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If you're a teen concerned about your own drug use, here are some answers to questions that may be on your mind.
What is Drug Addiction?
How Quickly Can I Become Addicted to a Drug?
What Are the Physical Signs of Abuse or Addiction?
I'm concerned about my drug and alcohol use and I'm not sure where to turn.
How do I talk to my parents about getting help? What should I say?
Is it possible to talk to my parents about getting help -- without admitting anything about my drugs or alcohol use?
I've tried talking to my parents about my drug and alcohol use but they're rigid about their views and out of touch with what's going on out there. They just won't listen to anything I have to say. Who can I talk to about my real feelings and concerns?
Are There Effective Treatments for Drug Addiction?
Isn't Drug Addiction a Voluntary Behavior?
Isn't Becoming Addicted to a Drug Just a Character Flaw?
Shouldn't Treatment for Drug Addiction be a One-Shot Deal?
What is Drug Addiction?
Drug addiction is a complex brain disease. It is characterized by compulsive, at times uncontrollable, drug craving, seeking, and use that persist even in the face of extremely negative consequences. Drug seeking becomes compulsive, in large part as a result of the effects of prolonged drug use on brain functioning and on behavior. For many people, drug addiction becomes chronic, with relapses possible even after long periods of abstinence. For more information visit Myths and Facts About Substance Abuse Treatment.
There is no easy answer to this. If and how quickly you might become addicted to a drug depends on many factors including your genes (which you inherit from your parents) and the biology of your body. All drugs are potentially harmful and may have life-threatening consequences associated with their use. There are also vast differences among individuals in sensitivity to various drugs. While one person may use a drug one or many times and suffer no ill effects, another person may be particularly vulnerable and overdose with first use. There is no way of knowing in advance how someone may react.
The physical signs of abuse or addiction can vary depending on the person and the drug being abused. In addition, each drug has short-term and long-term physical effects. For example, someone who abuses marijuana may have a chronic cough or worsening of asthmatic conditions. Stimulants like cocaine increase heart rate and blood pressure, whereas opioids like heroin may slow the heart rate and reduce respiration.
Sometimes you may think it seems pointless to talk to parents. You suspect that they'll just react poorly by getting mad, worried — or both. But as hard as it may seem, your parents were your age once. They also had to deal with many questions about drugs. They may not be as out of it as they seem to you at times, and you can open their eyes about what you are experiencing so they can understand and help. Ask for their support. Also, your parents might have some ideas that you haven't thought of before. They might have some ideas about figuring out whether you should be concerned about your drug use. And let's face it, hiding stuff from your parents always backfires because more often than not, they find out about your drug use anyway and then there's a huge fight about lying to them and then they can't trust you at all. They'll trust you more if you start the conversation, and if you are worried or stressed about it, you can use adult help and support.
One of the hardest things in this world is to live in fear. And remember — our fears are much bigger than what actually happens when we try something new. So challenge yourself — think of talking to your parents as an act of courage, of toughness. Some kids are closer with one parent and not the other and there's no rule that you have to talk to both parents together. Start with one if that feels better to you. Also, you might start by expressing your fear and ask your parent not to be angry with you. You might say, "You know, Mom (or Dad), I want to talk to you about something that's hard to talk about but I'm scared you'll just get mad." See how that introduction feels and then, "I'm wondering if I might have a problem with drugs."
Sure, it's possible. You may just not be ready to talk to your parents, but you might want to talk to a psychologist about it. You can say to your parents that you need to talk to someone professionally, a therapist, but you are not ready to talk to them about it. You want them to respect that for the moment and that maybe in the future you can talk to them, but you know you need to explore some stuff with a neutral person — someone who will be objective. You need that safety for the moment. You might even ask for just one session with the therapist and see how that goes.
It's unfortunate that you can't talk to your parents. This usually suggests a serious problem with communication, which must be addressed. But for now, try talking with a school counselor, clergy, family doctor, older relative, or close friend's parent — just make sure it's someone you can relate to. Hopefully, this person will be knowledgeable about the issue and can provide you with accurate information and another point of view. You can also call a teen help hotline and talk (anonymously, if you wish) with a person trained to discuss these matters. Most young people report that they feel much better after finally "spilling their gut" to someone.
Yes. Drug addiction can be effectively treated with behavioral-based therapies and, for addiction to some drugs such as heroin or nicotine, medications. Treatment may vary for each person depending on the type of drug(s) being used and the individual's specific circumstances. In many cases, multiple courses of treatment may be needed to achieve success.
Yes and no. A person may start out taking drugs voluntarily. But as times passes, and drug use continues something happens that makes a person go from being a voluntary drug user to a compulsive drug user. Why? Because the continued use of addictive drugs changes your brain — at times in dramatic, toxic ways, at others in more subtle ways, but often in ways that result in compulsive and even uncontrollable drug use.
No, most scientists now consider addiction a brain disease. Using drugs repeatedly over time changes brain structure and function in fundamental and long lasting ways that can persist long after the individual stops using them.
Every type of drug of abuse has its own individual mechanism for changing how the brain functions. But regardless of which drug a person is addicted to, many of the effects it has on the brain are similar: they range from changes in the molecules and cells that make up the brain, to mood changes, to changes in memory processes and thinking, and sometimes changes in motor skills such as walking and talking. And these changes have a huge influence on all aspects of a person's behavior. A drug can become the single most powerful motivator in a drug abuser's existence. He or she will do almost anything for the drug. This comes about because drug use has changed the individual's brain, their behavior, their social and other functioning in critical ways.
Like many other illnesses, drug addiction typically is a chronic disorder. To be sure, some people can quit drug use "cold turkey," or they can quit after receiving treatment just one time at a rehabilitation facility. But most of those who abuse drugs require longer-term treatment and, in many instances, repeated treatments.
[Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse and Check Yourself]
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