Substance use disorder has a profound impact not only on those who suffer from it, but the friends, family, employers, and loved ones of those involved in the suffering individual’s life.
Unlike other mental health disorders, the origins of substance use disorder are complex- often involving a mix of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, underlying mental health issues, social pressures, varying socioeconomic factors, and gene-environment interactions as some causes. These individual factors can coalesce into a single symptom: substance use disorder.
Like many other mental health disorders, substance use disorder reaches all walks of life – and does not discriminate by race, gender, age, or social status. The fight to combat substance use disorder remains an ongoing and evolving fight waged at the local, state-wide, or federal level.
This article dives into the causes of substance use disorder, presenting critical data designed to enhance understanding and command of the far-reaching impacts of substance use disorder.
Defining Substance Abuse
When discussing substance use disorder, it is important to correctly distinguish it from other forms of substance use, including recreational and medicinal use. Each year, millions of individuals consume substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and prescription pills either taken recreationally or prescribed. These individuals are not classified as those struggling with substance use disorder.
The National Institute of Health, a government-funded organization responsible for medical and behavior research, defines substance use disorder as a mental disorder that affects a person’s ability to control their substance consumption, whether the substance is legal or illegal.
The most common substances abused in the United States include alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, prescription pills, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. While it is difficult to determine how many individuals in the U.S. struggle to control their substance consumption, a 2022 report from All Points North found that an estimated 15.4% or more of American adults are afflicted with substance use disorder each year with diagnoses for the disorder following the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which outlines specific behaviors and trait identifiers.
4% of Americans struggle with substance use disorder each year. Of those with the disorder, 10.2% reportedly battle with alcohol use disorder – a majority.
Substance Use & Mental Health
There is no one cause of substance use disorder. However, many who struggle with it report having an underlying or co-occurring mental health disorder, including unresolved trauma or grief. The presence of an underlying, co-occurring mental health disorder can lead to self-medication – heightening the chance of an individual developing substance use disorder in their lifetime. Common co-occurring disorders reported by All Points North include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and personality disorders.
Statistics released by All Points North found that of those who struggle with substance use disorder, an estimated 37.9% have either an underlying or co-occurring mental disorder.
While underlying and co-occurring mental health disorders can lead to higher instances of substance use disorder in those afflicted, not everyone who struggles with these disorders has developed or will end up developing substance use disorder.
Through advances in clinical mental health and prescription medication management, millions of individuals each year successfully manage the symptoms of co-occurring mental disorders – going on to lead happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Identifying, diagnosing, and treating mental health disorders at an early age can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life, while also helping to establish healthy routines and medication regimens.
Substance Use & Environmental Factors
Environmental factors such as the homes we grow up in, the friends we make, and the way we are raised and disciplined in childhood can all impact whether or not an individual is more likely to develop substance use disorder. This is especially true among adolescents and teens, who are more susceptible to the effects and impacts of environmental factors.
When poor environmental factors are paired with an underlying mental health disorder, adolescents and teens can find themselves engaging in high-risk substance use behaviors which can lead to substance use disorder in adolescence and adulthood.
One of the primary causes of substance use disorder in adolescents, teens, and young adults are environmental factors. These factors include but are not limited to unhealthy parenting, unstable home life, social and peer pressures, and neglect or abuse at home or in school.
One of the primary environmental factors leading to high-risk substance use among teens, adolescents, and even adults is social and peer pressure. In a study titled “Measuring peer influence susceptibility to alcohol use”, certain characteristics such as high sensitivity to rejection and having lower levels of resistance to peer pressure can cause increased use of substances which can lead to future dependency.
Additional environmental factors such as fractured or unstable home life and unhealthy parental or adult role models can also influence adolescent and teen substance use.
A study from Addictions and Recovery found that children of a parent or with parents who are active in or have previously struggled with substance use disorder are eight times more likely to develop substance use disorder as they age.
Substance Use & Abuse Statistics
Not all individuals who use drugs recreationally or medicinally will develop a substance use disorder. However, those who engage in frequent drug or alcohol use may be at a higher risk of developing a dependency which can manifest into a use disorder.
Statistics regarding substance use and abuse vary by reporting party. However, it is estimated that of the current, adult U.S. population, over half have reported trying an illegal substance at least once in their lifetime – with one in five having used an illegal substance between 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, a 2022 report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that over 135.7 million adults aged 18 and over reported consuming alcohol monthly.
While the use of illicit drugs inside the U.S. has increased, so have the rates of substance use disorder. Overdose deaths within the U.S. over the last five years have increased significantly, with overall rates of overdose seeing a steady increase since 1999.
Between March 2021 and March 2022 – the Centers for Disease Control reported 109,000 deaths were related to a drug overdose. Many overdose deaths over the last 3 – 5 years can be attributed to the emergence of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl – a potent and deadly opiate that can be found laced with drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Deaths related to alcohol have also increased – rising 70% between 2012 and 2022, with 51,191 deaths in 2022 attributed to alcohol.
Treatment Options and Availability
Immediate recovery from substance use disorders is often a prolonged process requiring physical and mental health support teams focused on mitigating withdrawal symptoms, addressing the underlying mental health component, and helping to develop new lifestyles and strategies away from alcohol. Unlike a cut or scrape, which will heal on its own, substance use disorder will progress within an individual until it results in the death of the user either directly or indirectly over time.
Some avenues of treatment for substance use disorder include in-patient programs, 30-day programs, detox centers, outpatient programs, individual or group therapy, and 12-step programs. Religious or faith-based rehabilitation programs and anonymous programs such as Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous function as non-professional support groups for active and recovering users to establish sober support systems and work through addressing their substance use disorder.
Despite the availability and access to treatment options, there are many real and perceived barriers keeping those struggling with substance use disorder from receiving the treatment they need. In many cases, despite knowing they need help, those with substance use disorder are reluctant to or unable to seek treatment or support due to a variety of factors:
Of those between 2021 and 2022 who admitted they needed help treating their substance use disorder, over a quarter revealed they either were not ready to stop using their substance of choice or reported they were unable to afford treatment costs due to insufficient or a lack of health insurance to cover the expenses necessary for treatment.
Of those between 2021 and 2022 who admitted they needed help treating their substance use disorder, 13% reported fearing how others, such as friends and family, would view them or that they would lose their jobs as the reason for them not pursuing substance use treatment.
Reducing and eliminating the stigma of alcohol and drug rehabilitation is a necessary, lifesaving effort that can help encourage individuals struggling with substance use disorder to seek the treatment services they need. Although recovery from substance use disorder is oftentimes a lifelong journey for individuals, it does not have to be forged alone. Those who seek and embrace treatment services are set on a path of recovery that can change their lives and their families.
Addiction & Rehabilitation Counseling Careers
On the front lines of addressing substance use disorder are the addiction and rehabilitation professionals working closely with individuals and families afflicted by substance abuse. For those with a bachelor’s degree who are interested in working with addiction or rehabilitation counseling, The University of Providence offers a variety of programs that prepare future addiction and rehabilitation counselors to address substance use disorders among adolescents and adults.
Programs are offered across the academic spectrum, including an Associate of Science degree in Addictions Counseling, a Post-Bachelor Certificate in Addictions Counseling, and concentrations in Addiction Counseling and Rehabilitation Counseling for our Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, which offers a comprehensive educational path to treat both addiction and related comorbidities. Explore our programs today and start your journey today.
