Teenage Substance Abuse and Mental Health The increase in teenage substance abuse today is directly correlated to the increase in issues concerning teen mental health. The Enyclopædia Brittanica defines drug abuse as “the excessive, maladaptive, or addictive use of drugs for nonmedical purposes despite social, psychological, and physical problems that may arise from such use.” This definition is all-encompassing and includes drugs such as: cannabis, cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and even prescription pills and medications, such as Tylenol 3 (Codeine) and OxyContin. This paper will discuss how the use and eventual abuse of these substances is related to the mental health problems occurring in teenagers such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, resulting …show more content…
It is unknown which is first to trigger this, but once it begins there is the potential for a large range of intensity. The greater the severity of the underlying disorder, whether it be mental illness or addiction, will directly increase the chance of it developing into a concurrent disorder. According to the Canadian Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), “Adolescents with a substance use problem are about three times as likely to have a concurrent mental health concern,” when compared to teens that don’t abuse substances. A teenager with either a mental health illness or a problem with substance abuse has an increased chance of self-harm; having a concurrent disorder doubles that …show more content…
Biological factors and genetics passed on to a teenager from their parents play a big role in the potential of an adolescent turning to a substance as a way of self-medicating. When a teenager grows up in a household where mental heath and addiction are present, and go untreated, it increases the possibility of the teen gravitating to social circles where substance abuse is present. If mental health or addiction are not already factors in a child’s life, they could also be driven to substance abuse as a way to cope with family trauma such as abuse, or the death of a parent. Family’s that do not treat mental health as the serious issue that it is are more likely to raise teens that, if a mental illness arises, will turn to a substance to cope rather than being open, honest, and finding help through resources such as therapy and
The article "Alcohol Abuse is a Serious Problem for Teenagers," was written by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The article states, "Nearly four million young people suffer from alcohol dependence," and the average age at which children begin to drink is as early as 13. The article goes on to say that the number of children who experiment with alcohol has been rising steadily over the years. The article points out the unfortunate effects of drinking which range from an array of physical illnesses like liver problems and cancer. From the article we learn that because teenagers tend to indulge in binge drinking, they are at higher risk to suffer the consequences of alcohol consumption. According to the article these consequences include developmental problems like lack of growth, a reduced ability to learn, and to psychological problems like depression and suicidal tendencies. Alcohol abuse in turn leads to social problems which include dropping out of school, robbery, and "risky sexual behavior." We learn that alcohol serves as a "gateway-drug," leading to more addictive drugs like cocaine. The article substantiates this claim by citing a study conducted by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The article also touches on the problem of alcohol used by parents though the primary focus of this piece is about teenage drinking. The purpose of the article is to jolt readers into an awareness of the magnitude of the problem of teenage drinkiing. Most people know that teenagers like to experiment, try the new and forbidden, but the Center assumes that no one is fully aware of how serious this problem can be if it is not addressed.
Drugs and alcohol have been used for medical and recreational purposes throughout history. With advancement of technology it has become easier and easier to access these substances. It is not only illegal drugs but prescription drugs that are being misused and wreaking havoc across the world. Even with billions of dollars being paid out to stop the war on drugs, the problem persists. People from all walks of life have been affected by drugs or are becoming drug addicts themselves. One particular group afflicted by the misuse of these substances is the children of drug addicted parents. According to Cattapan and Grimwade, “Drug use seen in one generation affects the lives of the next”. Children with one or both parents on drugs face huge disadvantages. They suffer from physical abuse, and emotional trauma with lifelong effects and their family unit is torn apart. Social institutions are being overloaded with the need to help or relocate these children.
There are many contributing factors and political issues that address substance abuse. Throughout the years, many researchers have designed many interventions and social policies designed to treat people who have used, abused, and became addicted to substances. Today, there are many new studies that address substance abuse at the individual, group, family, and community or policy levels. Today, there are many services that are effective for decreasing recidivism in youth who have completed a substance abuse program. A substance abuse treatment program or center is the best way to treat individuals who have abused substances.
