Teen Drug Help
What Happens After Treatment?
I’ve talked a little bit about what treatment for adolescent substance abuse issues usually includes; detox, inpatient or outpatient care, counseling, etc. But what happens when you finish your treatment and go back to your normal life and have to face things on your own?
When most teens return from treatment, they feel like they have learned something or have changed in some way that will help them stay away from drugs and alcohol. Teens returning from treatment have learned skills and have been given tools to help them stay sober. While the teen who has gone through treatment may have changed, the people around them in their daily lives probably haven’t changed at all. Even though you might have changed, your friends who used drugs probably haven’t. They probably still use drugs and might even encourage you to start using drugs again too.
So how do are you supposed to handle this temptation and peer pressure? There are tools and resources available for teens who are transitioning back into their normal lives that are meant to help teens to deal with the stress and temptation of their daily lives in order to help them stay sober.
For teens returning to their normal lives from drug and alcohol treatment, there are resources available that can make that transition easier. These resources include outpatient programs, which are designed to help teens in recovery to deal with the stresses and triggers that they face daily. There are also online teen support groups and meetings that can help to make the transition back to daily life easier.
While many people think that just because they’ve completed their 60 days in rehab they’re cured, this is not the reality. Many teens with substance abuse problems think that rehab is a quick fix. It is important to remember, however, that recovery is a lifelong process. While you will have bad days, it is important to surround yourself with the people and the tools that will help you to maintain your sobriety.
If you or someone you love has a problem with drugs and alcohol or wants more information about programs after treatment, it is important to get help so that they can be successful and live healthy lives.
Labels: at-risk-teens, teen-addiction, teen-alcohol-abuse, teen-depression, teen-drinking, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-drug-rehab, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
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
Teen Marijuana Abuse
Marijuana is one of the most popular drugs among teens and is usually one of the first drugs abused by teens. I’m sure as a teen you know someone who uses marijuana, and it is likely that you might even use marijuana yourself. Marijuana, weed, pot, etc. is popular because it’s really easy to get and most teens don’t think it’s dangerous. For a lot of teens, marijuana isn’t even classified as a drug. Heroin is a drug. Cocaine is a drug. But not marijuana. You can’t overdose on marijuana and it’s a plant, so what could be the harm?
For one thing, there are plenty of plants that are poisonous and harmful to both humans and animals, so the whole “It’s safe because it’s a plant” argument should just be abandoned altogether. The idea that marijuana isn’t as dangerous as “hard” drugs like cocaine is also false. Marijuana, like cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, meth, etc., has its own set of negative consequences.
Teen marijuana use can lead to problems with memory in the short term and the long term. Like alcohol, marijuana can also make you do things while you are high that you wouldn’t do when you’re sober, like driving while under the influence of having unprotected sex. Smoking pot can cause you to lose your ambition, and can even result in a lack of interest in appearance, friends, family, sports, etc.
Another common misconception about marijuana is that it is not addictive. A lot of teens, and even adults, don’t think that they can become addicted to marijuana. The earlier a teen starts using marijuana, the greater their risk for addiction. When you use marijuana every day, you begin to feel dependent on it, and you want it more and more just to feel “normal.” But as you use marijuana more and more, the things that used to be important to you begin to fade away. You don’t care about school or sports or your friends. You just want to lie around and smoke pot.
I think the bottom line about pot is that teens need to accept personal responsibility and accountability. Usually when something seems to go to be true, it is too good to be true. Don’t be naïve and think that marijuana is this great drug that makes you relaxed and happy, but doesn’t have any side effects. Take responsibility for yourself and if you have a problem, it is important to recognize the signs of teen marijuana abuse so that you can get help for yourself. For parents, if you think your teen has a problem, find a treatment center for marijuana abuse so that your teen can get their lives back and regain the passion and enthusiasm that they once had.
Labels: teen-addiction, teen-depression, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-drug-rehab, teen-marijuana-abuse, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
Ecstasy and Teens
I was watching TV last night and I saw a PSA (public service announcement) about a 21 year old girl who died the third time that she used ecstasy. Usually I just ignore the majority of public service announcements because I’m pretty much aware of the information that they are telling me. This one was different though because I didn’t know that you could die from using ecstasy. I know that it wasn’t good for you, but I didn’t know that it could kill you. Then I thought, well since I didn’t know this, a lot of other people probably don’t know that about ecstasy either. And now here we are.
