Adolescence is unique, during this period there is an intensive restructuring of the body, which is accompanied by hormonal surges, psychological experiences and social adaptation in the adult world.
At the age of 12-15, teenagers try to try something new, show interest in prohibited substances, but cannot realize all the harm of drugs. As a result, they face the problem of drug addiction, which provokes personality degradation, health deterioration and a number of accompanying physiological and psychological problems.
According to statistical data, more than 25-50% of children aged 12-15 have experience of using narcotic drugs, while more than half of these children have experience of repeated use, which indicates the seriousness of the problem of adolescent drug addiction.
The main causes of teenage drug addiction
Today, experts distinguish two main types of causes of teenage drug addiction: social and psychological.
These reasons can be both single, for example, only psychological, and complex.
Social causes of drug addiction
This causes of teenage drug addiction may be as a result of teenagers feeling a lack of adequate attention from their loved ones; they try to find it from friends, acquaintances, including people who are directly or indirectly related to drug use.
Teenagers listen to the opinion of an authoritative person for them and try to model his /her behaviour, take drugs to get the sensations that their idol feels.
Psychological causes of drug addiction
Adolescents 12-15 years old undergo intensive changes in the physiology of the body and psyche on a hormonal background.
Such psychological factors as:
problems in the family, adolescent violence, improper upbringing, psychological influence of peers, as well as individual features of age development can push a teenager to use drugs.
As a result, the teenager tries to get away from existing problems in the simplest way – by taking prohibited substances.
Four main stages of teenage drug addiction
Also, like other types of drug addiction, drug addiction in teenagers has several main stages of development:
- The first stage is the first application or several applications of the drug.
As a rule, the first receptions are caused by the desire to get “for company” with other teenagers, to feel the “taste” of the forbidden, to become the same as more experienced peers who tell that drugs are good;
- The second stage is accompanied by euphoria from the use of narcotic substances.
A teenager feels lightness and sees in this an opportunity to get quick satisfaction. At the second stage, there is still no psychological dependence, and the income is still determined by the desire to feel comfortable in the company of peers;
- The third stage is accompanied by the appearance of mental dependence, which is observed with a long break between doses.
The teenager’s behaviour becomes irritable, he/she feels anxiety and worry, which come only after taking another dose of the drug;
- The fourth stage is the last and is accompanied by persistent physical dependence on drug use.
When a teenager stops using it, he/she experiences extreme fragility and unbearable physical suffering.
The nature of the withdrawal syndrome directly depends on the type of drug.
Main signs of adolescent drug addiction (12-15 years old)
Symptomatic manifestation may have its own characteristics, depending on the type of drug used. However, there are general signs by which it is possible to determine the involvement of a teenager in the use of narcotic substances.
Typically, teenagers who use drugs try to avoid talking openly about drugs, lie about their whereabouts, reasons for being late for a walk, withdraw from normal family relationships, stop obeying and disobeying direct instructions from their parents. Adolescent drug addiction can also be characterized by sudden changes in behaviour, accompanied by impaired speech and coordination of movements, increased emotionality.
In conversation with peers and friends, teenagers use slang expressions that directly or indirectly refer to drugs.
After use, classic symptoms may appear in the form of: redness of the eyes, disturbance of the psycho-emotional state, etc.
Consequences of teenage drug addiction
The consequences are very negative. Young addicts may experience delayed intellectual and physical development, dysfunction of internal organs, mental abnormalities, menstrual cycle disorders and infertility in girls, impotence in men. There are also often concomitant diseases transmitted through syringe injections or sexually.
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