Everyone who struggles with substance use disorder (SUD) has a root cause associated with their addiction. A root cause of addiction refers to the reasons or reasons they ever began to engage in substance misuse in the first place. This can be different for everyone. While beginning the recovery process, it is essential to determine the root cause of your addiction. You must then take active steps to address it as soon as possible. This is a crucial phase of the recovery process.
Without doing this, you run the risk of falling right back into substance use after leaving your treatment facility. By working with a therapist, you can help determine what this root cause is and figure out how to address it.
What Are the Common Root Causes of Addiction?
Some people are well aware of the root cause of their addiction even before they enter their treatment facility. They may be able to point to a specific circumstance or factor in their lives that led them to turn to substance misuse. For other people, they might be unsure. They may need to really delve deep within themselves, look back, and think about what brought them to this point. In many cases, it could be circumstances that occurred that were well out of their control.
Working with a therapist is a great way to try to pinpoint this. Journaling can also be an excellent way to work through emotions and self-reflect. What you’re looking for might not always be a clear-cut answer but rather a combination of multiple different factors.
If you’re not sure what the root cause of your addiction may be, it could be helpful to consider some of the following examples. These are common factors that often play into substance misuse:
#1 Mental health: You may have an undiagnosed mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, or bipolar disorder. It’s possible that you’ve felt this way for so long that you accepted it as your reality and didn’t even realize you have a problem. Turning to substance misuse as a way of coping with the pain of mental health disorders is a common issue.
#2 Environment: It’s possible that you are living in a toxic environment. There may be people within your home that threaten your mental or physical well-being. You may be in an abusive relationship or live in the home of someone who pressures you to engage in substance misuse.
#3 Trauma: You may have experienced trauma in the past. Trauma can come in many forms. Some examples include experiencing abuse, surviving an accident or natural disaster, losing a loved one, witnessing an act of violence, or suffering from injury or illness. When trauma is pushed away instead of dealt with head-on, it can lead to issues years down the road. Many people use substance use to try to dull the pain of trauma or distract themselves from it.
#4 Financial issues: You may be going through some sort of financial hardship. This could be job loss, a significant debt, or trouble paying the bills. This sort of stress can take a toll on one’s mental health and even self-esteem.
How to Address the Root Cause of My Addiction?
Once you know what the root cause of your addiction is, you can then begin to take the steps to address it. This is necessary to prevent relapse. If you believe that you’re struggling with a mental health disorder, your first step is to speak to your primary care provider. They can help provide you with a diagnosis and prescription medication if necessary. They may also recommend that you attend therapy.
If you believe that your root cause is due to financial struggle, consider reaching out to a financial advisor. They can help you come up with a budget to ensure you’re spending your money wisely. This can help put your mind at ease.
If you’re unhappy with your current job, consider attending a job fair or reaching out to an employment specialist. This can help you gather resources and make connections that may lead to a more positive career in the future.
In the case that your root cause is related to unaddressed grief, consider reaching out to a therapist. They can help you work through your emotions, confront what happened and begin the healing process.
No matter what it is that you’re going through or what you determine your root cause of addiction to be, there is always a solution to be found. If you choose our facility at The Ho Tai Way, we can work with you to not only determine the root cause of your addiction but help you figure out what the proper steps are to address it. We will make sure that you have a set plan for handling this root cause before you ever even leave our facility.
Everyone who struggles with substance use disorder has a root cause associated with their addiction. This refers to the reasons or reasons they ever began to engage in substance misuse in the first place. As you begin your recovery journey, it is important that you determine what this root cause is. For some people, it may be financial stress or an unhappy work environment. For others, it may be an undiagnosed mental health disorder, unaddressed grief, or a toxic home situation. Addressing this root cause is essential in order to prevent relapse. If you are struggling with addiction, our team at The Ho Tai Way can help. Call (714) 881-8931 today.
