Risk and protective factors can affect children at different stages of their lives. At each stage, risks occur that can be changed through prevention intervention. Early childhood risks, such as aggressive behavior, can be changed or prevented with family, school, and community interventions that focus on helping children develop appropriate, positive behaviors. If not addressed, negative behaviors can lead to more risks, such as academic failure and social difficulties, which put children at further risk for later substance use. […]
Read More… from Substance Use in Youth: What Are Risk Factors and Protective Factors?
Although we know what happens to the brain when someone becomes addicted, we can’t predict how many times a person must use a substance before developing a Substance Use Disorder. A combination of factors related to your genes, environment, and your personal development increases the chance that taking substance will lead to addiction. […]
Read More… from What Factors Increase the Risk for Substance Use Disorders?
As with other diseases and disorders, the likelihood of developing a Substance Use Disorder differs from person to person, and no single factor determines whether a person will become addicted to substances. In general, the more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that taking substances will lead to continued substance use and addiction. Protective factors, on the other hand, reduce a person’s risk. Risk and protective factors may be either environmental or biological. […]
Read More… from Why Do Some People Become Addicted to Substances, While Others Do Not?
Substance use treatment is most effective when tailored to the individual receiving it. Knowing that, it is important to note that gender plays a role in finding maximally effective treatment and that substance use disorders in women may progress differently than for men, often moving more quickly from first use to a substance use disorder. […]
Read More… from Substance Use Disorders and Women
