According to Phil Lovin, who has been working in the field of addiction recovery from the past many years, there are various risk factors associated with drug abuse or addiction. What tops the list is the genetic predisposition which is often overlooked by most people. There are also some brain characteristics which tend to make some people more vulnerable to various addictive substances than the others Some of the psychological factors that may also contribute to addiction include stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc.
Phil Lovin says that unlike genetic predisposition and brain characteristics, the environmental influences that are often the major cause of addiction can be controlled. Some of these environmental influences include exposure to physical or emotional abuse, substance addiction in the family, poor relationship with parents, easy access to addictive substances, etc. As studies reveal that the younger someone is when they start using drugs, the higher are their chances for addiction, it is best to provide growing children the right family and social environment.
About Phil Lovin
Phil Lovin has worked with REAP NYC for the last 3 years as the Chief Chaplin and volunteer coordinator. Talking about his educational background, Phil has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in Psychology. He also has a doctorate degree in theology and in ministry (seminary). In addition to that, he has received special education in counseling as well.
He is quite passionate about helping others overcome addiction and put their lives back on track. In that order, he volunteers for a number of organizations in NYC that share the same vision. He loves to cook and go hiking with his friends. Whenever he gets some time away from work, Phil prefers spending it exploring historical places.