Top Ten Reasons People Use Drugs
This may seem like a no-brainer, but there are actually some surprising reasons why people may begin and continue to use drugs. It’s for the following reasons that anyone who is using or addicted to drugs not be judged, but helped. Here are some of the top ten reasons people use drugs.
1. They are legal: Yes, you read that right. Some of the drugs that have the most users are completely legal. Nicotine and alcohol are not illegal and yet they are highly addictive.
2. They are prescribed: There are many different medications, which are prescribed for a specific purpose, but because of the reaction of the brain to these medications, people easily become addicted. Some examples of these are pain medications, anti-anxiety meds, muscle relaxers and more.
3. Rebellion: Chances are many who are now adults did the same thing, but teenagers often begin using drugs as an act of rebellion or peer pressure. They experiment with drugs and alcohol. Some become addicted, some do not.
4. Self Medication: People live with varying degrees of stressors in their lives. There are times when instead of seeking the advice of a doctor, they begin to medicate themselves with marijuana, street drugs, or even perhaps alcohol.
5. Boredom: There are those that begin to experiment with drugs simply because they are bored or they feel emptiness in their lives. They are searching for something and mistakenly think that the answer is drugs or alcohol.
6. Peer Pressure: Not only teens, but many adults begin to experiment with drugs because their friends do. They begin casually at a gathering or a party, and continue on from there. Many times, this leads to addiction.
7. It Feels Good: If addictive drugs made people deathly ill every time they tried it, people probably would not become addicted. However, this is not what happens. Cocaine, Meth, Marijuana, and many other drugs make a person feel very, very good when they begin using them. This leads to drug addiction even though the good feelings get harder and harder to experience with time.
8. Curiosity: The power of curiosity should never be underestimated. Many people, young and old try drugs simply to see what will happen. They are curious as to the effects of the drug and start using for no other reason than to find out what it feels like.
9. Availability: Prescription drugs and street drugs are extremely accessible to anyone who wants to find them. They can be purchased on the street, through doctors, on-line pharmacies, and even through black market websites.
10. Enhancement: Drug use and abuse very often starts with people drinking alcohol. When the effects of the alcohol aren’t enough, they branch out into using other drugs as well to enhance the effects of the alcohol.
Of course, there are many other reasons why people may begin using drugs but the long and short of it is they like the way the drug makes them feel. The short-term effects for most drugs are extremely pleasant and that is what keeps the person going back for more.