The Problem Of Substance Use By Assisting Adolescents

The existence of a myriad of social problems among teenagers that both parents and states have to deal with is a factor whose weight ought not to be treated lightly. The increasing level of drug use among the adolescents constitutes one of the ever increasing situations in the society and may, as a matter of fact, be a representation other underlying issues. The level of the situation in the contemporary world, though not discussed as much as it ought to be, has reached alarming levels. There seems to be an increasing predisposition among the use to take the drugs as it's reflected in the escalating trends of drug abuse among this generation of individuals (spooner, 1999). The ever deteriorating levels of this situation coupled with the widespread permissiveness in the society and the absence of attention from appropriate caregivers at different institutions only means that the need to address the problem is paramount. Different avenues of solutions can be applied in reducing the level of the problem and averting the massive negative consequences that come with the phenomena. Dealing with this issue is not a matter of instance as the different parameters of the problems, its causes and possible workable solutions have to be discovered. As such, research on these dynamics is a mandatory undertaking.

Enrollment in treatment usually begins shortly after adjudication, and at this time adolescents routinely attend psycho-educational group treatment for substance use/abuse (Stein et al., 2006). This treatment, which has been the standard operating procedure, is designed to provide appropriate counseling and rehabilitative services for residents of the facility (Stein et al., 2006). The intervention for this study was designed to test the feasibility and effectiveness of MI prior to the standard care of

Many schools are now equipped with health services that they did not provide ten years ago. Approximately 66% of the school systems in the United States provide mental health services facilitated through a school psychologist. 78.4% of states currently require an alcohol or drug prevention program. Society has changed through the use of drugs and alcohol by adapting programs to fit society’s needs. (National Center 2)

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Keith E. Lyons, Walden University, Minnesota, MN 55401

I have experience in providing intensive outpatient services to substance abuse/dependent adolescents and adults. As a counselor, I was responsible for clinical intakes and assessments, utilizing the DSM V for diagnosis, treatment planning, and completing progress notes. I provided counsel and effective guidance to a number of clients with co-occurring

As a high school teacher and coach, this course has helped me become aware of what steps I need to take in our school to help a student that has a potential drug or alcohol problem. I know I need to have a specific plan, if a student approaches me thinking their friend may have a potential problem with drugs or alcohol. I have conferred with our liaison and school nurse in our school. We have steps that are already in place in our school.

(2004) discuss the National Cross-Site Evaluation of High-Risk Youth Programs that was conducted by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. This study analyzed the effectiveness of 46 school-based programs. Specifically, programs were evaluated across four measure: program content, program delivery method, program structure, and contact with youth (Springer et al. 2004). The programs that were most effective included those that provided behavioral skills development content, conducted team-building and interpersonal delivery methods, emphasized approaches that focus on self-reflection and those that extensively interacted with youth (Springer et al. 2004). The programs that implemented these positive development components were most effective in reducing substance

Family influence is another important factor to consider when looking at adolescent substance abuse. Parenting practices should be carefully constructed and conflict should be avoided at all costs. Harsh disciplinary action can lead to retaliation and further encourage adolescents to abuse various substances. On the contrary, poor parental monitoring and a lack of family bonding can lead to the adolescent looking for an escape, which in this case, would be substance abuse (1). As nurses, it’s important that we intervene before the adolescent becomes dependent on any selected substance. “Appropriate, early intervention may restore the normal course of an abnormal trajectory and reduce the likelihood of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) later in life” (2). Teaching adolescents about the negative effects of substance abuse can prevent initiation, dependency, and literally save their life. In this paper, I’ll develop a teaching plan for adolescents to discourage substance abuse. I’ll begin by further identifying the target population and the prevalence of the issue. I’ll then use the nursing process (Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation) to formulate this plan for the target audience, relying heavily on effective teaching styles for the chosen age group.

Though alcohol use in adolescents has declined within the past several decades, it is still the most widely used substance (Monitoring). For the purpose of this paper, adolescence will be defined as the age range from 12-18. The focus will be centered on middle school and high school students across the United States. According to the 2013 Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 22.1 of 8th graders, 47.1% of 10th graders, and 62.0% of 12th graders had consumed alcohol within the last year (Monitoring).

Substance abuse is the excessive absorption or use of a drug or multiple drugs. Many teens try alcohol, tobacco, or other recreational drugs for fun and other purposes rather than medical purposes such as marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine. Some teens try these substances only a few times and end up not being able to control their cravings for them because they are extremely addictive. The use of drugs among teens, especially the illegal ones, are due to peer pressure, the media and television, imitation of adult role models, the need to be accepted by the society, and stress. Substance abuse can lead to serious problems such as performing poorly in school, loss of family and friends, family problems, and lasting legal issues. Alcohol and drug abuse is a leading cause of teen death and injury related to car crashes, suicides, and violence. Conventional drugs, these days, are easy to get since a huge number of our population use them. Therefore, teens are involved in the usage of drugs and substance abuse because they have easy access to them.

In the area of adolescent inpatient substance abuse treatment, there are both pros and cons. Yet, the positives tend to outnumber the negatives in treating a teen with an addiction. An inpatient setting gives the adolescent a safe environment to first detox or become sober and then stay sober for 30 days up to 15 months depending upon the program. This venue allows the adolescent to heal physically while they learn skills to deal with their addiction in home and community. A structured inpatient program also gives the person a group of peers with similar goals. Depending upon the program, inpatient programs offer a multidisciplinary approach including medical support (Principles, 2014).

There are many substances that one as an adolescent can have an over accessible problem with. Alcohol and including drugs such as marijuana, lysergic acid Diethylamide LDS, Cocaine etc. can take a huge part of an adolescences neurodevelopment period. With the lack of knowledge these adolescents have with the affect that they can encounter. With resent research done demonstrating the abnormalities of the brain development caused by substance abuse. Abnormalities can be seen even in a small period in which the adolescent had consumption levels of 20 drinks in the period of a month from a 1-2-year range. When drug substance is consumed, such as marijuana anomalies are visible too; however, not to the same degree as alcohol consumption has. The most common substance used among adolescents are having a major effect on their brain development other drastic affects.

Alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco are thought to be gateway drugs (drugs that are the gate to adolescent use of hard drugs). Whether an adolescent goes through the gate to try harder drugs is based on factors greater than previous patterns of drug use (e.g. the era they grew up in). Drug and alcohol use can be symptoms of prior psychological problems. Adolescents who are substance abusers typically have problems with school, depression, dangerous activities, and unprotected sex. Substance abusers are also put at risk for health problems later in life such as cancer, heart disease, and kidney and liver damage. There are psychological, social, familial, and contextual risk factors for adolescent substance abuse. There are also protective factors

Alcohol and drugs has increase and became a huge factor over the years among adolescents. Alcohol and other drug involvement and use among adolescents have been a society and public problem for decades (McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter & McWhirter, 2013) Recent studies show that by late adolescence, 78.2% of US youth have consumed alcohol, while 47.1% had reached regular drinking levels, and 15.1% met lifetime abuse criteria (Tarter, 2002) This research are

The early adolescence stage is an important developmental period where adolescence take part in risk behavioral activities such as substance use. Research supports the hypothesis that alcohol and substance use serve to reduce negative effects (Thomas, 1986). According to Galea et al., (2005), “psychological stress associated with living in urban areas with high income disparity may be associated with greater inter-individual tension and likelihood of inner-personal violence; both may be associated with increased substance use and misuse through stress processes” (p. 130). Stressful life experiences leads adolescents experiencing higher levels of negative effects to become more prone in participating with substance use. Such consideration leads to