Teen Drug Abuse

Teen Drug Abuse

Too often people don't truly understand the real reason why a person develops a drug addiction. They wrongly distinguish this problem as something that is certainly a social problem only and may classify those who abuse drugs as morally powerless. Also, people underestimate the complication of drug addiction. It is a serious disease that impacts the brain, which means it is not plainly a matter of an individual's willpower. Furthermore, we now know that drug addiction can be successfully treated to support people in stopping the abuse of drugs and carry on their normal lives.

Teenage drug abuse is on the rise. Almost every drug abused by adults is also abused by teenagers today. Common categories of drug abuse include Cannabinoids (Marijuana), Cold Medications (Sudafed, Benadryl), Inhalants (Gasoline, Ammonia), Depressants (Barbiturates, Benzodiazepines), Stimulants (Amphetamines, Cocaine, Methamphetamine), Narcotics (Morphine, Heroin, Codeine), Hallucinogens (LSD, Mushrooms), Dissociative anesthetics (PCP, ketamine), and Club Drugs (Ecstasy).

The most common question people hear about teenage drug abuse is, "Why do teenagers feel the need to abuse these drugs so excessively?" Obviously there is no one explanation that covers all teen drug use, although there are several common traits that most young drug users will share. Simple curiosity is one of these. Teens and children are naturally curious, and tend to be more adventurous than adults. The more they hear about the supposedly wonderful effects of a drug, the more they will want to see what it feels like and try it. Another big reason is peer pressure. Some people have to remember that "peer pressure" does not necessarily mean a friend or a group of friends actively pressuring them into taking a drug. It could also be a passive pressure, or the desire to fit in and do what everyone else is doing around them.

A look into a teenager's life up to the point where he/she began taking drugs can be an important part of determining the reasons behind the use. Studies have shown that many teens that are addicted to drugs have a history of child abuse and/or neglect. This pain creates a need within the child to fill a void with something. Drugs can temporarily kill that pain a put it at a safe distance from the teenager. Also, if a parent is open about their drug use and don't hide it too well from a child, it can certainly lead the child to thinking that drug use is okay. More reasons for a teenager to abuse drugs are low parent supervision or communication, family conflicts, inconsistent or severe parental discipline, family history of drug abuse, emotional instability, difficulty managing impulses, or thrill seeking behavior.

Depending on how the body takes in and processes each kind of drug, substances of abuse can affect virtually every one of the body's systems. Examples of this include permanent brain damage associated with inhalants, heart attack or stroke from stimulants, halted breathing from sedatives. Any of these problems can result in death.