Causes of Drug Abuse and Substance Abuse

What are the causes of drug abuse?

As with alcoholism, there are many theories about the causes of drug abuse. In most cases, there seem to be multiple contributing factors. Causes of drug and substance abuse that show up frequently in the literature include:

• Genetics or heredity
• Poverty
• Childhood abuse
• Depression
• Growing up in an environment of drug use
• Peer and cultural influence
• Being unemployed or having irregular work hours
• Personality traits
• Psychological problems, such as schizophrenia, panic disorder or social phobia
• Low self-esteem
• Inadequate coping skills
• Curiosity
• Loneliness
• Low tolerance for boredom

People who tend to be overly dependent on others, are easily frustrated or have trouble dealing with stress appear to be more likely to fall victim to drug and substance abuse. Taking drugs gives them relief that they don’t know how to achieve any other way.

As with alcohol abuse, for any given individual the causes of drug abuse are difficult to determine. The thing to remember is that it is not your fault. The drug user is using the drugs. You are not forcing them to use them, regardless what they say.

Like many of the questions that I asked about my wife’s alcoholism, this one turned out to be unimportant. The causes of her drug use were hers. Though she did try to convince me that it was my fault. If only I was more fun to be around, if only I was more understanding, if only…

The truth is that no matter what I did, she was a drug-addicted alcoholic that would find reasons to use drugs no matter what I did or said.

However, I did unknowingly contribute to her drug use. I didn’t realize it at the time, but by protecting my wife from the repercussions of substance abuse, I eliminated what turns out to be one of the best motivators for the substance abuser to change their ways.

Once I changed my enabling ways, she eventually changed her behavior when the repercussions of her substance abuse became too painful for her to handle. It turns out that rescuing someone from the effects of their stupid behavior only promotes more stupid behavior. Seems pretty obvious in hindsight, but at the time I though I was helping someone I loved.

It turned out that the causes of my wife’s alcoholism and drug addiction were not important. What was important was how I responded to her behavior.

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