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Whenever you have to talk about addiction, you need to discuss psychology. Many people incorrectly assume that an addiction is nothing more than a chemical dependency on a certain drug of choice, yet it is much more than that. In fact, addiction is more rooted in psychology than the actual chemicals contained in the drug that cause a biological response.

Psychology is “a science devoted to understanding human behavior.” Mentality is one of the major motivating factors in beginning to experiment with certain drugs or other behaviors. There are numerous types of things people can become addicted to, though the ones that are most commonly thought about include drugs and alcohol. A person could become addicted to sex, shopping, anger, abuse, and more.

Those other facets have nothing to do with injecting drugs into the body, so why would people become addicted to those things?

In order to fully grasp what causes an addiction, and to also maximize the chances of overcoming an addiction, an individual would need to have a stronger understanding of the underlying factors that lead a person to become addicted.

The Addictive Personality

There is a great deal of research that indicates a person who has a family history of drugs or alcohol abuse is more prone to becoming addicted himself or herself. This doesn’t mean he or she will actually become addicted, but the risk factors increase. However, at the same time, it is difficult to ascertain whether or not this increased risk factor is directly associated with biology (genetics) or environment (being surrounded by the behaviors of parents, siblings, or other family members).

How Psychology Plays a Role

Human behavior is rooted in many factors. The age old debate of nature versus nurture plays a strong role in this debate. Is a person more likely to follow in their parents’ footsteps or act and talk like they do because it’s in their genetic code or because they are surrounded by that environment?

When a person is well adjusted, confident, and filled with positive self-esteem, they are more likely to resist the urge to try smoking or taking drugs or drinking. This doesn’t mean they won’t, but they are less likely to rely on those drugs or vices to help them cope with some feelings of inadequacy.

Emotional stress is one of the primary reasons people end up relying on drugs, alcohol, or other addictions . It’s one of the key reasons why so many people switch from using one type of drug or behavior to another over time.

Getting to the Root of the Problem

The key for any addiction recovery is to help the person with the addiction get down to the root of the problem, understand the source, and then develop more effective strategies to cope with those stressors in the future. Going through withdrawal and getting clean on the other side can be powerful, but unless behaviors are not addressed, that individual will be more likely to fall back into relapse and start those destructive patterns once again.