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Understanding Addiction: Causes and Effects
Addiction is a long-term illness, often misunderstood, that affects the brain, body, and behaviour.
People with addiction feel compelled to use substances or repeat behaviours, even when these actions cause harm to themselves or others. Addiction is not a moral weakness, but is a health condition that gets worse over time.
Without help, addiction can have serious effects on health, family life, and work. But with the right support and treatment, people can recover and rebuild their lives.
In Ireland, over 10,000 people were treated for drug problems in 2022. The most common substances were opioids, cannabis, and cocaine. Alcohol is still the most frequent reason people seek treatment, making up more than half of all addiction cases. Concerns are growing about drug use among young people, and how it affects mental health and future wellbeing.
Addiction is not limited to a single demographic, and its impact spans across communities, age groups, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Understanding what addiction is, how it develops, and how it is treated is essential to reducing stigma and promoting recovery. As public awareness grows, more people are recognising the signs of substance use disorder and seeking timely support.
Addiction can be to a substance, such as alcohol or drugs, or a behaviour, such as gambling, gaming, shopping, work or sex.
Types of Addiction
Addiction doesn’t just affect people who use drugs or alcohol. It can take many forms, and each type brings its own challenges. Understanding the different types of addiction helps people recognise early warning signs and take steps toward recovery.
Substance Addictions
Alcohol or drug addiction happens when a person becomes dependent on a drug that changes how the brain and body work. Drugs can be legal, like alcohol or prescription medicines, or illegal, like heroin or cocaine.
Common types of drug addiction include:
- Alcohol addiction: Alcohol addiction (also known as alcohol use disorder) is one of the most common addictions worldwide. It includes losing control over drinking, having withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, and continuing to misuse alcohol despite harm to health, relationships, or work.
- Opioid addiction: Opioid use disorder includes opioid drugs and painkillers such as oxycodone and illegal drugs like heroin. Opioid use can quickly lead to addiction and carries a high risk of overdose.
- Cannabis addiction: Often seen as harmless, regular cannabis use can lead to dependence, memory problems, and increased anxiety or low mood.
- Cocaine addiction: Cocaine gives a short, intense high, but it also brings high risks. Many people end up using more and more to chase the same feeling.
- Nicotine addiction: Found in cigarettes and vaping products, nicotine is highly addictive. While legal, it causes serious health problems, including cancer and heart disease.
- Prescription medication addiction: Some people become dependent on prescribed medications such as sleeping pills, anxiety medications, or stimulants. Even if prescribed, they can be harmful when used over time or not as directed.
Health professionals call this condition substance use disorder. It includes all levels of drug misuse, from occasional overuse to full addiction, and can affect anyone, regardless of background or age.
Behavioural Addiction
Behavioural addiction, also called process addiction which means being addicted to a behaviour rather than a substance. These behaviours can trigger the brain’s reward system in much the same way as drugs do [8].
Common behavioural addictions include:
- Gambling addiction: This is the only behavioural addiction formally recognised in the medical manual DSM-5. It can lead to serious financial problems and relationship breakdowns.
- Sex and pornography addiction: Some people find themselves stuck in harmful sexual behaviours that affect emotional well-being and everyday life.
- Gaming addiction: Playing video games becomes a problem when it takes over daily routines, causes conflict, or replaces real-world relationships.
- Shopping addiction: Also known as compulsive buying, this involves repeated, unnecessary spending that often leads to guilt or debt.
- Food addiction: Some people binge eat to manage stress or emotions. This can lead to shame, weight issues, or health problems.
While behavioural addictions don’t always cause physical withdrawal symptoms, the emotional impact can be just as strong. People often feel cravings, guilt, and frustration when trying to stop the behaviour.
Both substance and behavioural addictions can deeply affect mental health, relationships, and daily life. They involve similar changes in the brain, especially in areas linked to pleasure, memory, and self-control.
New behaviours like excessive social media use, work, exercise, and even relationships are being studied for their addictive potential. When any habit becomes a way to avoid feelings or escape problems, it may be time to seek help.
Knowing that addiction can take many forms is an important step toward reducing stigma. Every person’s experience is different, but with the right support, recovery is always possible.
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The Science of Addiction
The brain uses chemicals called neurotransmitters to send signals. These affect mood, motivation, and decision-making. Addiction disrupts this system and affects the brain’s reward circuit, creating a cycle of cravings and compulsive behaviour. Over time, natural rewards like food, relationships, or hobbies may no longer feel pleasurable. This can lead to isolation, depression, and deeper dependence.
How does addiction affect dopamine?
