Abuse And Addiction In Adolescence Essay

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Abuse and addiction in adolescence Adolescence is a critical time for development for identity development and formation. A combination of social, physical and cognitive changes occurs during this stage of life. Erik Erikson referred to this time as identity crisis, “crisis” meaning a turning point rather than a debilitating event. Erikson acknowledged that identity issues arise throughout each stage of development, however he specifically advised us that identity formation was the “developmental task” of adolescence (1968). During Eriskon’s identified stage of “Identity versus Role Confusion” adolescents are becoming more independent, looking to the future in terms of college and career choices, along with relationships. In this critical …show more content…

Further, specific portions of an adolescence brain that focuses on reward and motivation become highly sensitive during this developmental stage. The brain functioning of an adolescent is designed to seek out desirable actions, however the portions of the brain that would exhibit the impulse control are not yet fully developed. Due to the acute focus of reward, adolescence individuals may view drugs as enjoyable, due to the desirable reactions resulted in the use of a substance (Squeglia, Jacobus, Tapert, 2009). Desirable reactions could be explained as fitting in with the crowd, minimizing anxiety when being around certain peers, or numbing pain of trauma as a result of abuse. Since drugs and alcohol can react on the pleasure sensors in the brain, drug addiction could occur. Adolescence who use drugs or alcohol are at risk for damaging brain cell development, subsequently creating future issues in emotional control, along with the inability to view logic in certain situations in an effort to see past their

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