Teenage Drug Addiction: Peer Pressure is a Big Factor!

Many parents need to accept the fact that teen drug addiction may be as close as their own home. No one wants to believe that their kid is doing drugs. But the reality is that a large percentage of teens try some type of drug at least once. That is why it is so important to keep the lines of communication open with teenagers, something that is difficult to do when their hormones are raging and they are so confused about their lives.

There are a number of reasons why a teenager might try drugs. First of all, increasing peer pressure is one of the leading causes, which cause teens to experiment. When forced by seniors, it becomes quite difficult for teens to refuse alcohol. This experiments may turned into habits soon after. chances are that they will eventually cave in and try it. Seeing the acceptance of their peers, they will try it again and again. Eventually, they are hooked and teen drug addiction takes hold of their lives.

Three Factors for Overcoming Alcohol Addiction

One of the most important factors for early recovery from alcohol addiction is the idea of learning. Try to learn how to balance and manage your life all over again because now you are going to do it sober. This might sound quite trivial but in fact it can be quite an ordeal. Recovery is one big learning process and you have to be in learning mode in order to make it in the long run.

Another key to early recovery is in support and networking. Join communities and network sites to meet people who have already faced such situations. These people can guide you and help you to find better ways to get sober conveniently. In recovery, our peers become our teachers and we learn from their experience and strength that they share with us.

The third factor can be to find the pursuit of personal growth. You'll notice that this also ties in very well with learning and could almost be viewed as one and the same.

Dealing with Alcohol Addiction

The best way to deal with alcoholism is recognizing the actual problem.

A lot of people believe that they can kick the problem on their own, but that doesn't work for most people. Find someone you trust to talk to. It may help to talk to a friend or someone your own age at first, but a supportive and understanding adult is your best option for getting help. If you can't talk to your parents, you might want to approach a school counsellor, relative, doctor, favourite teacher, or religious leader.

However, overcoming addiction is not easy. Quitting drugs or drinking is probably going to be one of the hardest things you've ever done. It's not a sign of weakness if you need professional help from a trained drug counsellor or therapist. Most people who try to kick a drug or alcohol problem need professional assistance or a treatment program to do so.

Signs of Drug Use

Following are common and best known symptoms of a drug use:

• Rejecting job performance and loss of interest in their career


• Untamed and unpredictable behavior such as tardiness or being out of contact


• Instant weight loss or gain


• Large or pin-prick sized pupils


• Pale and thin appearance


• Marks on arms such as needle marks, blisters on lips, blisters on thumbs and fingers
  
• Loss of money and deteriorating financial situation, never having money, borrowing money


• Missing money or possessions in presence


• Uncaring attitude towards personal possessions


• Glass pipes, burnt/broken light bulbs, rolling papers, tinfoil, hypodermic needles, melted lighters, plastic 'bankies' in their possession


• Isolation and avoidance of family and friends


• Degeneration of relationships


• Secretive behaviour


• Violent outbursts and rage


• Dramatic changes in moods and personality


• Lack of interest in things which used to please them

The Process of Detoxification

Detoxification or 'detox' for alcoholics is a process when addicts abruptly stop consuming alcohol drinking coupled with the substitution of drugs that have similar effects to offset the withdrawal symptoms. Some of the most common drugs which are used in the process of detoxification include Benzodiazepines and Barbiturates.

There are son many ways to perform detox process. However, it is important to check the varying degrees of tolerance before choosing your way of detoxification. In a most popular way of detox, a standard dose of the benzodiazepine is given every half hour until light sedation is reached. Once a baseline dose is determined, the medication is tapered over the ensuing 3-10 days. Another popular option could be giving a standard dose of benzodiazepine researching the history and adjustment capacity of an addict. It is a kind of a withdrawal phenomenon for all addicts. A third option is to defer treatment until symptoms occur, which is safe only with relatively mild alcohol users.

Drug Addiction Treatments

Treatments for alcoholism at drug rehab centers usually vary because there are multiple perspectives for the condition itself. It is because treatments for those who approach alcoholism as a medical condition or disease recommend will be different from people who approach the condition as one of social choice.

Most treatments mainly concentrates on helping people to stop their regular habit of excess alcohol intake, followed up with life training and/or social support in order to help them resist a return to alcohol use. Since alcoholism creates multiple factors which force a person to continue drinking, they must be resolved completely in order to successfully prevent a relapse.

The effectiveness of alcoholism treatments also varies widely. While choosing an alcohol treatment option, one must consider the success rate based on those who enter a program, not just those who complete it. You must consider not just the rate of those reaching treatment goals but the rate of those relapsing.

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a problem raised by consuming alcohol in excess to the extent that the overall behavior of an addict effected greatly. It also interferes with the alcoholic's normal personal, family, social, or work life. The chronic consequences of excess alcohol consumption will further lead to psychological and physiological disorders.

The primary negative impact of alcoholism is to encourage the sufferer to drink at times and in amounts that are damaging. The secondary damage caused by an inability to control one's drinking manifests in many ways.

Most victims do not realize the fact that taking alcohol in excess is affecting their overall health and the health effects start to manifest. The physical health effects associated with alcohol consumption include cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, polyneuropathy, alcoholic dementia, heart disease, increased chance of cancer, nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, and death from many sources.

Gather useful information about the problem of alcoholism and try to find positive solutions as well.