It is true that addiction has a better chance of creeping its way into your life based on genetics and the area that you were raised in. Just because both of those factors affect you does not mean that you need to let it spiral into an addiction. It is important not to give into peer pressure and to research the cause and effects of addiction to avoid developing one yourself.

It is more hard than people realize to just say no to drugs. It is human to want to find the easy way out of our pain and stress as well as to find accessible ways to seek pleasure. We see people in television shows and movies doing drugs looking like they are having the time of their lives while they are high. Maybe you have seen in your own family relatives reacting positively to drugs that you feel it is the only way to enjoy yourself. It is important that if anyone tries to offer you drugs, that you say no and research after that particular drug you were offered. Study the side effects of the drugs as well as the mortality rate after. Ask yourself if this drug is worth risking your life over.

You may be under a lot of pressure whether you are a teenager at a party trying to fit in with the crowd or trying to fit in with your co-workers so that you look good at the office. Ask yourself that if these people who offer you drugs are offended by your refusal or will only hang out with you if you do drugs with them if these are people worth being around. Find a way to separate yourself from these bad influences. Do not hang around a crowd that drinks or does drugs as the chances are they will keep trying to convince you to partake or you will feel tempted to join so that you do not feel left out. It may be hard if your family abuses drugs as you may not be able to get away from them that easily. You should speak to a teacher or a social worker about staying with another relative and finding resources for your parents to get the help they need to recover.

While it is never a necessity to drink and is easily avoidable to develop alcoholism by not drinking, you can try drinking in moderation. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, women should not have more than one drink a day and men should not have more than two a day. Just tell yourself to only limit yourself to those amounts and to store the rest of the alcohol away. You have a better chance of developing alcoholism if you start at an early age. For example, actress Drew Barrymore started drinking when she was eleven years old which spiraled into more drug use as she got older. Delay your use of alcohol until you are 21 year old or older when you have a more developed mind to know what you can and cannot handle.

Most people do drugs because it is known to provide an escape from your stress and to numb your feelings. You do not need to do drugs in order to feel better about your life. You can find better outlets for your stress such as writing in a journal, doing yoga, exercising, taking on an art project, or talking to a counselor or your parents. Drugs may provide a temporary solution to stress but it can turn into a permanent problem that you were not expecting. Talking about your problems to others will provide you with many healthy options for solutions. Your family, friends, your community, or a Higher Power can be a great source of comfort and lead you in a better direction than what you planned.

Investigate more into your family history of drug use as addiction can be a genetic trait to inherit. If your parents do not do drugs or drink, ask them if any of their parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or cousins have ever been addicted. If they have, try to communicate with them and tell them that you think you may be developing an addiction. Ask them what they did to recover. Your family could help make you feel less alone and knowing that your struggles were once their struggles too that they were able to overcome.

If you are suffering withdrawal symptoms when you try to stop, develop a tolerance to them, feel you are losing control, abandoning activities that you used to enjoy, and other negative consequences, the chances are that you have an addiction. If you would like to know for sure, visit a counselor and you can join a test so that you know for sure you are addicted. Do something about your addiction now before it gets worse where it feels beyond your control.

Check into professional counseling so that your therapist can see if you have any mental health issues like depression, anxiety, a personality disorder, or anything other mental health problem that can be the cause to your addiction. Many people do drugs as a way to relieve their mental health symptoms without even knowing what is causing them. Avoid drugs and alcohol now to prevent developing a long-term addiction that will bring more stress to your life.

Located in Tacoma, Washington, Bayview Center’s mission is to offer clinically-driven programs and services to treat a number of substance abuse disorders along with anxiety and depression using cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, yoga therapy, and more for a successful recovery. For more information, please call us 888 570 7154 at as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.