Possible Causes of Addiction

The study of addiction is still a young science. Therefore, not surprisingly, experts differ in opinion as to the possible causes of either a propensity to become an addict or the mechanism by which the body becomes addicted to something. However, there is evidence to suggest that the following play a part:  

The genetic argument  

Research in the 1970s suggested that people can inherit a propensity towards an addictive nature from their parents. The research studied parents with alcohol dependency problems and concluded that their children were more likely to become addicts themselves than those whose parents were not alcoholics.

Childhood experience 

There is a vast amount of evidence to suggest that children who suffered trauma, loss or abuse turn to destructive coping mechanisms when they get older. When young minds are forced to witness or endure such things as death, physical or sexual abuse, family financial ruin, neglect or even bullying, it is thought that they are more likely to retreat into the substitute world of an addiction. It is also plausible to expect that in an abusive or traumatised childhood, the lack of parental guidance on self-limitation and boundaries can aid in the development of a dependency problem.   

Social pressures

It is socially acceptable to drink and work long hours, so it can be difficult to recognise the fine line between hard worker or social drinker and workaholic or someone suffering from a drinking problem. Groups, whether made up of peers, friends, subordinates or supervisors, can exert pressure on their members to conform to their habits. The strong can bully, cajole or encourage the less strong into activities they would have never considered if left to their own devices. The desire to be socially accepted is strong in all of us, but what those in our social circles attempt to pressure us to do is determined by the people we surround ourselves with.