The Effects of Adolescent Substance Abuse Essay - 1228 Words

According to current statistics released by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, â€Å"In the United States in 2011, there were an estimated 25.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17. In the past year, more than one quarter of adolescents drank alcohol, approximately one fifth used an illicit drug, and almost one eighth smoked cigarettes† (A Day in the Life of American Adolescents, 2013, para. 1). Substance abuse is major problem amongst adolescents. Some are experimenting, but some adolescents may become dependent on a particular substance. If one becomes dependent on a substance as an adolescent it could be detrimental to their future health and success as an adult. Spear (2003) stated in an article titled Alcohol’s†¦show more content†¦The whole brain is developing during this age. More importantly, the hippocampus is the region that develops memory/learning and the prefrontal cortex involves coordination and the process of emotions (Spear , 2003, figure 7). The severe interruptions in growth are dependent on the amount of consumption. (slide #5) I chose Erikson’s Development Model to formulate a nursing plan of care for an adolescent that suffers from alcohol abuse. Erikson’s theory consists of eight stages and places large emphasis on adolescent growth and development, which I find appropriate for this type of patient. The first five stages cover birth to age eighteen and the last three are adult stages of growth development. The first stage is Trust vs. Mistrust (birth to 18 months). In this stage, an infant is completely dependent on the primary caregiver. If cared for appropriately, the child will learn to trust. If the child’s needs are not met the child will be left with mistrust, scared, and fearful. The second stage is Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (18 months to age 3). This stage is a participating factor in self-esteem. During this stage a child begins exploring, walking around, touching, and tasting, anything/everything available. Criticism is sensitive to the child. A child in the second stage wants to be independent and do everything themselves. The caregiver must give some freedom toShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Substance Abuse On Adolescents1651 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopments in the adolescents’ sense of self, including independence and making their own choices. Because of the multitude of decisions to be made during this time, there can be a lot of room for error or misjudgements. One very common bad decision is substance use and abuse. Although drug and alcohol use is common and many users don’t develop a dependence on the substances, the adolescents who end up developing the disorders of substance abuse and dependence make substance use a major public healthRead MoreThe Psychological Effects Of Adolescent Substance Abuse1469 Words   |  6 PagesAdolescent substance abuse is one of the largest issues faced by our society today. According to Teenrehab.com, nearly 50% of all high school seniors have abused some form of illicit substanc e and according to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism nearly 70% of 18 year olds have at the least tried alcohol. Many more adolescents are trying, and getting addicted to, drugs every year. In my opinion this is one of the most critical issues that we have to address as a society. Summary Response:Read MoreEffects Of Substance Abuse Among Adolescents1131 Words   |  5 Pagesawareness about prominent issues in our society, including substance abuse. Substance abuse is even more prominent in adolescents (aka college students). In fact according to Sharma(2015)â€Å" 70.8% of students had ever drunk alcohol; 38.7% reported current alcohol use; 21.9% of students engaged in binge drinking; †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.and 3.8% of students had ever used methamphetamines .   All these statistics point to the growing epidemic of substance abuse among adolescents.†(pg. 3). This topic was the one given to my classRead MoreThe Effects Of Substance Abuse Among Adolescents1296 Words   |  6 Pages Substance abuse has become a notable public health threat to today’s adolescents. Substance abuse is associated with an array of behavioral and psychological consequences that can jeopardize the future of the young people. Lifelong dependence is another possible consequence of drug abuse among adolescents. Ultimately, counselors are supposed to come up with effective programs to address addiction issues among the adolescents to prevent them from relying on drugs in future. Counselors rely onRead MoreSubstance Abuse Prevention On Adolescents1451 Words   |  6 PagesSubstance Abuse Prevention in Adolescents Adolescence is the most common period of life in which both recreational and therapeutic drug use is introduced. Coincidentally, brain development and maturity is also at an all time high during this stage of life (2). When initiating the use of a therapeutic drug, the health care provider compares the risk to the benefit. If the benefit outweighs the risk, the drug is generally prescribed effectively. This process allows for the safe and applicable useRead MoreRisk Factors For Adolescent Drug Abuse1462 Words   |  6 Pages Body: Risk Factors for Adolescent Drug Abuse There are an abundance of risk factors that can relate to the contribution of drug abuse in adolescents. The primary risk factors can be divided into two main categories: social and emotional triggers. Social factors play an important role because during the adolescent years it can be an extremely emotional and physically tough time for teens to transition through. Adolescent phases are one of the biggest transitional stages in a person’s life becauseRead MoreSubstance Abuse1662 Words   |  7 Pagesthe view and impact of being a mother of a child who has substance abuse problems. It is without question drugs cause diverse issues in the substance users life, however the individuals in the users’ life can have just as many issues as a result. In this article it focuses on mothers who go through this struggle in silence, to not disclose the difficulties they are having. This study included five mothers who have a child with substance abuse issues. They interviewed each m other in detail about theirRead MoreEssay on Adolescent Substance Abuse1656 Words   |  7 PagesHeader: Substance Abuse Adolescent Substance Abuse Dana Sweitzer Liberty University Abstract Adolescent substance abuse is a major problem in society. There are many risk factors that can contribute to adolescent substance abuse. One of the main risk factors is peer pressure. When adolescents start at a young age there is an increase in health problems, addiction, and over all poor social outcomes. Parental influence has substantial effect on adolescents because the adolescent sees theirRead MoreThe Effects Of Drug Addiction On Children1506 Words   |  7 Pagesbut it changes the lives of their family members as parents get torn apart from themselves and each other. The role of each family member begins to shape around what is in the best interest of the addict. This research paper is an overview of the effects that raising a drug addicted child has on parent’s ability to be competent parental figures. Drug addiction is a problem that is becoming much too common within families. As addiction rates have increased dramatically and drug related deaths areRead MoreWhat Does The Strength Perspective Can Be Beneficial? Adolescents?1285 Words   |  6 Pagesadolescents relate to the clinician that is working with them. This could be because strengths based is a positive perspective that is meant to encourage and teach the teens how to cope. Strengths based perspective is also known to help open up adolescent’s ability to talk with their parents and can also decrease negative behaviors. After the five week treatment was complete the adolescent where asked to talk about their experience and what they liked most about the strengths based perspective