something is both a cause and a result of another thing

[alpacinou]

Hello

Is there an idiom and an expression which means something is both a cause and a result of another thing?

Example: Poverty causes drug addiction. Drug addiction causes poverty.

I know I can use terms like "mutually impact" or "correlation" but I am looking for a specific expression or idiom.

Thanks in advance

 

[outofdejavu]

Two sides of the same coin?

Please see this COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary entry.

 

[SoothingDave]

For bad things, it's a "vicious circle."

a sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which two or more elements intensify and aggravate each other, leading inexorably to a worsening of the situation

 

[alpacinou]

For bad things, it's a "vicious circle."

Yes but only extremely bad things.

I'm looking for something that works in different situations.

 

[alpacinou]

How can I use "reciprocal cause and effect" in a sentence?

 

[alpacinou]

Poverty and drug addiction have a reciprocal cause-effect relationship ?

 

[Tarheel]

That works.
:up:

 

[alpacinou]

That works.
:up:

Thanks. And are there other expressions with the same meaning?

 

[tedmc]

A catch-22 situation

 

[alpacinou]

A catch-22 situation

I'm looking for something a bit more formal.

 

[jutfrank]

The idea is expressed in formal academic language as mutual causality.

That's neither an idiom nor an expression, though. It's an academic term.

 

[alpacinou]

The idea is expressed in formal academic language as mutual causality.

That's neither an idiom nor an expression, though. It's an academic term.

Thanks a lot.

Could you please use it in a sentence? I searched the Internet but could not find a proper example.

 

[jutfrank]

Look at the diagram here: https://www.researchgate.net/figure...-path-analysis-Estimates-95-CI_fig3_330111090

The epidemics are shown to be mutually causal.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't think you understood jutfrank's point. It's an academic term. It's not a phrase people use in everyday conversation.