Drug Addiction Treatment

In the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration found illicit drug use has steadily been increasing in the United States. In 2013, an estimated 24.6 million Americans ages 12 and older – approximately 9.4 percent of the population – had used an illegal drug in the past month.

And with an increase in drug abuse comes an increase in overdoses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 70,200 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2017 – a two-fold increase in a decade. Accidental drug overdoses have now become the leading cause of death in the United States for those under the age of 50.

If we know that using drugs is not only harmful but deadly, why does the death toll continue to rise? Much has to do with the drugs’ effects on brain chemistry. It becomes harder and harder to exercise self-control and resist the strong urge to take drugs. Building tolerance causes users to increase the amount and frequency of their drug use. As a result, people with a drug addiction can face years of poor decisions and risky behaviors that all too often catch up with them.

No single factor can predict an individual’s likelihood of becoming addicted to drugs, although numerous factors do contribute to the risk of addiction. These include genetics, gender, ethnicity, peer pressure, a history of abuse, stress, anxiety, and early exposure to drugs.