Addiction can happen to anyone regardless of social status - rich, poor, man, woman, teen, or adult are very susceptible to it. It is also one of parents' greatest nightmares that might happen to their kids or in their family.
In a study that compared the brains of cocaine addicts with the brains of their non-addicted siblings, researchers at Cambridge University found that both had abnormalities in a region of the brain that controls behavior, suggesting that some people are “hard-wired” for addiction.
Factors for Addiction
So does your biology mean you’re destined to become an addict? Not necessarily. In the Cambridge study, siblings who shared the same brain abnormalities turned out dramatically different. This is because biology is just one component of addiction. Like other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, there is also a behavioral component to addiction. Thus, a genetic predisposition to addiction does not spell destiny. Your upbringing, personality, life experiences and other factors all contribute to your likelihood of becoming addicted.
Although science is a long way off from performing brain scans of every individual to determine their vulnerability to addiction, you can make a general assessment of your risk. Do you have a blood relative, such as a parent or sibling, who has struggled with addiction? Did you grow up with a parent who was addicted, abusive or uninvolved? Do you have depression, anxiety or other mental health issues?
Steps to Prevent Addiction
Here are a few precautions you can take to avoid a lifelong struggle with addiction:
1. Just Say No – Prevention is better than cure, so just say no. It may sound simple, but there are a lot of factors that a person may choose the other path. Such factors may
2. Delay Alcohol Consumption – According to research, alcoholism is more prevalent among those who begin drinking at an early age. Delaying alcohol use until age 21 or later may reduce the risk of alcohol-related problems in adulthood.
3. Surround Yourself With Positive Influence – adolescents and adults are heavily influenced by their peers and their desire to fit in. Associating with people who abuse drugs or alcohol or who have accepting attitudes toward substance abuse increases the likelihood of drug abuse.
To know more steps on how to stop or prevent addiction, here are some helpful resources :
To know more steps on how to stop or prevent addiction, here are some helpful resources :