The main chemical involved in the brain’s reward system is dopamine. When someone uses drugs or does something addictive, dopamine creates a rush of pleasure. Repeated exposure to these substances or behaviours can rewire the brain, making it harder to stop, even when someone really wants to. Imaging studies show that addiction affects areas like the prefrontal cortex, which controls judgement and behaviour, and the amygdala, which processes emotions. These changes make it harder for people to stop, even when they know their behaviour is harmful.
Like other long-term illnesses, addiction can include periods of recovery and relapse. But it is treatable with therapy, support, and the right care.
Drug misuse and the brain
Drug misuse can change how the brain processes emotions and information, resulting in poor judgement, high impulsivity, and long-term mental health issues. These neurological changes make sustained abstinence difficult without structured treatment.
Physical vs Psychological Dependence
People with addiction can be dependent in more than one way.
- Physical dependence means the body gets used to a drug. Stopping it causes withdrawal symptoms like headaches, shakes, or seizures.
- Psychological dependence means someone feels mentally or emotionally tied to a substance or habit. They may feel anxious or low when they stop, or crave the feeling it gives them.
Physical and psychological symptoms often overlap. For instance, someone withdrawing from alcohol may experience both anxiety and tremors. Addressing both aspects of dependence is essential for successful recovery.
Most people with addiction experience both kinds. But some may only have one, for example, someone addicted to gambling may not have physical withdrawal. Drug abuse often involves both forms of dependence and contributes to prolonged suffering and functional impairment.
Who Can Develop an Addiction?
Anyone can get addicted to drugs or alcohol, but there are a variety of factors such as genetics, socioeconomic background, home environmental factors, physical and mental health and other risk factors that increase the risk of addiction.
What Causes Addiction?
Many things can lead to addiction. These include genes, environment, mental health, and trauma. Understanding the risk factors behind addiction is key to effective prevention and early intervention.
Genetic Factors
Studies show that genes can make addiction more likely. If someone in your family has struggled with addiction, your risk may be higher [8]. Genetic and biological factors affect how the brain responds to substances, how quickly tolerance develops, and how the body metabolises drugs and alcohol.
Environment
Your surroundings also play a role. Stressful situations, peer pressure, trauma, and lack of social support can push people toward substances or harmful behaviours. Environments where drugs or alcohol are normalised, or where people experience neglect or abuse, can increase the risk. For young drug users, school and community factors often influence early exposure.
Mental Health
People with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, trauma, or personality disorders are more at risk. Addiction and mental illness often happen together. This is called dual diagnosis [10]. Self-medication is common, where individuals use substances to cope with difficult emotions or past experiences. Mental health support and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder is essential in treating both the addiction and any underlying psychiatric conditions.
Exposure and Experimentation
Addiction can also begin with experimentation. Some people start with recreational drug use or social drinking, or experiment with drugs out of curiosity, not realising the harmful consequences involved with addictive drugs. With certain strong substances, brain circuits are rewired and addiction can develop very quickly. Similarly, behaviours like gambling or gaming can become a source of comfort or excitement, leading to increased use over time. What starts as occasional or recreational use can slowly become something that’s hard to stop. Early exposure, especially during adolescence, is linked with higher risk of long-term addiction.
Other risk factors include early exposure to drugs, low self-esteem, genetic predisposition, lack of family support, and past trauma. Each of these can make someone more vulnerable to developing drug addiction or a substance use disorder.
How Do I Know If I Have an Addiction?
It’s not always easy to recognise when a habit has turned into an addiction. Many people start with occasional substance use or certain behaviours that feel harmless, only to realise later that things have changed. Substances abuse disorders can creep in slowly, and because it often builds over time, it may be difficult to spot the signs of addiction in yourself.
You might notice that you’re no longer in control, that what started as a choice now feels like a need. You may also find that stopping or cutting back brings emotional or physical discomfort.
Ask yourself the following:
- Do you try to hide your substance use or behaviour from others?
- Are you needing more addictive substances over time to feel the same effects?
- Do you experience withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, low mood, or physical discomfort, when you try to stop?
- Is your use affecting your finances, such as borrowing money or struggling to meet basic expenses?
- Are your relationships being affected – do you feel more distant, isolated, or in conflict with loved ones?
- Is it harder to meet your responsibilities at work, home, or school?
- Do you feel uneasy, low, or incomplete without the substance or activity?
- Have you tried to stop drinking, using drugs or gambling, knowing it’s causing harm, but found yourself going back?
These are not signs of weakness. They are signs that you may need support. Addiction is a health condition—one that many people live with, often in silence, until they reach a point where they’re ready for change.
Support is available, and recovery is possible. The first step is simply recognising the need and reaching out when you feel ready.
Adolescents and Addiction
Young people in Ireland are using substances at high rates. A 2019 study found that over 70% of Irish teenagers aged 15 to 16 had drunk alcohol. About 1 in 5 had used cannabis.