So if you have read this blog, you know how I feel about teen drug use (it’s a bad idea). Ecstasy is no exception. What makes teen ecstasy abuse such an serious issue is that it is pretty easily accessible, and as a result, is easily abused. Because ecstasy is known to produce feelings of happiness and love, a lot of teens use ecstasy at parties and raves as a way to have a good time. And while ecstasy can be a good time, it also results in some really scary and dangerous consequences.
First I want to talk about the physical consequences of teen ecstasy abuse. Then I’ll get to the psychological consequences (which are also pretty bad). Some of the physical consequences of ecstasy abuse include:
• muscle tension
• nausea
• blurred visions
• fainting
• increased blood pressure and heart rate
• overdose and death
When you take ecstasy, your heart rate increases and your body can overheat, causing dehydration, seizures, liver failure, cardiovascular problems, and death.
Along with these physical consequences of ecstasy use, there are also psychological consequences that effect teens who use ecstasy. These psychological effects include:
• anxiety
• confusion
• depression
• intense fear
• memory loss
These psychological factors can last even after you have stopped using ecstasy and can cause sever disruptions in your life and your normal daily functioning.
Like other drugs, ecstasy can be harmful and can result in death. A lot of teens also put themselves in danger when they decide that they want to take multiple doses of ecstasy in order to prolong their high. This is another reason why ecstasy is so dangerous—this increase in dosage can cause your heart rate to increase and can result in dehydration, which can result in death.
Ecstasy is not something to be taken lightly, and just because it makes you feel good doesn’t mean that it is harmless. Ecstasy can have serious and long-lasting consequences on your mind and body. Parents and friends should know the
signs of teen ecstasy abuse so that if someone you love is abusing ecstasy, you can get them help before they do permanent damage to their minds and bodies.
Labels: teen-addiction, teen-depression, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-drug-rehab, teen-ecstasy-abuse, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
Steroid Use and Teens
Since the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was this week, it seems fitting that to do a post about teen steroid abuse. I don’t want to get in to the debate about whether baseball players really use steroids, because that’s not the point. I’m more concerned with the teen athletes who use steroids in order to boost their chances of making the team, to get the girl or guy, or to get that six-pack.
In high school, there is a lot of pressure to be the star athlete or to have the perfect body. Sometimes, this pressure just gets to be too much, and steroids are a really easy way to boost athletic performance or to get the body that you want. The great thing about steroids for a lot of teens is that they don’t even consider them to be drugs. I mean, you can get them from a doctor and pro athletes use them, so what can be so bad?
While it’s true that steroids can be prescribed by a doctor, most of the cases of steroid use that you hear about in the new and that are really harmful are unprescribed. Like the abuse of other substances, the abuse of steroids can lead to serious health problems. However, even some patients who use steroids with a prescription can have side effects.
Some of the consequences of teen steroid use include:
•heart attack and stroke
•liver and kidney damage, leading to internal bleeding
•acne, baldness, and oily hair (this might work against any hotness that you feel like you’re gaining with your steroid created “hot body”)
•for girls, steroids can result in facial hair, shrinking of breasts, and deepened voice
•for guys, steroids can result in shrinking of the testicles, development of breasts, and infertility
•steroids can also make you irritable and irrational (“roid rage”), which can result in suicidal feelings
•steroids are addictive
I think this last point is something that not everyone is aware of. Steroids are addictive, and if you stop using steroids you can experience withdrawal symptoms.
Steroids are a lot more dangerous than people think. They’re not just harmless way to bulk up. They can do serious damage physically and mentally, especially in teens who are still growing and whose brains are still developing. You may achieve the perfect body, but there is a chance that you could do damage to your body and could alienate yourself from the people that you love.
If you or someone you know has a problem with steroids or any other drug, it is important to get help.
