Why Some People Are More Prone to Addiction

Why Some People Get Addicted Faster Than Others

Picture this scenario: It’s a Friday night. Two friends, Sarah and Mike, are at the same party. They are the same age, have similar jobs, and come from similar neighborhoods. They both decide to try a substance for the first time, maybe it’s a cigarette, a drink, or something stronger.

Fast forward five years.

Sarah looks back on that night as a blip on the radar, a fun memory, or maybe a regrettable one, but she moved on. She rarely drinks, she never touched the other stuff again.

Mike, however, is in a fight for his life. That one night triggered a switch in his brain that he hasn’t been able to turn off since. He has lost his job, his relationships are fraying, and he is battling a full-blown dependency.

It seems incredibly unfair. Why did Sarah walk away unscathed while Mike fell down a rabbit hole? Was Mike “weak”? Did Sarah have more “willpower”?
The answer is a resounding no.

Addiction is not a test of character, it is a complex biological and environmental equation. It is a perfect storm where biology, history, and mental health collide. To understand why the slide into dependency happens so quickly for some, we have to look under the hood at the unique addiction risk factors that make every human being’s internal landscape different.

1. The Genetic Roll of the Dice

We have to start with the blueprint: DNA.

Science tells us that addiction is about 50% genetic. This doesn’t mean there is a single “addiction gene” that you either have or you don’t. It’s more like a hand of cards. Some people are dealt a hand that makes them naturally more resilient to chemical dependency, while others are dealt a hand that makes them more vulnerable.

This is the concept of genetic addiction. It suggests that for some people, the brain is wired to respond to substances with an intensity that others just don’t feel.

When Sarah had that drink, her brain released a normal amount of dopamine. She felt good, but she also felt a “stop” signal when she had enough. When Mike had that drink, his unique genetic addiction profile might have caused his brain to flood with an overwhelming amount of dopamine, a euphoric “symphony” that Sarah didn’t hear.

Simultaneously, his brain might lack the “brakes” that tell him to stop. For people with this predisposition, the substance feels like finding a missing puzzle piece. It feels like “home.” This biological reaction is instantaneous and powerful, setting the stage for a much faster descent into dependency than someone without those genetic markers.

2. The Soil Matters: Environmental Influences

If genetics are the seed, the environment is the soil. Even if you have the genes for addiction, they might never be “turned on” if the environment doesn’t water them.
This is where addiction risk factors become tangible. The context in which we grow up plays a massive role in how we relate to substances.

Consider the “ACEs” study (Adverse Childhood Experiences). Research shows a direct correlation between early trauma, abuse, neglect, witnessing domestic violence, or growing up in a chaotic household, and the speed at which addiction develops later in life.

Why? Because trauma rewires the developing brain. A child who grows up in a state of high stress has a nervous system that is constantly on red alert. They are flooded with cortisol (stress hormone). When that person takes a substance for the first time, they don’t just feel “high”, they feel relief. They feel a quietness in their head that they have never experienced before.

That relief is the most addictive feeling in the world. If you are using to party, you might stop when the party is over. If you are using to survive your own brain, you never want to stop. This is why early environmental stress is one of the most potent addiction risk factors we know of.

3. The Psychology of Self-Medication

We cannot talk about the speed of addiction without talking about psychology.
Human beings are hardwired to avoid pain.
It is our most basic instinct. If you touch a hot stove, you pull your hand back. If your internal world is painful, due to anxiety, depression, loneliness, or unresolved grief, you will instinctively look for a way to pull your hand back.

For many, drugs and alcohol become the quickest, most effective, and most accessible tool to numb emotional pain.

This is where the psychology of addiction gets tricky. It often starts as a solution, not a problem. A person with crippling social anxiety might find that alcohol makes them feel charming and confident. A person with severe depression might find that stimulants make them feel alive and productive.

The “hook” happens faster for these individuals because the substance is performing a function. It is filling a void. The person isn’t just chasing a buzz, they are chasing functionality. They are self-medicating a psychological wound. Because the relief is so profound, the psychological attachment forms almost immediately, often before the physical dependence even kicks in.

4. The Age of Exposure

Another critical factor is when you start.

The human brain is under construction until about age 25. The prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and understanding consequences, is the last part to finish being built.

When a teenager introduces addictive substances to a brain that is still wet concrete, it leaves a much deeper impression than it does on a brain that is already set.

If you start smoking, drinking, or using drugs at 15, your brain actually wires itself around that substance. It incorporates the chemical into its development. The pathways for genetic addiction are carved deeper and wider. This is why early intervention is so critical, delaying the first use of substances significantly lowers the risk of developing a disorder later in life.

5. The “Perfect Storm”

So, why did Mike get addicted faster than Sarah?

It likely wasn’t just one thing. It was likely a collision of several addiction risk factors.
Maybe Mike had a grandfather who was an alcoholic (genetics). Maybe Mike was going through a painful breakup or struggling with undiagnosed anxiety at the time (psychology). Maybe Mike started drinking heavily when he was 16 (developmental timing).

When these factors overlap, the slide is fast. It’s like a car with no brakes going down a steep hill on an icy road.

Sarah, on the other hand, might have had “protective factors.” Maybe she has no family history of genetic addiction. Maybe she has a strong support network and healthy coping mechanisms for her stress. Her car has snow tires and good brakes.

Moving from Judgment to Empathy

Understanding the science and psychology behind addiction changes the way we look at people who are struggling.

It strips away the judgment. When we realize that addiction is often a result of a “genetic lottery” combined with environmental pain, we stop asking, “What is wrong with you?” and start asking, “What happened to you?”

If you are someone who feels like you got hooked “faster” than everyone else, please know this: It is not because you are weak. It is not because you lack morals. It is because your unique biology and history created a vulnerability that you didn’t ask for.

But here is the good news: Biology is not destiny.

Just as the brain can be wired for addiction, it can be rewired for recovery. We know more about psychology and neuroplasticity today than ever before. We know that with the right environment, the right therapy, and the right support, people can and do heal.

The same sensitivity that might make someone susceptible to addiction often makes them deeply empathetic, creative, and passionate people in recovery. The goal isn’t to become like Sarah, who can take it or leave it. The goal is to build a life so full and rich that you don’t need to take it at all.

You might have been dealt a tough hand, but you are the one playing the cards now. And there is always a way to win.