Teenage alcohol abuse is one of the major problems that affect academic performance, cause health problems and is responsible for the death of teenage drivers and sometime their passengers. Many teens drink because they think it is cool and do not understand the dangers of drinking alcohol. In 2008 a survey on the students views on alcohol was conducted in the Atlanta Public School System of 4,241 students surveyed results showed 74% of sixth graders felt there was a health risk while 25% felt there was no health risk; 81% of eighth graders felt there was a health risk, while 19% felt there was none; 82% of tenth graders felt there was a health risk, while 18% felt there was none, and 84% of twelve graders felt there was a health risk, while 15% felt there was none. Given these results on average of all grades, 20% of the students surveyed were unaware of the dangers of alcohol use. If one calculates, using the formular of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2003), “three teens are killed each day when they drink alcohol and drive. At least six more die every day from other alcohol-related causes” (table 79). The impact of this student population’s lack of knowledge equates to 49 of those students per week who most likely will die because they do not understand the dangers of alcohol.2
Years ago, the common image of an adolescent drug abuser was a teen trying to escape from reality on illegal substances like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. Today, there is a great discrepancy between that perception and the reality of who is likely to abuse drugs. A teenage drug abuser might not have to look any further than his or her parent’s medicine chest to ‘score.’ Prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. Also, teens are looking to prescription drugs to fulfill different needs other than to feel good or escape the pressures of adulthood. Teens may be just as likely to resort to drugs with ‘speedy’ side effects, like Ritalin to help them study longer, as they are to use prescription painkillers to check out of reality. Pressures on teens are growing, to succeed in sports or to get high grades to get into a good college (Pressures on today’s teens, 2008, theantidrug). Furthermore, because prescriptions drugs are prescribed by doctors they are less likely to be seen as deleterious to teens’ health. A lack of awareness of the problem on the part of teens, parents and society in general, the over-medication of America, and the greater stresses and pressures put upon teens in the modern world have all conspired to create the growing problem of prescription drug abuse by teens.
The use of alcohol by adolescents is widely viewed as disobedience in American society. Although, alcohol use is technically illegal until the age of twenty-one (in 19 states the consumption of alcohol in not specifically illegal for people under the age of twenty-one), there is still an excessive use of dinking in teenagers today. Since alcohol is associated with all three leading causes of death among teens, it can also have less life-altering consequences such as a drop in academic performances and a decline of friend and family relationships. Also, mental disorders like anxiety, depression and behavioral issues as in loss of temper, an argumentative personality, being easily angered, and blaming others for mistakes. Alcohol is the most commonly abused drug in teenagers and society contributes to abuse by linking drinking to sophistication and good times. (“Alcohol Abuse and Youth” 1)
Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. “At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular” (“Fresh Challenge”). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (“Drugs, brains, and behavior”) .
Adolescence is a time of change. A teenagers’ bodies are constantly developing and changing and so are their brains. The prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that assess situations and helps make good decisions is still developing during adolescence (Comorbidity). This could be why substance use begins in a person’s teenage years. Many teenagers do not realize how harmful drugs are for them. Because the brain is going through so much change, it is common for a mental illness to develop in adolescence. Most teens with mental illness symptoms self medicate themselves by using drugs, however, this worsens t...
Many environmental factors contribute to a person’s proneness to substance abuse. These factors include but are not limited to stress, early physical or sexual abuse, witnessing violence, peers who use drugs, and drug availability. (Addiction Science) The desire to be accepted within a particular group often creates an enormous amount of stress in teens. This stress and feeling of alienation is a driving force towards drug use. Research has shown that, “Another important environmental factor is the amount and quality of emotional and social support a person receives. Teens who reported having an adult they trusted and could talk to, for example, have a lower risk of addiction than those who don’t.”(Environmental Factors) An impoverished environment increases the likelihood of substance abuse and addiction as well. Those who are apart of a lifestyle of poverty often experience incarceration and dropping out of school. Those who drop out of school, are unemployed or live in unsafe areas are at “higher risk, especially if their home environment has already exposed them to dru...
