The Relationship Between Abuse And Addiction

Adolescence is a time where adolescents grow and mature at a rapid rate. It is also a time where adolescents are more vulnerable to taking risks, such as using and becoming addicted to illegal substances, due to raging hormones. Whether or not an adolescent chooses to engage in drug use and abuse depends on their home environment and those they choose to associate themselves with. Adolescents are confronted with an enormous amount of pressure to participate in risky behaviors by their peers. According to Broderick and Blewitt (2015), “risky behaviors are behaviors that constitute a departure from socially accepted norms or behaviors that pose a threat to the well-being of individuals or groups” (p. 389). One such risky behavior is drug use and addiction. Some adolescents use cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and prescription drugs in order to get “high”. Adolescents who engage in drug use are likely to become addicted, and thus, their addiction will negatively affect their brain development.

Drug and alcohol addiction is a chronic disease in the brain. It's a common relapsing brain disease that causes drug/alcohol seeking and use. This addiction can lead to health problems and can affect your safety, and your future. This has been known as a big problem for teens, buh they are offered little help due to the environment they are in or hiding their addiction from their loved ones. As a conclusion, there are many reasons why teens use drugs but their are also many ways to help them stop.

Drugs can result in teens not doing well in school, which can lead to lower academic opportunities and career options.

Many teenagers between the ages of 12-18 are exposed or already on their way to addiction to substances that are not good for our mental or physical health. Many teens experiment with drugs but aren’t addicted. According to addictioncenters.com “teen drug abuse can have long term cognitive and behavioural effects since the teenage brain is still developing.” A study also shows that half of all new drug users are under 18. This is because our brains are still seeking the “thrill” and temptation of substances. Other common reasons are curiosity, peer pressure, stress, emotional struggles and wanting a escape. Thankfully drug use among teens, despite popular opinion are significantly decreasing. The teenage brain is very immature. By doing drugs as a teen you are at a greater risk for being an addicted adult.

According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, “In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes” ("A Day in the Life of American Adolescents," 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s

Adolescent substance abuse is a phenomenon in our country that has been steadily inclining ever since the 2000’s. The effects of this incline are very straight forward and call for action. The facts are that alcohol and drugs are the leading causes of crime among youth and that alcohol and drugs are the leading factors in teenage suicide. (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., 2014) Because adolescence is such a crucial developmental age the effects of alcohol and drug use are catastrophic. To fully understand this phenomenon we must firs operationalize all of the factors we are trying to study. The DSM V classifies substance abuse as,

Drug abuse is an increasing problem in our society, and specifically among teenagers. This increased affiliation with substances is very detrimental to teens. It causes an inability to focus, increases the chance that you will continue your drug abuse through your adulthood and it greatly damages the brain and many other organs. Our brains are developing when we are in our adolescence, which is why it is very important to discourage kids experimenting with drugs.

Some teenagers go through a depression stage with confusion and loneliness, some even consider harming themselves or taking drugs to cope with the depression. Some teenagers go through a period of stupid, reckless behavior. Some teenagers go through a period when drug addiction overrules their lives. When teens get peer pressured into taking drugs they think it will be cool, but throughout their addictive period they get involved with bad people. Research has shown that it take about 11 seconds after a teen takes a drug and they can be addicted. Teenagers have very high chances of addiction. Young people grasp things very quickly and can easily get addicted to things quicker, because their minds are constantly growing and it speeds up their learning process. According to the article, "Experts Link Brains' Immaturity, Juvenile Crime", Juveniles are more vulnerable and susceptible to negative influences and outside pressures, including peer pressure. This peer pressure often comes from a persons closest friends. During the development of a teen brain it matures and grows. People overcome challenges in adulthood by remembering choices they made during their teenage years and what those choices led them

Many of the results I found on the basis of why the youth are more prone to starting drugs and altering their future in a negative manner were not surprising. I knew that teenagers have brains that are still developing therefore, their impulses are more out of control “because the cellular adaptations associated with addiction processes occur in the same regions of the brain as those undergoing preferential maturation during adolescence, adolescence should be viewed as a period of particular vulnerability to the effects of rewarding drugs and to the development of future drug-related problems” (Centre on Substance Abuse, 2007, p. 35). Also, it’s not surprising how high of an influence the youth experience around his or her peers because all

Drug use is an increasing problem among teenagers in today's high schools. Most drug use begins in the teenage years, these years are the most crucial in the maturing process. During these years adolescents are faced with the difficult tasks of discovering their self identity, clarifying their sexual roles, assenting independence, learning to cope with authority figures and searching for goals that would give their lives meaning. Drugs are readily available, adolescents are curious and venerable, and there is peer pressure to experiment, and there is a temptation to escape from conflicts. The use of drugs by teenagers is the result of a combination of factors such as peer pressure, curiosity, and

Drugs and Alcohol have many effects on a person’s mind and body. If prolonged use of these substances continues, the effects can be serious or even life threatening. Parents, teachers, the media, and friends all have a large impact on how others see the world. Teachers and parents must take the time and responsibility to teach and inform the next generation about drugs and alcohol. If a child has the proper awareness and guidance, he will be less likely to use them in his adolescence and adulthood. Parents and teenagers may be overwhelmed by the fear of drug and alcohol abuse. Parents cannot control all of the things their children do. Though they can set an example and provide

Most people that use these illegal substances go on to doing more serious crimes such as rape, murder, and suicide. Drugs and alcohol have damaging effects on the mind, body, and personality, it is advisable to stay away from them. Most of teens are getting help from family members to get drugs, which is a huge part of the problem. As stated in the article Drugs Even Affect Kids, 65% of drug addicts get access to the drink via there closes family and friends. This is causing teens to think that it is okay to do drugs, and this is also showing lack of parental support. If teens see that other people are doing something, or people they look up to such as parents doing something then they are going to think it is okay. Being in high school, you are opened up to some of the teens and parents that are doing this for their children, so you see it going on.

The term addiction holds many different meanings in today’s society, but in the past it has been referred to as a sort of devotion to something. Over time, a more modern definition of the term has developed that links addiction to harmful involvement with drugs that eventually has potential of produce withdrawal or tolerance in an individual (Alexander & Schweighofer, 1988). Although the word addiction holds a more general meaning in a modern context it pertains to any kind of compulsive use. Current psychological authorities refer to drug addictions as substance abuse rather than simply an addiction for many reasons; the two conditions can be differentiated by the specificity of the substance being

In addition to high levels of exposure to risks, another challenging facet of the lives of these children is that they appear to have limited opportunities to develop the kinds of skills and relationships that might serve as barriers against risk. Given the uncertainty in their lives, there is a decreased probability that they will be able to obtain good skills for emotional parameter and social communication in order to form stable and supportive relationships with others. In effect, it is less likely that they will

The prevention of drug use and abuse starts as a child is learning and especially when they are a teenager and prone to “peer pressure.” As a teenager learns more about themselves and their environment, they are presented with opportunities to experiment with drugs and this is where they need to make a decision to either partake in the wrongdoing and join the club or be an individual and refrain from this action. Educated people are more likely to make sound decisions.