How Does Drug Use Affect Adolescent Mental Health?

The impact of drug use among young people can be devastating. Let’s not forget that we are dealing with a brain that is still developing, which increases the risk of developing a psychiatric disorder.

Drug use in adolescence is the source of many mental health problems. The effects of this type of behavior are very often translated into mood disorders, anxiety, learning and behavior problems …

Despite the fact that, as the reports reveal, the abuse of alcohol and other types of substances is decreasing among the younger population, addiction problems continue to be more than recurrent. Understanding why this type of behavior is complex. It often derives from the environment and the pressure of the context where the young person can move, although psychologists, for example, also speak of psychological anguish, discouragement and disaffection.

Be that as it may, one thing is clear: the effects that drug use has on the younger population is devastating. It is not only a public health problem. It is also a highly relevant impact on families themselves and on society. Therefore, understanding how it alters adolescents’ own lives is key to investing in prevention and support.

Effects of drugs on adolescent mental health

When we talk about drug use, it is common to visualize the harshest. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that both alcohol and tobacco are harmful and addictive substances that 12 and 13-year-olds usually start with. Likewise, it is also important to take into account the strangest ones such as inhaling glue. A more accessible economic resource that is already causing havoc in the poorest countries.

Likewise, there is something evident that studies such as the one carried out at the University of Maryland show us: early drug use (whatever it is) has a direct impact on the brain. Let’s not forget that we are dealing with a still immature and developing brain. Something like this exponentially increases the risk of suffering a psychological disorder.

So let’s see what effects the most common drugs have on the mental health of our young people.

Alcohol (medium and long term)

Impaired attention and memory
Reaction time problems.
Impaired judgment and decision-making problems.
Chronic tiredness and lack of motivation.
Anxiety disorders.

Also, long-term effects of alcohol include neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Cannabis (short and long term effects)

Disinterest in what surrounds them.
Apathy and demotivation.
Risk of developing depressions.

Cocaine (short and long term effects)

Psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and psychosis.

Designer drugs (short and long term effects)

Sleep disorders.
Aggressiveness.
Anxiety disorders.
Irritation.
Severe depression
Panic attacks.

Memory and concentration problems.

Drug use and mobility

Comorbidity is a condition in which a person suffers from more than one mental illness simultaneously. Thus, one of the most common forms of paired illnesses is drug addiction and depression, especially in adolescents.

The curious thing is that drug use is not always the starting point for another mental illness, but it may be another illness that is a risk factor for drug use. Thus, a mood or anxiety disorder can lead an adolescent to use drugs as a form of “self-medication.”

In comorbidity there is also an interaction between the two diseases, so that a worsening in the symptoms of one usually leads to a worsening in the symptoms of the other.

Drug addiction is a mental illness

Drug addiction is a chronic and recurrent disease characterized by the compulsive search and use of these substances, despite the knowledge of their harmful consequences. It is considered a mental illness because drugs modify the structure and functioning of the brain, seriously conditioning and limiting the life of the patient.

Addiction changes the brain in fundamental ways, disrupting the normal hierarchy of needs and wants and replacing them with new priorities related to obtaining and using drugs.

The resulting compulsive behaviors weaken the ability to control impulses despite negative consequences. These behaviors are similar to the basic characteristics of other mental illnesses.

Although the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary, continued drug use impairs a person’s ability to exercise self-control, which can be seriously impaired. This deterioration in self-control is the hallmark of addiction.

Brain imaging studies of people with addictions show physical changes in areas of the brain that are essential for judgment, decision-making, learning, and memory, as well as behavior control. Scientists believe that these changes alter the way the brain works and may help explain the compulsive and destructive behaviors of addiction.

Risk factors for adolescent drug abuse and mental health problems

Drug abuse and other mental illnesses have a lot in common, including a number of causes. Some of the risk factors that can lead to drug abuse and mental instability in adolescents include the following:

Brain development

According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, the human brain does not fully develop until approximately 25 years of age. Specifically, the prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and emotional control, is still under development.

Until then, teens and young adults are looking for acceptance and ways to impress others without considering the consequences. They are still prone to making impulsive decisions, without giving part to emotions and reason. This makes them particularly susceptible to developing multiple mental health problems.

Verbal abuse or physical abuse

Verbal or physical abuse during childhood and adolescence can leave physical and emotional scars. Young people who have been victims of these abuses will seek any way to suppress the pain they have suffered, even long after they have suffered such abuses.

The scars caused by abuse are often accompanied by low self-esteem, hopelessness, paranoia, and even thoughts of suicide. Something that does not exactly facilitate reflection on the damage that substance abuse produces in the body, but quite the opposite.

Early exposure

Statistics have shown that when children are exposed to drugs and / or alcohol they are more likely to develop addiction problems. It is enough that they see it in their closest environment.

Drug or alcohol use can be a contributing factor to mental instability, especially at a young age, as drugs can alter the development of young people’s neurological systems and how they respond to stress.

Pressure

The environment is constantly putting pressure on young people about what they should or should not do. Parents, educators, and the media are putting pressure on teens, who feel pressured from all sides to become perfect people.

All this pressure is undoubtedly a contributing factor to young people feeling anxiety and low self-esteem, as well as experiencing doubts. This results in a constant and unnecessary internal battle of self-defense that can lead to addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts or tendencies. We adults know that it is impossible to please everyone. However, teens are still learning.

The importance of prevention in high-risk periods

Early drug use increases the chances that a person will develop an addiction. Preventing early drug or alcohol use can make a big difference in reducing these risks. If we can prevent young people from experimenting with drugs, we can prevent drug addiction.

The risk of drug abuse increases in times of transition. In early adolescence, when children move from elementary to middle school, they face new and challenging social and academic situations.

During this period, for the first time children are exposed to abused substances (such as tobacco and alcohol) for the first time. When they start high school, adolescents are closer to the channels of access to drugs and it is not uncommon for them to end up witnessing their use.

At the same time, many normal developmental behaviors, such as wanting to try new things or take greater risks, can increase your tendency to experiment with drugs. Others may think that using drugs improves their physical appearance or their intellectual or athletic performance, which will decrease their anxiety in social situations.

Furthermore, adolescents’ abilities to exercise good judgment and make decisions are still developing and may limit their ability to accurately assess the risks of all these forms of drug use.