Unfortunately, addiction, in all its forms, remains a persistent problem in this country. According to the latest government figures, 3.1% of people are struggling with drug addiction. In the most recent numbers released, it was estimated that 608,416 adults were addicted to alcohol.

Though there is a growing understanding and empathy for people suffering from addiction, many are still uninformed about the topic. It’s important to know how addiction works, what types there are, and understand that it is a serious health condition rather than a sign of a bad person.

With greater understanding, people at risk can perhaps stop before it worsens, and those on the outside can offer greater support to people in need.

What Is Addiction?

Addiction is a chronic condition, meaning it is long-lasting and recurring. If you have an addiction, then you take a substance or engage in an act compulsively and cannot stop, despite the negative effects it may be having on your life.

The terms “dependence” and “addiction” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are different. Dependence describes a physical dependence and is about changes in your body due to prolonged substance use. Your body becomes physically dependent on the chemical reactions that happen in your body when you engage in your addiction.

Psychological addiction is the mental and emotional side. It’s a step further where you are psychologically affected when you don’t act on your addiction, as well as experiencing physical withdrawal symptoms. Changes in brain chemistry and your thoughts push you to continue to act on your addiction, no matter what.

The Brain’s Role in Addiction

When you experience pleasure, your brain releases a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Addiction hijacks your brain’s reward system by providing a shortcut and flooding your brain with dopamine in response to engaging in the behaviour.

This creates a cycle of reinforcement that becomes a spiral. It goes like this:

  • Use: You take drugs/drink/engage in addictive behaviour
  • Reward: Your brain gets the dopamine
  • Craving: Dopamine levels return to normal, and you naturally want to feel the euphoria you experienced before
  • Repeated use: You engage in the addictive behaviour to try to raise dopamine levels once again and keep them there.

The repeated use of substances will, over time, alter your brain chemistry and can lead to structural changes. The prefrontal cortex, where important things like impulse control and decision-making occur, will start to weaken as your addiction causes the overreaction of your reward circuits.

Also, the amygdala, which plays a key role in emotional memory, will become more sensitive. This encourages cravings as the amygdala helps you link sights, places, people to your addiction, making you likely to succumb to the cravings.

Risk Factors for Addiction

How addictions are formed is not an easy question to pin down. Addictions are as complicated as the people suffering from them. There are, however, certain biological, psychological, and social factors that may increase the risk of someone developing an addiction. They include:

  • Genetics: People with addiction in close relatives are more at risk, with some research suggesting that genetics has a 40-60% contribution to addiction.
  • Trauma or mental health conditions: Addiction can be a coping mechanism. Mental health issues such as PTSD, depression and anxiety can lead people to use substances as a way of escape or to function.
  • Environment: If you grow up around substance abuse, you may see it as a normal practice and experiment at a much earlier age than most people. Early use can greatly increase the risk of future addiction.
  • Peer pressure and stress: Pressure from others may lead you to try substances you otherwise wouldn’t. Also, stress can lead people to find a release and escape, continuing to go back to that substance to avoid uncomfortable feelings and chase a euphoric feeling.

Types of Addictive Substances and Behaviours

It is sometimes worrying to think of all the things that a person can become addicted to, but it is also important to be aware and prepared.

Common substances that people become addicted to include:

  • Alcohol
  • Opioids (e.g. heroin, fentanyl, codeine)
  • Stimulants (e.g. cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine)
  • Cannabis
  • Prescription medication (e.g. painkillers, anti-anxiety medication and antidepressants)
  • Nicotine (e.g. cigarettes)

It is not only substances you can become addicted to, but behaviours. These types of addictions are engaged with because they produce dopamine in the brain, making the person feel good. Behavioural addictions include:

  • Gambling
  • Gaming
  • Food
  • Shopping
  • Sex
  • Porn

Stages of Addiction

The causes of addiction can be as varied as the people who become addicted, but the progression is often similar. This is because addiction is a progressive health condition that will only worsen over time without intervention.

Experimentation

This is the initial or occasional use of a substance. Perhaps you have been pressured into it, are in a social environment where it feels appropriate, or it is easy to find substances—maybe you need an escape from life.

Whatever the reason, at this stage, you are in control of the situation and not experiencing any withdrawal.

Regular Use

The experimentation continues and becomes normalised. It is now a regular occurrence and is maybe paired with other actions, such as a weekly visit to the pub, which is now accompanied by taking cocaine too.

A pattern is developing, and now solo use of a substance is creeping in—the social aspect is no longer as important.

Risky Use

Now your substance use is having negative effects. You are continuing to engage in the addiction regularly but are now doing things you wouldn’t have thought you’d do before. You might drive whilst on drugs or alcohol, go into work hungover more often, and people might start to notice your behaviour is changing.

Dependence

At this stage, your body is dependent on the substance. You are now abusing drugs or another substance to avoid withdrawal. More time is now being spent thinking about, procuring and taking your chosen substance.

Addiction

By this point, your substance use has taken over your life. You are nearly always lying to people you know and have abandoned old relationships and hobbies to spend more time in your addiction. People who once knew you may not recognise you anymore. Your substance use is no longer a conscious decision but a compulsion driven by your deteriorating physical and mental health.

Why Some People Become Addicted and Others Don’t

There is no set rule for why some people become addicted and others don’t. A lot of circumstances and factors come into play that can have a large impact on a person succumbing to addiction and needing to go to drug and alcohol rehab.

There are many protective factors that a person may have access to or possess to lessen the chance of addiction, including:

  • Knowledge and practice of healthy coping skills (exercise, meditation, positive outlets)
  • Strong support systems around them (parents, close friends, access to group meetings)
  • Naturally resilient to struggles
  • Good mental health

Even with every advantage in the world, a person can still struggle with addiction. To properly fight against it as a society, everyone needs to understand that addiction is, first and foremost, a health condition and not a moral failing.

Breaking the Cycle: Getting Help

The good news is that even if you are suffering from addiction, there is support available.

At Ocean Recovery, you can access our array of effective treatment options. They make up a comprehensive treatment plan that will you take from detox and therapy during private rehab, to relapse prevention plans and aftercare support meetings afterwards.

Recovery is possible, and we are here to help. For more information, call us now at 0800 880 7596.

John Gillen - Director at Ocean Recovery

John Gillen - Author - Last updated: August 13, 2025

John is one UK’s leading professionals in the addiction recovery industry. Pioneering new treatment techniques such as NAD+ and ongoing research into new therapy techniques such as systematic laser therapy, John is committed to providing the very best treatment for people throughout the UK and Europe. During his extremely busy schedule, John likes to regularly update our blog section with the latest news and trends in the industry to keep visitors to our site as well informed as possible on everything related to addiction treatment.