Prevention is still better than cure. This tagline is very appropriate in the case of drug abuse, which has destroyed lives of so many individuals. Thus, the best treatment for drug abuse problems might be to prevent it altogether from happening.
Assessing Risks of Drug Abuse
Your ability to identify possible risks is crucial to send out a warning signal and find ways to intervene with an impending abuse. However, it is often difficult to identify not unless the symptoms have escalated to a more serious level. Here are some of the tips you can use to assess the risk level of drug abuse, especially among the youths:
*Youths that manifest aggressive behaviors even during the earlier years of their youth are more at risk of experimenting with addictive substances. Hence, you need them to develop a sense of self-control to avoid becoming a victim of their own aggressive personalities.
*As you will find out later on, parents play a crucial role in preventing their child from abusing drugs. Thus, you need to properly supervise your kids to avoid exposing them to negative influences.
*Substance abuse often happens as a result of various factors such as low academic performance and lack of self-esteem. Thus, youths turn to drug abuse as an escape from their social reality. It is therefore important to promote academic performance and expose your child to healthy environments that promote their skills and level of self-esteem.
*Children whose parents abuse drugs themselves are at a high risk of abusing drugs and other harmful substances, as well as association with other teens into drug addiction. A healthy relationship and consistent enforcement of discipline within the home can therefore prevent such problems from arising.
Role of Parents
As a parent, you hold the key that will drive your teenagers away from potential situations that will make them turn to drugs. Statistics have shown that a significant percentage of kids abusing alcohol, drugs, and other harmful substances indicate negative or abusive relationship with their parents. Thus, you can turn things around by creating a strong bond with your kids and provide a nurturing relationship with them. Exactly how do you achieve that? Below are some tips:
*Maintain a healthy communication with your children. They should be able to open up with you about certain problems affecting them and they should feel as if some is willing to listen to them, provide refuge, and console them.
*Avoid being judgmental to your child's concerns and avoid preaching while you can.
*Become involved with your child's lives such that you are there at every aspect of their growth and development. If you can do this, then they'd be more likely to listen to you later on.
*Establish rules and make sure they are consistently enforced and observed. You have to show them what your limitations are but not to the point wherein they fear you.
*Talk to them openly about drugs and what harmful effects it can do to them and their lives.
Drug Abuse Prevention In School
Outside the home, school is the next place where children spend a great deal of their time in. Thus, this makes the perfect setting to realize your drug abuse preventive measures by inculcating in the minds of these children the harmful effects of drugs to the body, your family, and the rest of the society.
Aside from education, much focus must also be given on improving the child's social and academic skills. This will increase the child's protective factors to overcome the risk factors that might cause them to abuse drugs, such as promoting healthier peer relationships, drug-refusal skills, and self-control.
Drug Abuse Prevention In The Community
The community where your child lives in offers the biggest threat when it comes to drug abuse, but it can also be a crucial tool that you can use for drug abuse prevention. If you can enforce drug abuse prevention programs within the community, it encompasses civil, law enforcement, and religious aspects of the society.
When you can do that, it will enhance anti-drug norms and support promotion of healthy social behaviors to keep your kids away from drugs. One of the common community drug prevention measure is the promotion of engagement in sports activities, which is considered as a healthier and socially enhancing alternative to drugs.
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Thursday, July 18, 2013
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Why Teenagers Take Drugs
People often wonder why teenagers want to use drugs when they must know what a bad effect they have. The trouble is that teens have always gone through a stage of wanting to try risky things. It is often part of their rebellion against their parents and society in general. And sometimes they just don’t want to be different from the crowd. So they take drugs in order to blend in and be like their peers.
Unfortunately, taking drugs is often a precursor to other dangerous activities such as violent crime - and addiction may cripple users and eventually be fatal.