Teenagers’ brains are still growing, making them more likely to take risks and become addicted. Young people are also easily influenced by peer pressure and social media and early education, improved parental supervision and support can make a big difference in avoiding serious problems further down the line.
Social media, academic stress, bullying, and changes in family structure all influence how young people experience mental health and addiction risk. Schools and parents play an essential role in identifying early warning signs and educating young people about the harmful consequences of drugs and alcohol and gambling. Preventing youth drug abuse and gambling disorder requires community-wide efforts and proactive mental health care.
Most Common Addictions in Ireland
Addiction in Ireland affects people of all ages and walks of life. Some substances and behaviours are more common than others:
- Alcohol is the top reason for seeking treatment. It’s easy to access and socially accepted, but drinking too much causes serious health issues like liver and heart disease. Many people don’t realise they have a problem until it affects work or relationships [14]. Regular binge drinking and dependency are common, especially in rural areas where services may be harder to access.
- Opiates, including heroin, are a major concern in cities like Dublin. They are highly addictive and linked to overdose, illness, and isolation. Injectable drug use is associated with increased risk of hepatitis C and other infections.
- Cocaine is rising fast, especially among adults in work. It’s used for confidence and energy but can damage the heart and increase mental health problems. Over one-third of drug treatment admissions now involve cocaine [13]. Social use of cocaine often masks deeper patterns of dependence and may lead to drug addiction over time.
- Cannabis is widely used, especially by teens and young adults. While often seen as harmless, regular use can affect memory, motivation, and mood. In stronger forms like cannabis resin or skunk, the risk of dependency and psychosis is higher.
- Gambling is an increasing problem, especially with online betting. Men aged 25 to 34 are most affected. It can lead to debt, stress, and family breakdowns. The rise in gambling ads and ease of mobile access has made this addiction harder to avoid.
Substance use disorder, drug misuse, and drug abuse all contribute to rising public health costs and social burdens in Ireland. Many drug users face stigma, legal trouble, or barriers to treatment. Reducing these barriers and offering compassionate, evidence-based care is key to recovery.
Ireland’s addiction landscape is changing. More people are seeking help, and more support is available. Education, early help, and access to effective treatment are key to reversing these trends. Community-based services, better integration between mental health and addiction care, and public awareness campaigns are essential to reduce harm and support recovery.
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Support Pathways in Ireland
If you or someone close to you is struggling with addiction, help is available across Ireland:
- Talk to your GP, who can connect you with addiction or mental health services.
- HSE Addiction Services offer treatment and support nationwide.
- Drugs.ie lists local services and provides information.
- HSE Drug and Alcohol Helpline, call 1800 459 459 for free, confidential advice.
- Family Support Network and Adfam Ireland help families coping with addiction.
- Many people start with joining a 12-step fellowship such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous. Others go to an outpatient clinic for individual and group therapy. Health Service Executive (HSE) offers a directory that can help people find addiction treatment services in Ireland.
How Do People Overcome Addiction?
Recovering from addiction begins with a vital first step – recognising the problem and accepting the need for help. This moment of acceptance can feel daunting, but it opens the door to meaningful change.
Addiction is a chronic health condition, but it is treatable. Many people find that a combination of medical care and psychological support offers the strongest foundation for recovery. For substance addictions, this often begins with a safe, medically supervised detox using evidence-based addiction medicine. This helps manage withdrawal symptoms and prepares the body and mind for the next phase of treatment.
A tailored treatment plan is crucial. Therapy is at the heart of long-term recovery, and talking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), group therapy and one-to-one counselling help individuals explore the root causes of their addiction. These sessions, led by a mental health professional, can also address psychological harm and provide healthier coping strategies for the future.
For many, residential treatment provides the structure, safety, and support needed to begin recovery. In this setting, you can focus fully on healing without distractions. It also allows for a deeper level of therapeutic work and 24-hour professional care.
Alongside therapy, support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or SMART Recovery offer connection and shared experience. Many people find these communities a valuable part of their long-term recovery journey.
Other treatment options include creative therapies like art and music, mindfulness, yoga, and exercise. These holistic approaches support emotional resilience and wellbeing.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each recovery journey is unique, shaped by the person’s goals and needs. But what matters most is knowing there is a way forward – and with the right support, a fulfilling life beyond addiction is possible.
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References
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- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). “Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction.” Revised July 2020.
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- Health Research Board. National Drug Treatment Reporting System. Drug Treatment Data 2022. Dublin: HRB; 2023.
- Health Research Board. Alcohol Treatment in Ireland 2022. National Drug Treatment Reporting System. Dublin: HRB; 2023.
- ESPAD Group. ESPAD Report 2019: Results from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs. Luxembourg: EMCDDA; 2020.