One of the critical problems of modern adulthood continues to be teens turning to substances in search of easy fun or an escape from reality. The U.S. government lists the main reasons why teens turn to this addiction as an attempt to relieve boredom, to forget their problems and satisfy their curiosity, to feel like an adult or independent, and to feel a sense of belonging to a group of people (US DEA, 2021). Another factor may be the adolescent’s social structures and everyday interactions with society, especially if there is a romanticization of substances in the media or if the adolescent belongs to vulnerable racial and socioeconomic groups (Kaufman et al., 2021). This multiplicity of factors leads to the need to look at each case of substance abuse individually, because just because one adolescent started using drugs because of family problems does not mean that all others use the same excuses. Regardless of the cause, however, drug abuse is a significant threat to social well-being. Statistics show that one in two adolescents have used substances at least once in their lives, with a 61% increase in just four years (NCDAS, 2019). It follows that the prevalence of this problem is extremely high and increasing, which means that psychoactive substances are becoming more available. Accordingly, policymakers and society need to proactively address this threat and explore the nature of substance abuse and its potential consequences at a deep level.
Consequences of Substance Abuse
Substance use, particularly during adolescence, has destructive consequences for the physical and mental health of individuals and affects social well-being. In terms of personal physical health, research suggests that the consequences include a general decline in well-being and the development of chronic diseases, primarily related to the respiratory and vascular systems (Chavan et al., 2020). The research is broader with regard to an adolescent’s mental health: abuse can lead to the development of depression and dissociative disorders, loss of mood, and neuropsychiatric behavioral dysfunction (Thorpe et al., 2020). In other words, an adolescent who uses substances will experience problems with his or her health and objective perception of reality. This, in turn, poses a threat to those around them. Taquette and Monteiro (2019) and Thorpe et al. (2020) showed that such adolescents may be aggressive and dangerous to people and may use violence against them. It follows that deviance is a hallmark of adolescents who abuse substances.
Problems in relationships with relatives are not insignificant consequences of such abuse. Family dynamics should be viewed from two perspectives: that of the addicted adolescent and that of his or her family members. Substance use causes the adolescent to exhibit dysfunctional behaviors, such as aggression, apathy, or violence toward family members (Taquette & Monteiro, 2021). As a result, the family’s well-being is compromised and vulnerable to destruction due to the adolescent’s deviant behavior. On the other hand, family members are interested in maintaining stability and comfort in their lives, so they may resort to adaptive patterns to achieve homeostasis. These adaptations may be unhealthy, especially if they attempt to satisfy or are manipulated by the adolescent’s destructive desires (NIH, 2020). At the same time, family members may use violence in response to the adolescent’s aggression, which also affects family well-being and leads to regular stress among family members. As a result, the family dynamic of living with a substance-using adolescent is downwardly spiraling and creates many problems for all involved.
Theoretical Paradigms
The problems of adolescent substance use, as well as the deteriorating social dynamics involved, are interesting to consider through theoretical research paradigms. Social control theory posits that an individual’s behavior is conditioned by his or her sense of belonging to existing institutions (Thompson, 2020). Deviant behavior, which includes substance use and its resulting destructive consequences, is then conditioned by a sense of detachment and isolation from communities such as family, school, and friends. Adolescents, who are highly perceptual and vulnerable, experience separation painfully and may resort to substance use to escape their uncomfortable reality. The theory suggests that this situation can be remedied by strengthening ties to institutions, thereby exposing the adolescent to socialization.
The adolescent’s submission to peer opinion, i.e., exposure to pressure and lack of will, can be explained in terms of social learning theory. This theory suggests that individuals learn new knowledge and skills most effectively by observing and imitating others (Akers & Jennings, 2019). In other words, adolescents see traits and characteristics in their peers that lead them to respect them, associate that authority with substance use, and strive to achieve the same outcome themselves. Lack of critical thinking and weakness increase susceptibility to pressure, so to correct the problem, it is recommended that the adolescent be removed from the harmful influence of others.
The context of family dynamics is also interesting from a theoretical point of view. It is important for the individual to know how he or she is perceived by society, especially by those closest to him or her. Labeling theory states that when a community labels an adolescent as the wrong person, the likelihood of deviant behavior on the part of that adolescent increases (Bernburg, 2019). Eventually, he or she stops seeing avenues for personal development other than those that have already been labeled — it is safe, easy, and convenient to conform to the vision that has already been formed. It is also true that intrafamilial relationships affect the teenager – because of changes in age and transition to new social roles, the stability of old patterns fluctuates. The teenager begins to understand that he or she is no longer the little child of his or her parents, which triggers the process of separation. If at this stage there is poor communication in the family, a lack of established relationships and a sense of cohesion, the teenager may turn to the use of psychoactive substances as a way of escaping reality through the experience of an internal age crisis.
Conclusion
In summary, adolescent substance abuse is one of the most serious, urgent, and growing social problems. Substance use is facilitated by a variety of factors that must be considered on an individual basis. An adolescent who turns to substance use experiences personal health and relationship problems that affect, among other things, family dynamics. From a theoretical research perspective, it has been shown that substance use can be attributed to adolescent crises, lack of established communication, and lack of a sense of belonging. Social interactions can be especially painful for adolescents who have entered the stage of adulthood, so they need support and an individualized approach to overcome internal conflicts and trauma.
References
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Chavan, R. H., Bagwan, M. L., & Hingane, L. D. (2020). Drug dependences, drug abuse, addictive drug & their treatment. World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 10(3), 391-412. Web.
Kaufman, M. R., Bazell, A. T., Collaco, A., & Sedoc, J. (2021). “This show hits really close to home on so many levels”: An analysis of Reddit comments about HBO’s Euphoria to understand viewers’ experiences of and reactions to substance use and mental illness. Drug And Alcohol Dependence, 220, 1-17. Web.
NCDAS. (2019). Drug use among youth: Facts & statistics. National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. Web.
NIH. (2020). Substance use disorder treatment and family therapy [PDF document]. Web.
Taquette, S. R., & Monteiro, D. L. M. (2019). Causes and consequences of adolescent dating violence: a systematic review. Journal of Injury and Violence Research, 11(2), 137-147. Web.
Thompson, K. (2020). What is social control? Revise Sociology. Web.
Thorpe, H. H., Hamidullah, S., Jenkins, B. W., & Khokhar, J. Y. (2020). Adolescent neurodevelopment and substance use: receptor expression and behavioral consequences. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 206, 1-30. Web.
US DEA. (2021). Why do teens use drugs? United States Government, Drug Enforcement Administration. Web.