The use of drugs causes physical changes. If you continue to use the drug, it can cause permanent changes in your brain, which can lead to a tendency to continue to rely on the drug. The degree of change caused by drugs varies from person to person.




 In other words, genetic factors can predispose you to substance abuse. In general, when you first use a drug, if you feel a strong sense of pleasure or a significant decrease in negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and tension compared to other people, it can be said that these people are genetically gifted with a vulnerability to substance abuse.


When you use an addictive drug, such as a drug, your brain releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which temporarily makes you feel better. However, as time goes by, you will start to feel bad again, such as depression and anxiety, and you will start looking for drugs. The problem is that if the abused state persists for a long time, changes in the brain nervous system due to drug use can occur. It is easy to revert to drug dependence.


 In other words, a person who has quit smoking for 30 years can easily return to the amount he smoked once he starts smoking again.


Drugs are one of the pleasure-seeking tools, and there are aspects that are consistent with human nature. In particular, early psychological studies have studied substance abuse based on these pleasure principles. In other words, it was thought to be the use of drugs to relieve an individual's painful feelings and to pursue pleasure. However, more recently, it has been viewed as the use of drugs to address personal deficiencies. 


In other words, because the person who uses the drug lacks the ability to personally relieve painful emotions or overcome his or her own physical, social, and professional deficiencies, they use drugs to make up for these deficiencies. . In this regard, it is also theorized that problems of personal nature lead to substance abuse.


Substance abuse or dependence is common among adolescents and people with immature personalities. People who do not personally respond adequately to social needs and cannot adequately deal with internal conflicts or personal impulsivity are prone to drug use. The personality traits of substance abusers, published in many studies, show that they are impulsive, curious about new experiences, rebellious against social norms, and lack the ability to accept frustration. Some have anti-social characteristics, and they show aggression from a young age, and violent behaviors such as cruelty to insects and animals are often found.


There are also many familial traits, especially if the parent is a substance abuser, making the child more likely to use the drug. Although genetic factors are also involved, environmental influences within the family cannot be ignored. In particular, the relationship with parents is very important, and problems such as abandonment, divorce, overcontrol, abuse, and overprotection, including the death of a parent, can lead to substance abuse. 


There are also reports that it is more common in families where children's independence is subtly suppressed or where there is no proper image of the father (eg authority, dignity, example). In addition, some families tolerate substance abuse because they fear new changes because they become over-adapted to dysfunctional family relationships caused by substance abuse.





Social factors such as social attitudes toward drug use, perceptions of harm, coworkers' reactions, laws and moral standards, and the price and availability of drugs can significantly influence substance abuse. These factors also have a significant impact on the shift from drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana to drugs such as cocaine and opiates. In particular, in the case of alcohol, it is reported that social, family, religious environment or cultural traditions encountered during childhood are closely related to the occurrence of alcohol use-related disorders in adulthood. In the case of Korea, there is a tendency to be socially tolerant of alcohol consumption, which is expected to have an impact on maintaining a high level of alcohol consumption worldwide.


Indirect promotion of drugs through other broadcast media can also lead to abuse. Scenes such as smoking, drinking, etc. during broadcasts can exacerbate the problem of abuse, which can make young people curious about it. However, if social factors are too stressed, substance abuse is socially promoted and each individual can be misled as if he were a victim, so special attention is also needed.