Labels: prescription-drug-abuse, teen-addiction, teen-depression, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-drug-rehab, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
Teen Drug Use Increases Risky Behavior
Every time I leave the house on a holiday my mom warns me to be careful on the road and to watch out for “crazy drivers.” And by “crazy” she means “drunk.” Yesterday was no exception, and as I left the house to go watch fireworks with friends she warned me to be careful. So I gave her the typical “Okay” and was on my way. This might seem like a normal exchange between a mother and daughter, but it also reveals something about the risky behavior that people engage in while they are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
When teens are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, the likelihood that they will do something reckless increases significantly. These reckless behaviors include driving under the influence, and risky sexual activity. The decision to engage in either of these activities can be life changing, and normally, people would not put themselves at such at risk. However, when teens drink and use drugs, they are more likely to do something that can have some pretty serious negative consequences.
For teenagers, drinking and using drugs can be a way to loosen up at a party, to be more social, and to have a good time. This “social lubrication” seems to be pretty harmless and can make the night more enjoyable. However, this decision to drink or get high can impair your common sense and your decision making skills, which can result in some really serious consequences later. Under normal circumstances, most of us wouldn’t drive drunk, but after you’ve had a few drinks your common sense doesn’t work so well and driving home doesn’t sounds like such a bad idea. It’s just five minutes away, and nothing can go wrong.
Unfortunately, this line of reasoning is why so many teens are involved in drunk driving accidents. Alcohol impairs your ability to think clearly and lowers your inhibitions, so when you are drunk, you are more likely to do something that you wouldn’t do sober, like drive recklessly and put the lives of other people in danger. By driving drunk, you are putting yourself at risk for serious injury, or even death. You probably think that it won’t happen to you, but it can happen to anybody.
In addition to the risk of drunk driving, teens are also more likely to engage in sexual behavior when they are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Like I mentioned, when teens take drugs or drink alcohol, their inhibitions are lowered, and they are more likely to do things that they wouldn’t do sober, like engage in unprotected sex. These irresponsible sexual behaviors among teens can lead to pregnancy, STDs, and HIV/AIDS. Nobody wants to wake up in the morning next to someone you might not even like and have to worry about what happened, if you might be pregnant, or if you could have a disease.
By abusing drugs and alcohol, you could be putting yourself at risk of doing something that is against your morals and values. Unfortunately, while you’re under the influence those morals and values don’t matter. Everyone makes mistakes as a teenager, but the mistakes that you make while drunk or high can be life-threatening. Take responsibility for yourself and watch out for your friends. Don’t put yourself in the position to do something that you will regret later.
Labels: teen-addiction, teen-alcohol-abuse, teen-depression, teen-drinking, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-substance-abuse
Teen Depression and Substance Abuse
Everyone feels down once in a while. You might have broken up with your boyfriend, failed your geometry test, been cut from the soccer team, or any other embarrassing/disappointing/mildly heartbreaking event that is part of teenage life. And now you feel like crap. This is a perfectly acceptable response to any of these scenarios, and while you might wallow in self-pity for a day or two, eventually you get over it and move one. For some teens, however, this feeling doesn't go away and they continue to feel down and depressed.
These teens who continue to feel depressed for a length of time could be suffering with depression. Some of the signs of teen depression include low energy, irritability, a drop in grades, feelings of worthlessness, a drop in social activities, and suicidal thoughts. These symptoms of depression can last for weeks to months.
Teenage depression is more than just normal teen angst. Teens who are suffering with depression are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol than teens who are not depressed. I've already talked about the dangers of teen drug and alcohol abuse at considerable length. In addition to the consequences of drug and alcohol abuse alone, combining substance abuse and depression can result in additional, life-threatening consequences. You cannot cure your depression by turning to drugs and alcohol. Being drunk or high might make you feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you could be making your problem worse.
Teens who are suffering with depression, often use drugs and alcohol to relieve the stress and frustration caused by depression. Unfortunately, by turning to drugs and alcohol, they are making their depression worse, not better. In some cases, drug and alcohol abuse can even cause depression in teens. Because teenage depression can have serious consequences like drug and alcohol abuse, even thoughts of suicide, it is important for teens suffering with depression to get help. If you or someone you care about has a problem with depression and/or substance abuse, ask for help so that they can get the help that they need.
Labels: teen-addiction, teen-alcohol-abuse, teen-depression, teen-drug-abuse, teen-drug-help, teen-rehab, teen-substance-abuse
