Why Teens Use Drugs

When teens start to use drugs, a lot of parents and friends usually feel confused about why their loved ones are doing something that they know is wrong. For a lot of people, the decision to start using drugs does not make a lot of sense, but there are a variety of reasons that explain why teens start using drugs. Being a teenager creates a whole list of emotional and physical issues that can be really difficult to deal with, and can lead to teenage substance abuse.

In this post, I want to outline some of reasons why teens use drugs and alcohol.

1. Peer Pressure: When teens are around their friends at a party or after school, they will be more likely to use drugs if their friends are using drugs too. Most teens know that drugs are wrong, but if everyone else is using drugs, that drug use becomes an instant way to fit in. And vice versa, if you refuse to use drugs you could run the risk of isolating yourself from everyone. Peer pressure plays a very big role in teen drug abuse because in general, teens are more worried about what their friends think, and if a teen’s friends are using drugs, it is likely that that teen will start to use drugs as well.

2. Self-medication: When teens face challenges, drugs often seem like an easy way to escape those challenges. For teens, problems with school, family, friends, etc. can all seem to go away when they are using drugs. Some teens also deal with issues like depression, and using drugs helps them to feel better. They don’t have to worry about homework, chores, or arguments; all they have to worry about is getting high. Because of this, a lot of teens turn to drugs to cover up the problems that they are facing. When teens feel unhappy or uncomfortable, they can just get high and for a few hours their problems go away. Unfortunately, this drug use can create more problems than it solves.

3. Rebellion and Experimentation: As a teen, you are experiencing new things and meeting new people, and sometimes part of those new experiences can include experimentation with alcohol and other drugs. Teens want to break away from their parents and try new things, and they see drugs as a way to do that. Everybody tells teens that drugs are bad, but when you’re a teenager, all you care about are your friends and having a good time. Most teens see experimentation as harmless, but what a lot of teens don’t count on is that they continue to use drugs and alcohol and eventually become dependent on those substance and develop an addiction.

4. Lack of strong parental guidance: A lot of parents want to be friends with their teens, and as a result don’t set a lot of boundaries or rules for their teens. This can be a costly mistake. Without guidance from parents, teens are very susceptible to falling into destructive behaviors such as substance abuse. I’ve even heard stories of parents who let their teens drink at home because they think that they will be safer. This kind of behavior and lack of guidance creates the message that drug and alcohol abuse are okay and that there won’t be negative consequences to that substance abuse. By creating boundaries and rules, parents can help protect their teens from substance abuse.

These four reasons are only a part of why teens abuse drugs and alcohol. Every teen is different and every teen has their own motivations for using drugs and alcohol. However, the goal of this list is to show teens and their parents some of the motivating factors of teen drug abuse so that friends and parents of a teen with a drug problem can recognize the signs of teen substance abuse, and can then get help for that teen. Because everybody has different reasons for abusing drugs and alcohol, it is also important to find a treatment program that will suit the specific needs of that individual. Getting help for your teen can help get them back on the right track and can help them to deal with the problems that prompted their drug use in the first place.

Labels: teen-depression, teen-drinking, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-drug-rehab, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse

posted by beth @ 3:47 PM