Why do people elect to use artificial stimulants when they're so bad for you? The reasons of drug addiction are as varied as the number of drugs that are available for use. There is no one cause for drug addiction just like there is no consistent profile of a drug user.

People who have a history of drug use or misuse in their families are certainly at higher risk for drug addiction problems. It has been proven over and over again that the kids of alcohol addicted persons and drug-addicted persons are far more likely to exhibit addictive tendencies than offspring of non-dependent mothers and fathers. This is normally attributed largely to environmental factors and vicarious learning.

The offspring of those addicted to alcohol or drug abusers see their mothers and fathers escaping from problems abusing artificial stimulants.When they encounter problems themselves they are naturally more likely than their peers to reach for the same crutch.

This is not to say though that genetic factors are unconnected. Certainly babies of dependent moms can be born with a craving for alcohol or illicit drugs, and many suppose that the 'addictive personality' is something that is etched in the genes of the addict.

Sometimes though there is no sad background story behind addiction. Often with an addiction to medically prescribed drugs, the dependent person started taking the prescription drugs because they were overcoming some type of legitimate disease. Over time however they started to feel that they were incapable of do without their medication, and that if they stopped taking their tablets, the pain would reappear.

People who have low self-esteem are certainly more prone to drug addiction. Such persons may feel they have no have control over over their lives and will turn to drugs as a way to cope. They often feel they can't please the persons around them so they have to transform themselves in order to fit in. The change is made easier by abusing drugs because the artificial stimulants make them them into somebody and something that they are not. Stress is regularly cited as the number one reason of drug addiction.

Life is demanding for everybody. Some of us though are better able to cope with this than other people. Some turn to chemical stimulants as an easy way to get over their anxieties. Once a person starts consuming drugs to overcome stress it can be hard to break the cycle because the worries are still there once the high is gone, so the user believes he or she requires more artificial stimulants to bring extra support. That type of cycle can lead to long-term addiction.

Part of the reason for the popularity of drug addiction is simply because they are so easily accessible. Even for those who don't have contact with their neighborhood dealers of illegal substances, alcohol and medically prescribed drugs are easy to acquire and can prove just as useful (and destructive).

So why do people use drugs? The simple answer is that persons use chemical stimulants in order to have control over their moods, but as to why some people need so desperately to control their moods while others manage to cope without artificial stimulants, there is no straightforward answer.