In addition, this essay provides us with some of the effects of substance abuse during adolescence. Solutions of how to avoid and deal with the problem are also discussed. Substance abuse is highly associated with peer pressure, family that does not support their children, low self-esteem, curiosity and psychological pressure. These reasons if taken seriously may eliminate the risk of substance use. Keywords: Adolescence –Substance abuse-Family-Peers-School.
The psychodynamic theory says that the reason for substance abuse is that people have a dependency problems that come from an earlier time. Often people who develop a substance abuse problem lacked nurturing as a child and they developed a dependency problem. I think that this is the case just because it is what I have observed in my own
More evidences shows that legal and illegal drugs are available to individuals, starting with adolescents, creating long-term effects in the lifespan development, affecting the health status of the person and reducing the life expectancy. This strong issue that belongs to nurture represents a component of a high risk environment, which is growing by time, affecting the society. Drug Issue in Life Span Development Research in the area of drug abuse demonstrates that the use of drug is not limited to a segment of population or age group. Evidence shows that the most exposed to drugs are the adolescents. The family is implicated in the initiation, maintenance, and prevention of drug abuse by its members.
Most ordinary people exhibit some of these behaviors but not to the point where they seriously interfere with the person's work, relationships, or studies or cause anxiety or depression. Children do not often have to deal with deadlines, organization issues, and long term planning so these types of symptoms often become evident only during adolescence or adulthood when life demands become greater.A.D.D. is generally inherited, but it can also be caused by various problems, including difficulties with pregnancy, birth, early childhood severe illness, and environmental toxins Inattention and "hyperactive" behavior are not the only problems with children with ADHD. ADHD exists alone in only about 1/3 of the children diagnosed with it. Many of these co-existing conditions require other courses of treatment and should be diagnosed separately instead of being grouped in the ADHD diagnosis.
An improved diagnostic instrument for substance abuse patients. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disroders, 168, 26-33. Retrieved from http://pubs.niaaa.gov/publications/Assessing Alcohol/InstrumentsPDFs/04_ASI.pdf Piazza, N. J., Martin, N., & Dildine, R. J. (2000). Screening instruments for alcohol and other drug problems.
The social dynamics of school, puberty, life at home, and many other factors affect the psyche of teens during this time in their life both positively and negatively. Some of these transitions cause emotional instability in the lives of adolescents, spiraling some into depression. When dealing with major depression, antidepressants are often used to help the adolescent cope by creating a feeling of balance. There is debate on adolescents using antidepressants. Stephen Barlas reports in Psychiatric Times that antidepressants are found to cause “possible suicidal ideation and suicide attempts as side effects” (2006).
Behavioral Problems: Parental substance abuse can be destructive to a family and the relationship that exists within the unit. Children that are subjected to drugs as a baby has a higher risk of substance abuse, academic problems, behavior problems, and violence. Children who come from families involved with substance abuse often has impulsive behavior (Feaster, 1996). Addiction: “Alcoholism and drugs abuse in a family creates patterns in families” (Substance Abuse Training Tri-Town Head Start, 2007). Children who have parents that abused drugs or alcohol are at a much higher risk of becoming addicts.
The essay will discuss how children brought up in addicted households are affected and the effects on their adult lives. It also touches on how they handle their own families when they grow into adulthood. Although addiction can present itself in many different ways such as gambling, food or sexual, for the purpose of this essay the author will describe how a family is affected by substance abuse. Main Body Families that are affected by addiction can often be tense, painful and frightening experience for young children. The family can be put under a lot of stress and people’s emotions get minimized as the pain of what they live in is denied.
People can be misled into believing the existence of events that didn't happen. Ceci (1995) showed that preschool children found it hard to distinguish between real and fictitious events. Clancy et al. 's (2000) study supported a hypothesis that women who report recovered memories of sexual abuse are more prone than others to develop certain types of illusory memories. 1 Evaluation There are arguments for and against the genuineness of
Teenage years is probably one of the most challenging periods of life. It is a stage of identity versus confusion – knowing oneself compared to losing oneself. Belonging and being accepted in a group is very important and being "cool" as well. During these years of growing up, teenagers encounter their share of positive and negative experiences. Peer pressure, curiosity, and the availability of drugs are factors that some youthful and vulnerable teenagers have to deal with in their adolescent lives.