Addiction Risk Factors

PDF: EasyToRead_WhatIsAddiction_Final_012017.pdf

What makes people more likely to get addicted to drugs?

• Trouble at home. If your home is an unhappy place, or was when you were growing up, you might be more likely to have a drug problem. When kids aren't cared for well, or there are lots of fights, or a parent is using drugs, the risk of addiction goes up.
• Mental health problems. People who have mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or attention deficit disorder are more likely to become addicted. They might use drugs to try to feel better.
• Trouble in school, trouble at work, trouble with making friends. Failures at school or work, or trouble getting along with people, can make life hard. You might use drugs to get your mind off these problems.
• Hanging around other people who use drugs. Friends or family members who use drugs might get you into trouble with drugs as well.
• Starting drug use when you're young. When kids use drugs, it affects how their bodies and brains finish growing. Using drugs when you're young increases your chances of becoming addicted when you're an adult.
• Your biology. Everyone's bodies react to drugs differently. Some people like the feeling the first time they try a drug and want more. Other people hate how it feels and never try it again. Some are more likely to get addicted, but there's no way to test for that.