Why do people want to use chemical stimulants when they’re so bad for you? The causes of drug addiction are as varied as the variety of drugs that are available for use. There is no one cause for drug addiction just like there is no consistent profile of a drug user.

People who have a history of drug use or misuse in their families are certainly at greater risk for drug addiction problems. It has been shown over and over again that the children of alcohol addicted persons and drug-dependent persons are far more likely to exhibit addictive leanings than offspring of non-addicted mothers and fathers. This is commonly attributed largely to environmental causes and vicarious learning.

The offspring of those addicted to alcohol or drug abusers see their mothers and fathers escaping from problems abusing artificial stimulants.When they encounter problems themselves they are naturally more likely than their peers to reach for the same crutch.

This is not to say though that genetic reasons are immaterial. Certainly babies of dependent mothers can be born with a craving for alcohol or illicit drugs, and many think that the ‘addictive personality’ is something that is fixed in the genes of the addict.

Sometimes however there is no sad background tale behind addiction. Often with an addiction to prescription drugs, the addicted person commenced taking the medically prescribed drugs because they were overcoming some type of legitimate disease. Over time however they began to feel that they couldn’t do without their dose, and that if they stopped taking their meds, the pain would reappear.

People who have low self-esteem are certainly more prone to drug addiction. Such persons may feel they have no have control over over their lives and will turn to drugs as a way to cope. They often feel they can’t please the persons around them so they have to transform themselves in order to fit in. The change is made easier by abusing drugs because the artificial stimulants make them them into somebody and something that they are not. Stress is regularly cited as the number one reason of drug addiction.

Life is stressful for everyone. Some of us however are better able to cope with this than others. Some turn to drugs as an easy way to get passed their anxieties. Once a person starts consuming chemical stimulants to overcome trauma it can be hard to halt the cycle because the stresses are still there once the high is gone, so the user feels he or she needs more drugs to bring more support. That type of cycle can lead to long-term addiction.

Part of the reason for the high incidence of drug addiction is purely because they are so easily accessible. Even for those who don’t have a connection with their resident dealers of illicit drugs, alcohol and prescription drugs are easy to obtain and can prove just as effectual (and destructive).

So why do persons use drugs? The easy answer is that people use drugs in order to control their moods, but as to why some people need so badly to control their moods while other people manage to cope without artificial stimulants, there is no straightforward answer.