Teen Drug Substance Use - Teen Alcohol Abuse - Why Doesn't He/She Just Quit?
To non-users, the consequences of drug use are so evident, including
- The loss of other pleasurable activities
- Ruined relationships
- Decreased self-esteem
- Decreased motivation to do the things necessary to create a happy, productive life
- Wasted money
- Wasted time spent thinking about getting drugs, etc.,
that it's almost impossible to understand why the abuser doesn't just see what's happening and quit. Part of the explanation lies in the changes that take place in the brain of the user. The effects of drug use actually change how the brain works, affecting the production and the re-absorption of neurotransmitters, for example, which, in turn, affect the sensation of pleasure and how it is obtained. Even though the first use of a drug is a voluntary act, for the potential addict it becomes a compulsive behavior over which the user has little or no control. The change from voluntary to compulsive action can take place the first time a drug is used, or after a long period of use. Each person is different and no one can predict how drugs will affect an individual (although some factors can give some indication of potential risk - see Warning Signs of Teen Substance Abuse).
While information about changes in the brain can provide an intellectual idea of what happens in addiction, it does not convey the feeling of compulsive drug use. The best that non-addict persons can do is allow ourselves to fully feel what our own compulsive behaviors are like. Most of us have felt the craving for sugar that comes on the day after eating too much sugar. The brain is calling out for a repeat of the feeling, and as evidenced by the obesity of America today, far too many of us give in to the desire even though we do not like the consequences. Regular coffee drinkers know what it's like to not have caffeine for a day or two and feel the depression and headache pain of withdrawal. They also know how easily the pain can be gotten rid of by simply ingesting a little caffeine. Multiply the sugar or caffeine craving and withdrawal feeling by 100, or perhaps 1000, and we may get some idea of what the person craving cocaine feels like. Then add to this tiny insight the knowledge that the drug user's brain chemistry has been changed in much more drastic ways than what occurs with caffeine or sugar, and we get a little understanding of why it is so difficult for the drug user to stop his or her habit.
If you are concerned with the problem of teen drug abuse and teen alcohol abuse, you probably know something about relapse. Relapse is considered by most professionals today to be an integral part of recovery. As parents, we know what it's like to "swear off" sweets, or workaholic habits, or other compulsive behaviors, and find success for a few days, weeks, or even months. Then, one day, seemingly out of the blue, the brain says, "I want some" of whatever our compulsion is linked to, and if we give in to the desire it's with the clear knowledge of what we're doing, but an almost surreal feeling of wanting to continue in spite of the negative consequences that we know are sure to follow. Teens who try to quit their drug and alcohol habit have to struggle with these feelings too, but again, multiplied many times over the feelings most of us have experienced. Teens also have far less life experience to call upon to make it through the hard times. Most drug dependent teens will have to quit more than once, and they will need our help and understanding, as well as clear boundaries, each time. Setting and maintaining clear agreements and boundaries are particularly difficult for parents of teen drug and alcohol users. For more on this topic, see Agreements and Boundaries.
Honestly acknowledging our own compulsive behaviors and subsequent cravings can give us a tiny bit of insight into the world of drug addiction, and perhaps more empathy, patience, and understanding of what the drug dependent or addicted teen must endure to stop using.
