There is a dangerous wave of drug abuse sweeping the nation.
According to the Bedrock Recovery Center, there were over 2.5 million Americans that were reported to be abusing drugs last year.
Furthermore, researchers have noted that drug use is on the rise in some parts of the United States and plateuing in others, like
19 percent of people reported having use illicit drugs in 2018. And in 2019, the Center said 35 percent of minors in grades 8, 10, or 12 reported having used an illicit drug in their lifetime.
Drug addiction is a complex disease that affects a person’s brain and behavior, and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medication. Involvement of the brain in drug addiction helps explain the primary reasons that children are more susceptible. This is true no matter what substance – whether it is alcohol, marijuana and nicotine – is the drug of choice.
Drug addiction can start with experimental use of a recreational drug in social situations, and – for some people – the drug use becomes more frequent. For others – particularly with opioids – drug addiction begins with exposure to prescribed medications, or receiving medications from a friend or relative who has been prescribed the medication.
The National Institutes on Drug Abuse said “Drugs contain chemicals that tap into the brain’s communication system and disrupt the way nerve cells normally send, receive and process information.”
The institutes said there are multiple factors in the way that drugs change the brain and the processes involved with drug abuse and addiction. In a teenager, the effects of changes in the brain occur much faster than in adults, which is due to the immaturity of the brain or the not yet, fully-developed brain.
As a matter of fact, Psychiatrist Agnes Padilla said the teenage years are a time of major development of the brain, particularly those areas associated with maturity, self-control and decision-making.
“This lack of complete development in the brain of teenagers explain a variety of teen behavior such as risky and impulsive behaviors and actions,”
the mental health expert said.
Dr. Padilla added that teenagers seek immediate gratification without regard or complete knowledge of the long-term consequences. When teens experiment with drugs, they get that immediate gratification and seek it out repeatedly.
But, the psychiatrist said there is still hope for these young individuals.
“Leading them to the right path by setting a good example to them will help them realize the importance of having good mental health,” Padilla noted. “The earlier you begin speaking to your children about the dangers of substance abuse, the better. This should not be a one-time talk but a conversation that continues throughout a child’s different life stages.
“What you said to children when they were ten years old may have been effective, but circumstances and influences change over just a few years time. Therefore, consistent follow up is necessary.”
Ana Williams is the health columnist for The Graham Star. She can be reached via email, anawilliams2019@gmail.com.