Causes of Drug Use Among Young People Everybody knows bad things can happen to drug users.

They become addicted. They can have serious or even fatal health problems. They can ruin their personal, social and professional lives. They may even end up in jail. But why do young people start taking drugs in the first place? What are the causes of drug use among young people? The first cause is simple curiosity. Many teens have heard about drugs, and they are curious to experience them for themselves. They have heard that drugs can be fun, or make a person feel and act different. Maybe they have seen their friends or family members behave differently while on drugs, and they want to see how it really feels. We see drugs on TV and movies every day. Many young people encounter them at school, at home or in their neighborhood. It is not unusual to be curious about something you see and hear about so often, so many people first try drugs because they are curious about them. Another reason young people take drugs is to escape their reality. Maybe their home life is not very happy. Maybe they have a boring job, are not doing well in school, or are just not happy with their life for whatever reason. For many people, drugs are a way to escape that unhappy reality. They can feel a little braver, stronger, a little smarter, more beautiful or more important. Of course this doesnt last long, but that doesnt matter. For the brief time that the drugs are taking affect, the user can forget about the problems, responsibilities and limitations of everyday life and escape to a fantasy world. It is no secret that drugs change the way you feel; this is why they are so attractive to young people despite their dangers. Young people also take drugs to feel cool and impress their friends. If your friends all smoke marijuana, you will probably be expected to smoke it, too. If they snort cocaine, they will offer it to you. They may tell you that you are scared or acting like a baby if you dont want to try it. This push to do what your friends are doing is called peer pressure, and it has a very strong effect on young people who dont want to appear uncool to their friends. Some kids will do whatever their friends do, just to fit in and follow the crowd. They dont want to be the only one not doing something, even if it is something dangerous, like taking drugs. Unfortunately, many young people become involved in drugs before they are fully aware of the health risks and the power of addiction. They need to understand the ways young people first become involved with drugs so they can beware of them. Many curious teens have died the first time they tried certain drugs, like ecstasy. Others have found their temporary escape became a permanent addiction. Was it worth it?

Top 5 Reasons Teens Use Drugs

Posted on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 at 6:19 pm.
Written by Casa Palmera Staff

There are many reasons why teens abuse illegal or prescription drugs. Past studies used to point to having fun as the number-one reason teens used drugs, but more recent studies show that teens are using drugs to solve problems. This is important for parents to understand because most parents severely underestimate the impact of stress on their teens. By understanding what motivates your teen to use drugs, you can hopefully step in help them find better ways to cope with their problems.

Top Reasons Why Teens Abuse Substances

Stress. A recent study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America showed that 73 percent of teens report the number-one reason for using drugs is to deal with the pressures and stress of school. Surprisingly, only 7 percent of parents believe that teens might use drugs to cope with stress, showing parents severely underestimate the impact of stress on their teens decision to use drugs. Social Acceptance and/or Low Self-Esteem. A 2007 PATS Teens study reported 65 percent of teens say they use drugs to feel cool. Teens self -worth depends on the approval of others, and their desire for social acceptance can drive them to engage in destructive behaviors, even if they know it could harm them. The same study found that 65 percent of teens use drugs to feel better about themselves. Teens who have low self -esteem are more likely to seek acceptance from the wrong crowd by using drugs. Self-Medication. The teen years are rough, and many teens who are unhappy dont know how to find a healthy outlet for their frustration. These pent up emotions can take an emotional toll and can even lead to depression or anxiety. A 2009 study reported an estimated 70 percent of teens suffer from undiagnosed clinical depression at some point in their life. Many teens are unaware that they have an underlying mental or mood disorder that is causing them to use illegal or prescription drugs to self-medicate and cope with their symptoms. Misinformation. Studies show that teens are widely misinformed about the dangers of drugs. Did you know that 40 percent of teens dont perceive any major risk with trying heroin once or twice? While abuse of serious drugs is steadily declining among teens, their intentional abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications remains a serious concern. Many teens, 41 percent to be exact, mistakenly believe that it s safer to abuse a prescription drug than it is to use illegal drugs. Nearly 1 in 5 teens have already abused a prescription medication or prescription painkiller in order to get high or deal with stress. Easy Access. One reason teens use drugs is simply because theyre easy to get. Nearly 50 percent of teens report that its easy for them to get marijuana; 17 percent say its easy to get meth; 14.4 percent say its easy to get heroin; and more than half of teens say that prescription drugs are easier to get than illegal drugs.

