Teen Addiction

Statistics have shown that there may be some categories of teen addiction that are actually going down. This is of no comfort to the parent that is struggling with a teen that has an addiction problem. The most serious national public health problem we are facing today as a nation is that of alcohol and drug dependence. It is common among all races, income brackets, all regions of the country and every social group.

If a teen comes from a home where drug or alcohol abuse is accepted, there is little hope that the teen will be able to avoid the addiction cycle. While teen addiction is a problem in most families, we know of families where parent’s and teen’s smoke marijuana together. Many people believe that marijuana is a gateway drug. With this in mind, a parent that smokes pot with their teen is actually encouraging teen addiction by condoning the marijuana abuse. Parents will justify their action by denying that marijuana is a drug and that they are just trying to develop a relationship with their teen.

Teenage Addiction

There is help for teenage addiction just like there is for any adult addiction problem. The first step is to identify the problem. If a parent is not vigilant, they may never be aware that their teen is abusing drugs or has an addiction problem. Most teenagers with addiction problems are able to successfully hide it from their parents. This is especially true if the parents are both too busy with their own lives to look for signs of addiction. We know of parents that have found drugs in their teen’s possession. When they confront the teen he or she says that they are holding it for a friend. This should be a major red flag. If a teen has friend’s that use drugs, there is a very slim possibility that the teen holding the drugs is not also abusing them. A wise parent will immediately begin to research their teen’s friends and contact their families to see if they have noticed anything unusual going on.

Addiction Treatment

It is important to start addiction treatment for a teenager with addiction as soon as possible. It is important that the teenager admits they have a problem prior to beginning treatment, but not mandatory. The teen will eventually have to want help or the help will not be as effective. There are many types of addiction treatment available. They range from inpatient help, to AA or NA groups in the evening. Addiction treatment may be the only way a drug or alcohol addicted person may recover. It is important that everyone involved realize that it is an illness more than a weakness. Without treatment addiction problems will lead to a total devastation of the person struggling with the illness.