Teen Drug Abuse (cont.)
What is drug abuse?
As defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
drug
dependence is a negative pattern of using a substance that leads to a number of
problems, which may include needing more of a drug to get intoxicated
(tolerance), difficulties that occur when the effects of the drug wear off
(withdrawal), using more of a substance or for longer time than intended, and
other life problems because of their use of a drug or drugs.
Five stages of drug use have been identified. The first stage is described as
access to drugs but no use thereof. In that stage, minimizing the risk factors
that make a teenager more vulnerable to using drugs are an issue. The second
stage of drug use ranges from experimentation or occasional use to regular
weekly use of substances. The third stage is characterized by youth progressing
to further increasing the frequency of using one or more drugs on a regular
basis. This stage may also include the teenager either buying, stealing, or drug
dealing to get drugs. In the fourth stage, adolescents have established regular
usage, have become preoccupied with getting intoxicated ("high"), and have
developed problems in their social, educational, vocational, or family life as a
result of using the substance. The final and most serious fifth stage of drug
use is defined by the youth only feeling "normal" when they are using. During
this stage, risk-taking behaviors like stealing, drug dealing, engaging in
physical fights, unprotected sex, or driving while intoxicated increase and they
become most vulnerable to having suicidal or homicidal thoughts.
What are the causes and risk factors of teen drug use?
Family risk factors for teenagers engaging in drug abuse include low parent
supervision or communication, family conflicts, inconsistent or severe parental
discipline, and family history of alcohol or drug abuse. Individual risk factors
include any history of physical or sexual victimization, learning or emotional
problems, difficulty managing impulses, emotional instability, thrill-seeking
behaviors, and perceiving the risk of using drugs to be low.
Next: What are the symptoms of drug abuse in teens? »
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