Cause of drug abuse - Term Paper Example

Additionally, it is possible to treat drug addiction and enable individuals to go back to their normal lives. Drug addiction can be described as a chronic disease that causes obsessive behavior in spite of the negative consequences to the individual and those around them. It leads to changes in the structure and functioning of the brain (Allen 67). It is clear that most individuals indulge in drug abuse voluntarily at first and overtime their self control is affected negatively influencing their lifestyle.

The main causes of drug abuse are curiosity, peer pressure, genetics and family history and depression. There is a common saying that states that curiosity killed the cat. Well, this is the case for the cases of drug abuse and curiosity (Lowinson 48). Most individuals have probably heard about the influence of drugs and think that drugs can be so much fun and make individuals act differently. They may have seen how their friends or family members behave while under the influence of drugs and may want to experience how it feels.

Furthermore, most movies and TV shows are based on themes surrounding drug abuse and depict it as being cool. This attracts a higher number of individuals that abuse drugs (Castillo 48). It is simply normal for people to try out drugs because they hear about them from various avenues and are curious about them. Peer pressure is among the leading causes of drug abuse in the contemporary society (Lowinson 48). This is especially true for young people who do it to feel cool, fit in and impress their friends.

For example, if ones’ friends smoke marijuana or are alcoholics, they will probably be expected to take part in similar behavior. This urge to do what one’s friends are doing is commonly referred to as peer pressure and has a strong influence on teenagers who are so desperate to fit in that they would be willing to do anything to impress their friends. This kind of influence is dangerous for hard drugs