Teen Substance Abuse

When it comes to teen substance abuse, it is difficult to stay ahead of the popularity of any new drug. There seems to be no definite reason to either the increase, or decrease, in drug use among teens. Though certain trends have been discovered over the years, the cause of drug use or abuse may not be easily defined without intense therapy.  
 
The primary factors that seem to affect increased or decreased drug use among teens are perceived risk, perceived social approval, and perceived availability. The more risky or less accepted a drug is thought to be, the less likely it will be used by teens. Perceived availability is often associated with overall social approval, and so, a drug that’s readily available is considered socially acceptable and will likely increase in use. While these seem like common sense factors, how these perceptions are created is harder to understand. 

There are differences between drug experimentation, use, abuse, dependency and addiction. Understanding the degree of drug ingestion by an adolescent is essential in the intervention process.

In the mind of a young person, the “risk” of using drugs has many dimensions. Not only do teens consider physical risk, but also emotional (acting inappropriately, or getting depressed), social/relational, and aspirational. Physical risks include addiction, while social risks include disappointing friends or family, and loosing friends. Aspirational risks include loosing a job, or getting in trouble with the law. All of these perceived risks - physical, emotional, social, and aspirational - are different with each drug, and contributing factors include things like anti-drug campaigns and parental involvement, including discussions about the risks of drug use. 
 
The challenge faced in curtailing teen drug use is that the perceived “benefits” of using a certain drug are known sooner and spread faster than perceived risks. The “benefits” of a drug (the euphoric high, the energy, the “numbness”) are immediately evident, and electronic forms of communication like blogs, chats, and text messages allow these “positive” experiences to be broadcast and spread quickly. Consequently, new drugs experience sharp use increases for months or even years. Meanwhile, gathering information about the drug’s risks takes time, but when specific evidence is gathered and aggressively distributed either via the media or friends and family, the results are dramatic. 
 
It’s is important to note that parental involvement plays a vital role in drug use. The strongest declines in drug use occurred during years when more parents and guardians were talking to their kids about the risks of drug use, and the kids were exposed to anti-drug messages in the media. Some statistics actually show an increase of drug use during years when parental involvement was down, even if anti-drug media exposure was up. 
 
It’s hard to fight drug use among teens, but it can be done. Young people are more intelligent than we often give them credit for being. If we talk with them about specific drugs and their negative effects, it will go a long way towards winning the battle against teen drug use. Journey’s Quest residential and academic treatment teams can provide a structure environment that is designed to help youth learn new ways to find acceptance, control the need for substance use, address underlying psychological needs, and to help young people re-build damaged family relationships while maintaining academic success. For further information, check out Journey’s Quest program.

Posted on February 4th, 2012 by admin
Filed under: Substance Abuse | Read More »