AAMFT Consumer Update
Adolescent Substance Abuse
Being a teenager and raising
a teenager are individually, and collectively, enormous challenges. For
many teens, illicit substance use and abuse become part of the landscape
of their teenage years. Although most adolescents who use drugs do not
progress to become drug abusers, or drug addicts in adulthood, drug use
in adolescence is a very risky proposition. Even small degrees of substance
abuse (for example, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants) can have negative
consequences. Typically, school and relationships, notably family relationships,
are among the life areas that are most influenced by drug use and abuse.
One of the most telling signs of a teen’s increasing involvement with
drugs is when drug use becomes part of the teen’s daily life. Preoccupation
with drugs can crowd out previously important activities, and the manner
in which the teen views him or her self may change in unrealistic and
inaccurate directions. Friendship groups may change, sometimes dramatically,
and relationships with family members can become more distant or conflictual.
Further bad signs include more frequent use or use of greater amounts
of a certain drug, or use of more dangerous drugs, such as cocaine, amphetamines,
or heroin. Persistent patterns of drug use in adolescence are a sign
that problems in that teen’s environment exist and need to be addressed
immediately.
What
causes adolescent substance abuse?
There is no single cause
of adolescent drug problems. Drug abuse develops over time; it does not
start as full-blown abuse or addiction. There are different pathways
or routes to the development of a teen’s drug problems. Some of the factors
that may place teens at risk for developing drug problems include:
· insufficient parental supervision
and monitoring
· lack of communication and
interaction between parents and kids
· poorly defined and poorly
communicated rules and expectations
against drug use
· inconsistent and excessively
severe discipline
· family conflict
· favorable parental attitudes
toward adolescent alcohol and drug use, and parental
alcoholism or drug use
It is important to also pay
attention to individual risk factors. These include:
· high sensation seeking
· impulsiveness
· psychological distress
· difficulty maintaining emotional stability
· perceptions of extensive use by peers
· perceived low harmfulness to use
How do you know when to seek help?
The earlier one seeks help
for their teen’s behavioral or drug problems, the better. How is a parent
to know if their teen is experimenting with or moving more deeply into
the drug culture? Above all a parent must be a good and careful observer,
particularly of the little details that make up a teen’s life. Overall
signs of dramatic change in appearance, friends, or physical health may
be signs of trouble. If a parent believes his or her child may be drinking
or using drugs, here are some things to watch for:
- Physical evidence of
drugs and drug paraphernalia
- Behavior problems and
poor grades in school
- Emotional distancing,
isolation, depression, or fatigue
- Change in friendships
or extreme influence by peers
- Hostility, irritability,
or change in level of cooperation around the house
- Lying or increased evasiveness
about after school or weekend whereabouts
- Decrease in interest
in personal appearance
- Physical changes such
as bloodshot eyes, runny nose, frequent sore throats, rapid weight
loss
- Changes in mood, eating,
or sleeping patterns
- Dizziness and memory
problems
What kinds of treatment will work?
Evidence shows that certain
forms of family therapy are the most effective treatments for drug problems.
A qualified Marriage and Family Therapist can evaluate and assess a teen's
substance abuse problem, and will then provide appropriate treatment
for the adolescent, which may include outpatient therapy or therapy in
a residential treatment facility. Therapy will focus on a number
of important life areas of the teen, in addition to his or her relationships
with parents. It is essential for parents to be involved in the teen's
treatment. Relationships are a critical ingredient to combat a teen's
drug problems.
How can I help my teen avoid
substance abuse?
Parents and guardians need
to be aware of the power they have to influence the development of their
kids throughout the teenage years. Adolescence brings a new and dramatic
stage to family life. The changes that are required are not just the
teen’s to make; parents need to change their relationship with their
teenager. It is best if parents are proactive about the challenges of
this life cycle stage, particularly those that pertain to the possibility
of experimenting with and using alcohol and drugs. Parents cannot be
afraid to talk directly to their kids about drug use, even if they have
had problems with drugs or alcohol themselves. An excellent resource
on how to talk to kids about drugs is Parents - The Anti-Drug (www.theantidrug.com). Parents are encouraged
to give clear, no-use messages about smoking, drugs, and alcohol. It
is important for kids and teens to understand that the rules and expectations
set by parents are based on parental love and concern for their well
being. Parents should also be actively involved and demonstrate interest
in their teen's friends and social activities. Spending quality time
with teens and setting good examples are essential. Even if problems
such as substance abuse already exist in the teen's life, parents and
families can still have a positive influence on their teen’s behavior.
Consumer
Resources
Books:
Boys
into Men: Raising our African American Teenage Sons. By Nancy Boyd Franklin
and AJ Franklin. EP Dutton (2000).
Field
Guide to the American Teenager: A Parent’s Companion. By Joseph DiPrisco
and Michael Riera. NY: Perseus Book Group (2000).
Raising
Emotionally Intelligent Teenagers: Parenting with Love, Laughter, and
Limits. By Maurice Elias, Steven Tobias, Brian Friedlander, and Gotham
Chopra. NY: Harmony Books (2000).
Reviving
Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls. By Mary Pipher. NY: Ballantine
Books (1995).
When
Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens. By Bev
Cobain and Elizabeth Verdick. NY Free Spirit Publishing (1998).
You
and Your Adolescent. By Laurence Steinberg and Ann Levine. NY: Harper/Collins
(1997).
Organizations
and Internet Sites
Marijuana:
Facts for Teens
http://165.112.78.61/MarijBroch/Marijteens.html
Provides information about marijuana on a level that teens can relate
to, such as its effects on school activities and how to quit using the
drug.
Marijuana:
Facts Parents Need to Know:
http://165.112.78.61/MarijBroch/MarijParentsN.html
Gives information for parents about marijuana,
its uses and effects, as well as tips on talking to your child about
marijuana.
Parents
– The Anti-Drug
www.theantidrug.com
Provides advice, information, and resources for parents who are battling
adolescent drug abuse.
Partnership
for a Drug-Free America
www.drugfreeamerica.org
Latest news on drugs, stories of recovery and treatment, as well as help
for teens and parents.
Talking
with Kids about Tough Issues
www.talkingwithkids.org
Provides instructions and information for
parents when talking to their children about issues such as drug and alcohol
use, HIV and AIDS, violence, and sex.
Teen Drug Use and Abuse Prevention
www.parentingteens.com
Gives parents information on drugs, as well as how to talk to their
teens about certain substances.
Tips
4 Youth
www.cdc.gov/tobacco/tips4youth.htm
Details reasons why smoking is such a health risk, as well as how youth
can find help to quit
smoking.
The
text for this brochure was written by Howard Liddle, EdD.
