includes post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Some people turn to substances as a way to self-medicate from the emotional pain they feel.
Addiction treatment must address both mental health and substance use disorders at the same time. Otherwise, the risk for relapse is much higher. We do this through dual diagnosis treatment.
Biological Factors
A person’s biology matters, too. Once a person uses a substance, the progression into addiction may be influenced by their makeup. That includes:
- Genetics: Your genetics may determine if you are predisposed to develop an addiction. That means if your family history includes others who suffered from SUD, you may be more likely to develop the condition. That doesn’t mean it’s inevitable, though. Some people’s genetic makeup makes them more vulnerable to the development of the condition.
- Tolerance levels: Some people may have more tolerance to higher doses than others. If you consistently use alcohol and drugs, your body may become less sensitive to the substance. That leads to the need to use increasingly higher doses to get the same relief or high.
- Brain chemistry: Substances interact with your brain’s reward pathway. Substances trigger the release of dopamine. This creates pleasure. In some people, that response is more significant than in others. It makes normal impulse control more challenging.
Biological factors are the behind-the-scenes factors. Even if your body is predisposed to develop SUD, that doesn’t mean it has to happen. If it does, treatment can still be highly effective for you as well.
The Science Behind the Development of Addiction
Your brain plays a significant role in whether or not you develop SUD. This happens for several reasons:
- Repeated use of substances changes the chemistry of your brain. The drug changes how you feel pleasure.
- The drug can also cause changes to the nerve cells in your brain. Some of these changes are physical alterations of the cell’s makeup.
- Neurotransmitters, which are chemicals released by neurons to communicate with each other, change. This results in long-term changes to the functionality of your brain.
These changes in the brain bring about physical addiction. For many people, that means experiencing intense symptoms of withdrawal if you stop using that substance. It may also create physical changes to your organs, leading to a complex process of addiction.
Treatment Is Effective for SUDs
Even as these substances change the way you think, feel, and manage life, they are not a death sentence. You can make changes through effective and comprehensive addiction treatment. A licensed provider like those at Iron Bridge guides you through the process of understanding your addiction and the best way to treat it. Contact us now to learn how we can help you.