Teen Drug Abuse: Prevention and Help

Research consistently shows that kids who learn a lot about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use drugs than kids who do not learn about the dangers of drugs at home. Unfortunately, only 32 percent of teens report that they are getting this vital message from their parents. If you know a teen who is abusing drugs, dont wait to intervene. The sooner your teen gets help for drug abuse, the more likely theyll be able to avoid the long-lasting consequences. Fortunately, there are many different teen drug rehabs to choose from. The most effective teen drug rehab, however, may be a residential treatment program. Here your teen will have access to 24/7 supervision and care, detoxification, dual diagnosis treatment and a variety of holistic treatments based on their individual needs. Talk to a medical doctor about your teens symptoms and determine which type of drug abuse treatment is best for your teen. Dont let your child suffer at the hands of addiction any longer. Call Casa Palmera today and put your teen in the hands of trained, highly skilled professionals who will bring your child back to a healthy, happy life.

Drug Addiction Causes

For many individuals, one of the first questions that arise when facing drug addiction treatment is what lies at the root of the addiction itself. All over the world, addiction scientists continually seek to find the base causes of drug addiction, in order to fashion treatment to allow patients to walk in sobriety in a fuller sense. However, with advances of modern science and psychology, certain probable underlying causes of drug addiction have been revealed. While each individuals experience with addiction is uni que and similarly, with varying underlying causes to a drug addiction itself there are common issues that contribute to the formation of drug addiction, allowing basic treatment modalities to be forged by drug addiction treatment centers.

Drug Addiction Causes and Appropriate Treatment Solutions

Drug addiction is a complex disease, integrating belief systems, psychological factors, physical and genetic components, and personal history. Here are just a few of the common causes of drug addiction along with the solutions to these issues that drug addiction treatment can bring.

Genetic Components
Studies have repeatedly demonstrated a strong genetic component to drug addiction. While scientists still search to isolate a gene, addiction science has found through both biological and qualitative evidence that genetics play a strong role in the formation of addiction.

Treating the Genetic Components of Drug Addiction

Due to the strong genetic component involved in drug addiction, drug addiction treatment centers provide detoxification as their first line of treatment. During the drug detoxification process, drug-addicted individuals are guided through the withdrawal stages of recovery, allowing the body to restore its chemical balance. As a result, cravings dissipate, and withdrawal symptoms (most treatable with nonaddictive medications or psychiatric medicines) subside, generally within a period of two weeks. Family counseling, addiction awareness classes and personal therapy can also help individuals become better aware of the role of genetics in their drug addictions, learning to identify the signs of temptation and use coping skills to mitigate the desire to use drugs.

Environmental Factors
For many individuals, drug addiction stems from or becomes exacerbated by environment. From proximity to drug dealers and poverty to high-pressure jobs, unstable family situations and poor rolemodeling, environment can factor into the development of addiction.

Treating Environmental Factors in Drug Addiction.

Counselors work with patients in order to identify relationships, social situations, living conditions and other triggers that may initiate the urge to use drugs. Through identification and acknowledgment of environmental triggers, patients can learn to resist the urge to use drugs. Additionally, aftercare planning can help patients forge plans to amend their environments to promote sobriety.

Developmental Issues
Issues involved with the growth from childhood and adolescence into adulthood can also contribute to drug addiction. In particular, erratic home environments or parenting styles, early drug use, or addiction of a caretaker or sibling can all contribute to drug addiction.

Treatment for Developmental Issues and Early Drug Use

Through the use of family counseling, deep interpersonal work and life skills training, individuals can learn how to develop in areas that they may not have had a strong chance to in their formative years. Patients can also learn how to contextualize family addiction issues, learning how to re-parent themselves in adulthood with responsibility and growth.

Survival of Traumatic Experiences

Drugs are often used to self-medicate and numb oneself in the wake of traumatic events. Survival of abuse, neglect, natural disaster, sexual assault or combat can all trigger drug abuse and addiction.

Treating Trauma and Drug Addiction

Drug addiction treatment centers often offer dual diagnosis capacity, allowing them to treat for traumarelated disorders such as dissociative identity disorder (DID), post-traumatic stress disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. Additionally, trauma-specific therapies are often offered at drug addiction treatment facilities. By healing old emotional and psychological scars, the need to self-medicate through drug use can be reduced or eliminated.

Mental Health Disorders

Some individuals suffer mental health problems, ranging from depression to schizophrenia, which cause a further form of self-medication to arise through drug use. In some cases, drug use has led to mental health problems themselves, complicating addiction issues.

Treating Mental Health Problems Alongside Drug Addiction

Dual diagnosis drug addiction treatment centers can provide concurrent treatment of both addiction and mental health concerns. Treating a wide variety of disorders with both psychiatric medications (such as antidepressants, anxiolytic drugs and anti-psychotics) and intensive therapy, drug addiction treatment centers can provide relief for both conditions with higher success rates than isolated treatment would garner.