The Canyon

Teen Drug Addiction

Parents cope with the stinging pain of divorce in different ways. As adults, we know how life is filled with constant ups and downs and can easily trick ourselves into thinking “it’s not so bad.” When we can no longer ignore the pain, heartache, anger and frustration, we seek out other ways to steel ourselves so we can carry on through another day.

Our children, who bear witness to it all especially in the wake of divorce are confused and bewildered, lonely and ashamed. They see their parents having trouble getting along and try to figure out what it was they did to make things turn ugly. Mom and Dad are busy going through their own emotional turmoil and aren’t as available to lend an ear as they once were. Some, in an effort to numb the pain or escape the fighting, may turn to drug abuse and addiction.

Grief and Loss Contributes to Drug Addiction

Loss is something we all experience throughout the course of life. A lost dog, a favorite toy, a best friend who moves away, grandparents passing on; it’s part of the give and take that makes life meaningful. For every loss, including divorce, we are subjected to the accompanying wave of grief, sometimes more powerful and incapacitating than other times. A child may not express her loss to you in words, but it is there nonetheless, as powerful and consuming as the grief that consumes you over the loss of your former life. Divorce can leave your teen agitated with unanswered questions. Rather than bother you with their questions or concerns they may begin to experiment with crystal meth, alcohol, marijuana, prescription painkillers… whatever drugs are available to them.

Teen Drug Abuse

Struggling and Coping with Teen Drug Addiction

The National Longitudinal Sample of Adolescent Health sponsored by the Mapping America project, reveals that teenagers whose parents have divorced are four times more likely to use drugs than teens whose parental relationships are intact – even after they reach adulthood.

Trying drugs leads to using drugs, which quickly escalates into dependency and abuse, and finally, addiction. It’s not a pretty picture, but for anyone weighed down with the emotional baggage of divorce, little else can appear to be able to solve the problem.

A Positive Step Toward Fighting Teen Drug Abuse

When we aren’t feeling well physically, we go see a doctor. But when we feel emotionally unwell, most of us just try to suffer through it hoping it will clear up on its own. Would you try that tactic if you thought you had the flu? Probably not, because the consequences of missed days at work and a potential for developing bronchitis or pneumonia are just too great. Your friends and family would do everything they could to persuade you to see a doctor because you could die if you don’t get help.

Emotional and mental illnesses are no different. Most mild cases can be treated with outpatient talk therapy an hour a week at a counselor’s office. Your child’s school most likely has a school counselor on staff that can offer advice or referrals to get the right help for your situation. In more serious circumstances, inpatient or outpatient drug addiction treatment centers may be necessary. Emotional pain doesn’t just vanish. We must identify and accept that it is a valid response to a crisis and open ourselves to the possibility of healing through patience and understanding.

Gay and Lesbian Drug Addiction

We’ve talked a little bit recently about drug and alcohol abuse among different groups: medical professionals, women, teenagers. Today we’re going to talk about the high risk of drug and alcohol abuse among gay and lesbian youth because it is so high, it is irresponsible to ignore it.

What the Research Says about Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Gay and Lesbian Youth

Did you know that lesbian, gay and bisexual youth are 190 percent more likely to use illegal substances than heterosexual teens of the same age? According to Medical News Today and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, that’s not all. Apparently, lesbian teens are 400 percent more likely to get high or drunk and bisexual teens are 340 percent more likely.

Michael P. Marshal, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC. He led the study and says, “Homophobia, discrimination and victimization are largely what are responsible for these substance use disparities in young gay people. History shows that when marginalized groups are oppressed and do not have equal opportunities and equal rights, they suffer. Our results show that gay youth are clearly no exception.”

What Can We Do About the High Risk for Drug Abuse Among Gay and Lesbian Teens?

First of all, we can begin by making it clear that sexual orientation can be a risk factor. Currently, this is not mentioned in any of the substance abuse prevention and intervention literature published by organizations like the American Medical Association, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism and the Institute of Medicine. More research needs to be done on the subject and this research needs to be made available to substance abuse treatment and medical professionals.

Says Dr. Marshal, “It is important to remember that the vast majority of gay youth are happy and healthy, despite the stressors of living in a violent, homophobic society. More than anything, gay youth need love, support and acceptance from their family members and friends. It also is imperative that health care providers offer a safe, confidential environment to discuss health care needs with gay teens.”

Do You Know a Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Teen Struggling with Drug and Alcohol Abuse?

If you or someone you know is using drugs and alcohol as a way of dealing with sexual orientation issues, family issues, stressors at school or at work, the sooner you get help for yourself or them the better. The earlier that you get involved in drug addiction treatment, the better chance you will have of enjoying a life without drugs and alcohol destroying your health and relationships. If you have questions about the options available to you or if you need help setting up an intervention for your gay or lesbian teen, call us at The Canyon today.

The overwhelming responsibility of helping a child across the bridge of their teen years into adulthood can feel like an impossible task when it comes to attempting to discern whether or not your child is using drugs. What drugs are even out there? What drugs does your teen even have access to? And what does being under the influence look like? Is this really drug addiction or innocent experimentation?

Here are a few things you can look for that may tip you off about drug abuse that requires drug addiction treatment:

* Slipping Grades. It’s virtually impossible to keep up with the hectic demands of homework and tests when you’re experimenting with any drug or alcohol. You may even notice an overt or sudden disinterest in even going to school. You might want to check with the attendance office at your teen’s school to make sure that she hasn’t been absent more often than you’re aware. If he or she has been a part of extracurricular activities in the past, her interest and participation in these may falter or disappear completely as well.

* Health. Using drugs or alcohol weakens your immune system. Also, recovering from a binge can look like an illness. If your child has previously been healthy, but suddenly seems to pick up every cold or constantly feels ill, drug use may be the cause.

* Physical Appearance. Extreme changes in dress or a sudden lack of interest in grooming at all may indicate depression, changes in peer group or friends and may also point to drug use and abuse.

* Mood Changes. Moody behavior and general irritability and crankiness are hallmarks of the teenage experience, even they never touch an illegal substance. If your teen’s interest in privacy suddenly seems extreme to the point that you are permanently excluded from entering their room under any circumstances or they disappear with friends who you may or may not know very well without telling you where they’re going, then they may be using drugs.

* Financial Urgency. A lack of funds during the teen years is nothing to be concerned about. It’s totally normal. But sudden and constant requests for money without a good reason or purpose may be an indications of drug use, especially when combined with the disappearance of money from your wallet or other formerly safe storage places in your home. You may also notice that things are missing from house, which opens up the possibility that your child is stealing to pay for his or her drug habit.

If you think that your teen is using drugs or exhibiting any of the abovementioned behavior, you can start by asking them about it. One or two signs may be easily explained by something other than drug use. Don’t accuse, but do show your concern. If you feel quite sure that drug use is the cause of the changes in your child, The Canyon can help by providing you with a professional interventionist to confront your child and get him or her into the drug rehab facility they need.

What are some changes you noticed in your child’s behavior that tipped you off to his or her drug use?