Why did my loved one develop an addiction?

Many people wonder why this happened to them as opposed to someone else. People may start using substances for many reasons and the answer will be different for each individual. Research shows there are many risk factors for addiction (see below).

People may start out experimenting with substances. Some may stop, while others move on to another stage where they escalate their use to continue to deal with life (e.g. boredom, stress, loss, grief, depression/anxiety, etc). After this stage, some may stop using when they move to another phase of their life or start relying on other things to deal with life (e.g. relationships, hobbies, etc). Others may continue to use and develop behaviors consistent with addiction. At this stage, people may want to stop, but feel it is difficult or not possible.

Risk Factors for Addiction

• Your relatives and/or role models used drugs or alcohol around you while you were growing up.

• Having a family member who suffers from addiction.

• History of depression or anxiety

• Having trouble in school as a child (e.g. learning challenges).

• Difficulty making or keeping friends

• Not feel like you “fit in” with your peers when you were growing up (e.g. Islamaphobia).

• Growing up around chaos and conflict at home (e.g. fighting between parents, adults, relatives, etc).

• Physical abuse

• Sexual abuse (sexual abuse that has been shown to increase the risk of addiction includes touching/fondling, sexual abuse by older children, and abuse that isn’t recognized as sexual abuse at the time it happens)

• Early teen experimentation with drugs/alcohol.

  Children and youth who don’t feel close to their parents/caregivers or not feeling like they can’t talk to them about their feelings.

• Traumatic experiences in your life prior to alcohol or drug use.