Most people do not understand how a person become addicted to drugs. We tend to assume that is more an individual problem rather than a social problem. However, teen substance abuse is indeed a social problem considered a priority for the USA department of public health due to 9 out of 10 Americans with addictions started using drugs before the age 18 (CASA Columbia University). Similarly, 1 in 4 Americans with addictions started using the substance during their teenage years, which show a significant different with 1 in 25 Americans with addiction who started using at 21 or older (CASA, 2011).
Since the beginning of time animals have been sacrificed for the benefit of mankind from on a traditional altar form to the lab table. The morality of animal testing is being increasingly questioned, becoming a hot topic in the media. Where does it say that because humans can express degrees of pain it is okay to test on animals instead? Both humans and animals are not only genetically similar but structurally as well, but animals also react differently to disease. Animals are tested on because humans have a superior feeling towards them because they are able to communicate and appear differently. Animals are unable to express pain in the same manner as humans and therefore are seen as unequal. The morality of animal testing comes down to whether it is right to make an animal feel pain and placed to the verge of death for the benefit another species. Animals are tested for not only for medical but also cosmetic purposes. The amount of animals sacrificed to achieve one promising test result varies from the type of test being performed as well as the consequences.
The research done for this study specifically focuses on smoking, underage drinking, and sex. Poor parenting practices, high levels of conflict in the family and a low degree of bonding between children and parents appear to increase risk for problem behavior including the abuse of alcohol, and other drugs (Farrell & White 1998). “Generally gateway models show that youth are likely to start with beer and cigarettes, later try marijuana still later use upper, and only then move onto drugs such as downers, PCP, or heroin” ((Farrell & White 1998) Oetting & Beauvais, 1987). Drugs are a common form of peer pressure as stated before it begins with cigarettes then develops to more harmful drugs. “ In addition, transitions to increased levels of smoking have been linked to friends’ encouragement and approval, and the message conveyed that smoking promoted popularity” ( Kobus,
Teen Drug Use I once read in an article “Some teens use alcohol or drugs to dull the pain in their lives”. When they are given a choice to take something to make them temporarily feel better, many cannot resist” (Look). The use of drugs will [affect] the everyday lives of many teenagers today. Throughout history, more and more teenagers have turned to the use of drugs to help them through their everyday struggles. Many teens often feel as if they cannot deal with the everyday pain they may be going through.
It has been discovered that most people who struggle with drug addiction began experimenting with drugs in their teens. Teenage drug abuse is one of the largest problems in society today and the problem grows and larger every year. Drugs are a pervasive force in our culture today. To expect kids not to be influenced by the culture of their time is as unrealistic as believing in the tooth fairy (Bauman 140). Teens may feel pressured by their friends to try drugs, they may have easy access to drugs, they may use drugs to rebel against their family or society, or they may take an illegal drug because they are curious about it or the pleasure that it gives them.
Humans are environmentally and genetically predisposed to developing a motivated addictive behavior. Addiction is a brain disease and a behavior. All behaviors are choices. Choices that adolescences make at a young age directly affect the outcomes of their futures. Many factors contribute to an adolescence becoming an addict or exhibiting a drug seeking behavior. Nearly all drugs of abuse increase dopamine release. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in drug abuse and addiction. Dopamine plays a role in reward motivated behaviors, motor control and important hormones. It’s known as the “feel good hormone” which is why people abuse drugs that increase the release of dopamine. Since life is unpredictable, our brains have evolved the ability to remodel themselves in response to our experiences. The more we practice an activity the more neurons developed in order to fine-tune that activity causing addictive behaviors to be detrimental.