Lone Danish
The word “addiction” brings to mind different images for different people. It can be difficult for someone suffering with an addiction or potential addiction to identify with the term “addict.” And it can be especially trying for a young person.Teens commonly associate addiction with movies,Games, or people they’ve seen at the absolute lowest, worst point of their addiction. Many have ideas about what an addict looks like: desperate, homeless, suicidal, criminal. With these ideas in mind, it’s hard for them to understand how their drug or alcohol use is a problem — after all, their consequences seem less extreme.It’s true; the external effects of someone using at age 16 are often much less severe or obvious. They might get in trouble at school, get grounded by their parents, fight with their friends or lose relationships. And they’ll often write off these consequences as other people’s problems, not seeing how their own behavior is a direct result of their substance use. They often say things such as: “My parents are freaking out. If they would just chill out, everything would be fine,” “Everyone else is doing the same thing; I just got caught,” “I haven’t been using for that long,” or “I can stop whenever I want.” Combine false assumptions about addiction and placing blame on parents and other adults — and they have a ready-made excuse to distract them from taking an honest look at themselves and how their substance use is affecting their lives.Young people’s brains are growing and developing until they are their mid-20’s. This is especially true of the prefrontal cortex, which is used to make decisions. Taking drugs when young can interfere with developmental processes occurring in the brain. It can also affect their decision-making. They may be more likely to do risky things, such as Robbery and dangerous driving.
The earlier young people start using drugs, the greater their chances of continuing to use them and become addicted later in life.Taking drugs when you are young can contribute to the development of adult health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep disorders.The drugs that are most commonly used by young people are alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Recently, more young people have started vaping tobacco and marijuana. There is still a lot we don’t know about the dangers of vaping. Some people have unexpectedly gotten very ill or have even died after vaping. Because of this, young people should stay away from vaping.Teenage drug addiction is one of the most serious substance abuse problems in Kashmir. Luckily, early treatment can help prevent a lifetime of drug abuse.Many teens consider experimenting with drugs and alcohol to be an important part of growing up, despite the significant risk and many disastrous consequences. Some teens are introduced to drug use through prescriptions and then begin to use recreationally. Some teens begin experimenting with drugs as a result of friends or become curious after listening to a song referencing drug abuse. Some even discover drugs by stealing from their parents’ medicine cabinets. No matter how an adolescent first begins substance abuse, teenage drug addiction is a very real risk.
Teenagers experience a variety of social, mental, and emotional changes as they experience the ups and downs of growing up. This can often make it difficult for friends and family to tell the difference between warning signs of teenage drug addiction or normal hormonal and personal changes. However, there are a number of indicators that loved ones should pay close attention to, including:
Depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders
Friends/romantic partners who use substances
Family members who abuse drugs or alcohol
Traumatic personal experiences
Consuming pop culture with drugs and alcohol
Low self-esteem
Oversleeping
Declining academic performance
Missing money
We have been experiencing an alarming increase of drug abuse among the youngsters in recent years. Every now and then we read in the newspapers that teens are being held for consuming drugs and most of them are usually aged between 16-20. But the main question arises that why the Kashmiri society is experiencing such a dilemma where more of the teenagers and youths are involved in unethical and unproductive activities like substance or drug abuse.
There are many different reasons why a young person may take drugs, including To feel better.
•Some young people suffer from depression, anxiety, stress-related disorders, and physical pain. They may do drugs to try to get some relief. •To do better in academics or sports. Some young people may take stimulants for studying or anabolic steroids to improve their athletic performance.•To experiment. Young people often want to try new experiences, especially ones that they think are thrilling or daring.Different factors may raise a young person’s risk for drug use, including
Stressful early life experiences, such child abuse, child sexual abuse, and other forms of trauma
Genetics
Prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs
Lack of parental supervision or monitoring
Drug use and addiction are preventable. Prevention programs involving families, schools, communities, and the media may prevent or reduce drug use and addiction. These programs include education and outreach to help people understand the risks of drug use.
We can help prevent our children from using drugs through Good communication with your children.
Encouragement, so your children can build confidence and a strong sense of self. It also helps parents promote cooperation and reduce conflict.
Teaching your children problem-solving skills
Setting limits, to teach your children self-control and responsibility, provide safe boundaries, and show them that you care
Supervision, which helps parents recognize developing problems, promote safety, and stay involved
Knowing your children’s friends
Half the problem is resolved when one shows the desire to give up addiction. One must speak up about his/her problem to someone who would understand and try to get him/her out of the problem. One may try to put restrictions on oneself to stop the drug abuse, rely on self help programs, but without support, it would be really difficult to put an end to it. Support might come from Family Members,Friends,Doctors or counselors or People who had the same problem but recovered. Support from family members is a must as they are the closest source to the individual. Family should support their child to understand what he/she is going through and what compelled them to take such a risky step. Parents should try to motivate their children and understand what they really want in life. Every child is different from the other and parents should really try to understand their children’s expectation to avoid any cases related to alcohol or drug abuse.A lot of people do not understand why people get addicted to drugs and related substances. They mistakenly view drug abuse as a social problem and characterize the addict as a weak person. Though there is no scientific evidence on how exactly drugs work in brain, it can be successfully treated to help people stop abusing drugs. There are many treatments that help people counteract the disruptive effects of drug addiction and regain complete control over life. Behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success in most of the drug addicts. The treatment approaches are tailored to meet the drug abuse pattern of patients. It is not uncommon for an individual to relapse and start drug abuse again. In such case, an alternate treatment is required to regain control and recover completely.
