Understanding why some teens abuse drugs require an in-depth probe into their individual conditions and the kind of environment they are exposed to. For most parents/guardians, identifying the indications of drug abuse can be hard since most of them are synonymous to typical adolescent behaviors. Hence, seeking the help of a psychologist or pediatrician is imperative to accurately assess whether a teen is into drugs or not.

In determining the exact risk factors, however, experts have found over 50 likely causes. Prevailing in the concerned teenager’s home, school and social circle, these could be affected by other circumstances depending on a per case basis. As such, two main categories elucidating the primary reasons behind teenage drug abuse has been identified. They are as follows:

The Thrill Seekers

Teenage drug abusers falling under this category are motivated by the “good feeling” they derive from taking dangerous substances. In pursuit of excitement, they are driven to try out new things or risky activities. As is often the case, these teens are informally introduced to drugs through social influence.

Drug abuse is an addiction that involves excessive consumption of chemical substances used for pleasure rather than medical reasons. Generally people take drugs for pleasure and relaxation and in course of time they develop a habit and feel uncomfortable if they do not have it regularly. Drug addiction not only affects the health but also one’s social life and professional life.

Drug abuse has significant impact on the body and the brain. Drugs affect the heartbeat, blood pressure and even the rate of metabolism. Signs of drug addiction include restlessness, slow reaction time, sudden weight loss, and inability to sleep. Drug abuse can trigger paranoia, agitation, delusions and increase in the possibility of violence. The biggest hurdle for the treatment of a drug addict is strong denial and rationalization. The urge is so strong that the person tries to rationalize his act. For the drug addict, admitting the problem is a challenge. Drug abuse can result in dysfunctional behaviors that can affect the normal functioning in the family and at work place.

Recovery from this addiction needs strong will power and determination. There are drug abuse clinics that conduct treatment programs to help the patients in fast recovery. The treatment program generally includes:

Drug abuse problems are one of the major worries that parents face as their child enters teens. With drugs it is not just illegal drugs, even if certain substances are freely and legally available in the market, they could be fatal if consumed beyond certain limits. Parents need to be aware of all these substance and need to protect their child from them. Below are some of the symptoms that can help you identify if you are facing such drug abuse problems:

Lower Personal Effectiveness: The first signs of drug abuse problems are a decline in personal effectiveness at school and home. Teenagers with this problem start dropping grades, you may also start getting more complaints from school, play truant at school and will stop following common rules at home.

Risk Taking: Drug abuse problems can also lead your teenager to take more risks to fuel their addiction, like stealing from friends or family, taking out loans and mixing with socially disruptive individuals. You may even start getting police complaints or have to visit the police station.

Teen drug treatment facilities have shown that there is a growing number of teenage drug abuse cases in the United States. It is not just the ‘bad kids’ who are into it but even those who are  being victims of too much parental control, sexual abuse, those who suffer lack of self-esteem and those who are neglected etc.   By now, it has also become evident that prescription drug abuse is also high among teens.

 Apart from nicotine, tobacco and alcohol use which teens are known to ape watching elders and movies, there are other deadly assortment of drugs that are also being patronized by them.   The use of prescription drugs is quite high among this age-group.

Painkillers(opiods),  central nervous system depressants (drugs to reduce panic attacks), certain nervous system stimulants(drugs to treat sleeping disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) are being abused by teens, taken without the permission of the doctor, with a false sense of belief that they will feel fine. Regular intake of these medications can make the body reliant on these drugs and there can be very high withdrawal symptoms when a person stops taking them. Overdose can result in death as well.   Teenage prescription drug abuse is definitely, a clear and present danger among teens.

Teenage prescription drug abuse is becoming a prevalent problem these days. That is mainly because compared to illegal substances like marijuana, heroin or cocaine, prescription drugs are more readily available and can be bought easily from drugstores.

The reported figures regarding prescription drug abuse among teenagers are alarming indeed. According to studies, one out of five teenagers has abused medication prescribed for pain. One out of five teenagers has also used both tranquilizers and stimulants. One in ten, on the other hand, is into cough medication.

If you are a parent to a teenager, how would you know if your teenager has a prescription drug addiction? The common signs of prescription drug abuse are described below.

1. Health. People become unhealthy after a prolonged period of prescription drug abuse. You should be concerned when your teenager feels lethargic most of the time, to the point of refusing to get up in the morning. A sudden change in your teenager’s weight is another indicator of prescription drug addiction. Redness of the eyes, pupil dilation and shaky hands are other signals that you should suspect prescription drug abuse with your teenager.

Drug abuse simply refers to addiction to illicit drugs like for instance, any performance enhancing drug or any psychoactive drug for non-medical reasons effect. Some of these drugs include alcohol, cocaine, opium, heroin, etc. The usage of such drugs generally leads to criminal liability and penalty and also physical, social and mental damage, or even both. Largely based on the kind of drug, the use of these drugs generally leads to range of issues from death, to psychological and physical dependence, unprotected sex, suicide, accident, violence, etc. The governing bodies are also taking adequate steps to see to it that such a substance abuse does not prevail among people.

There are some factors and causes that related to drug or substance abuse, they are –

·         Biological Factors: There may be many biological or bodily factors associated with drug abuse, they could be, family history, already existing medical or psychological problem, bio-chemical reactions in the body, withdrawal of the body towards craving for these drugs, etc. Here are some of the primary biological causes of drug abuse. However most of the factors are psychological and social. Take a look at them.