Drug Addiction in Teens
Teenage years is the phase wherein teens are on the search for their identity, true friends, exploring many options, and trying out new things and environment. This stage is the beginning of learning and leading to maturity. Well, that's how it is supposed to be.
Teenagers, as part of their exploration, pass through trying out drinking alcohol and to some, drugs as well. Some passed through it only for the sake of exploration and curiosity, but there are significant numbers of teenagers that get hooked on it and make it as a habit.
It is devastating to find out that your teenage brother, or child is been struggling with drug abuse and addiction. It triggers the thought failure as a parent, sibling, or a friend. A feeling of guilt, disappointment, embarrassment, the fear that your teenager may lead a terrible life.
Influence
The beginning of teen drug addiction can just be at their own home. Teenagers can see the example from the behavior of their own parents. Researchers have done a study and shows that the primary reason for teenage or child addiction is a family member's influence. A child growing up having a drug abuser and addict parent adapts the values the parent's exhibits. This includes when handling and coping to life's problems and pressures. Since the parent itself cannot handle family concerns, at times it is up to the child to take responsibility. That responsibility is big enough for a child at a young age to handle; the child has the possibility to resort on destructive activities as an escape, which is drugs.
Causes of Drug Addiction in Teens
Children of Alcoholics, better known as COA, is a group of people who are experiencing the predicament of their parents' alcoholism and drug addiction as well. According to COA struggling with depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, incapability to express feelings, distrust, intimacy issues, lack of control, agitated, and big sense of responsibility are the causes of drug addiction. Children need to hang into something that makes them feel better, light and somehow comfortable. They develop dependency on drugs.
Hiding Unresolved Issues
In most cases, there are many unresolved issues that are kept hidden inside their subconscious. Whether they consciously know about these unresolved issues or not, they need to reveal and save themselves from it. For them to hide their family deficiencies and pains of home they have developed a coping mechanism, a pattern of behavior. This would include basing self-worth and esteem on having relationships, putting other's need before their own, showing too much pride to keep self-control, denying one's needs, controlling others with extreme love or anger, changing personality to gain acceptance, tends to abuse others, and experiencing stress-related sicknesses.
Advice to Keep your Kid Away from Drugs
If your kid is already struggling with drugs you can help prevent him. If he is just a student, there is no way for him to get cash but from you. Do not give him cash. Addicts buy drugs first before they buy food. Instead, you can prepare for him packed meals for school or take him to the grocery. Teenage drug addicts have tendency to make reasons to leave the house to meet his "friends", if you don't allow him he can make you feel guilty. Don't ever feel bad disciplining your kid to stay home. If your kid gets caught by the police, don't bail him out of jail. Let him learn from his mistake even for a while and at least by staying there he can be away from the bad drugs and friends. While your kid is in jail, search for the right support group or rehab center for him.
Detoxifying from Drugs
Staying away from drugs, experiencing a month treatment program or so is not enough to be recovered. It should be maintained as a lifestyle, a continuous process. There are available support groups that vary according to age. They are individuals with common experiences are struggling with the same issues. All together they help each other understand how hard it is to undergo the process to move on, start a new and normal life away from bad habits.