How do drug addictions start?

Addictive Thinking: Characteristics of the addictive process are: salience, obsession, abnormal or pathological importance of the substance or behavior persistence, rigidity, stereotypy, inflexibility and repetition of the particular addictive behavior relative immunity to adverse consequences and resistance to learned modification of behavior.

Drug addiction: Starts by using a drug that briefly gives you pleasure or relieves distress. The most addicting drugs produce tolerance -- more drug is needed to get the same effect -- & cause withdrawal reactions -- you feel terrible as the drug leaves your body. Addictions are misguided attempts to feel good. They are temporary & can cause more problems than they solve, including permanent brain damage.