Most teenagers tend to use drugs because they feel very relaxed and even more confident after using them. The reality is that drugs do make you feel good since they tend to directly act on the various nerve centres of our body including the limbic system present in the brain, which is also regarded as the pleasure centre. Teenagers usually start using drugs for recreation during the initial stages, while some begin by smoking a cigarette at a social gathering such as a late night party. While most of them cannot be considered smokers during this stage, they tend to feel really good about this new activity which they also feel makes them sound cool. Later on, they use drugs randomly just to give them a try thinking that it will be real fun.
The problem here is that drugs have the same impact on individuals whether they are using them for the first time or habitually. Most teenagers therefore tend to use drugs to get the "feel good" effect, and feel as if their use would change their situation in a positive way forever. They become reliant on drugs to improve their mood whether they are depressed, nervous or stressed out. They just use them for relaxing their mental state of mind and body. However, this feeling is not at all real and can have dangerous fallout on the overall health of users..
Many teenagers have started using drugs because of peer pressure. Young people want to belong to groups of people they like such as friends and other colleagues, and they do not want to be the odd one out in such gatherings. The feeling of being left out is often quite crippling for teenagers. They consider it to be a kind of social stigma and they start using drugs to cover their feelings of insecurity. However, what they do not take into consideration is the fact that drugs only end up further isolating them from their loved ones, and they just look forward to gaining the attention of one party who they are impressed by.
Secondly, some teenagers start using drugs as a way to relax and escape from their problems. Young people often get stressed out very easily and are just unable to cope with the various tensions in their lives and this leads to them taking up drugs. Once they get that relaxed feeling by using drugs, they start to use them on a more regular basis, and they feel that it is easier to deal with their problems. However, they also feel a strong guilt in the end when they get back to normal.
While it might sound bizarre, some teenagers start using drugs out of boredom and to bring some excitement into their lives. This is just to try something new which is often regarded as very dangerous and risky. Many high profile celebrities have been caught using drugs, and this has not really helped change this fact. However, drugs do not change your situation since they only worsen it.
Another reason why teenagers may start using drugs is that they feel that this is what would make them seem more mature and appear grown up in the eyes of others. This is a very weird reason considering the fact that most people do not start using drugs just because they are adults. While adults lead very busy lives, most of them normally do not have the time to start using drugs just to prove their maturity and this is something that teenagers simply do not understand.
Teenagers often think that they are immortal, even though they perhaps do not realise it. Few people think about dying unless they have come up against it. Often, they know the risk of taking drugs but think that somehow nothing bad will happen to them, just as they know the risk of excessive speed when driving, but they still do it, thinking that nothing will happen.
More useful articles can be found at "Where Kids Get Drugs"
Unfortunately, taking drugs is often a precursor to other dangerous activities such as violent crime - and addiction may cripple users and eventually be fatal.
Most teenagers tend to use drugs because they feel very relaxed and even more confident after using them. The reality is that drugs do make you feel good since they tend to directly act on the various nerve centres of our body including the limbic system present in the brain, which is also regarded as the pleasure centre. Teenagers usually start using drugs for recreation during the initial stages, while some begin by smoking a cigarette at a social gathering such as a late night party. While most of them cannot be considered smokers during this stage, they tend to feel really good about this new activity which they also feel makes them sound cool. Later on, they use drugs randomly just to give them a try thinking that it will be real fun.
The problem here is that drugs have the same impact on individuals whether they are using them for the first time or habitually. Most teenagers therefore tend to use drugs to get the "feel good" effect, and feel as if their use would change their situation in a positive way forever. They become reliant on drugs to improve their mood whether they are depressed, nervous or stressed out. They just use them for relaxing their mental state of mind and body. However, this feeling is not at all real and can have dangerous fallout on the overall health of users..
Many teenagers have started using drugs because of peer pressure. Young people want to belong to groups of people they like such as friends and other colleagues, and they do not want to be the odd one out in such gatherings. The feeling of being left out is often quite crippling for teenagers. They consider it to be a kind of social stigma and they start using drugs to cover their feelings of insecurity. However, what they do not take into consideration is the fact that drugs only end up further isolating them from their loved ones, and they just look forward to gaining the attention of one party who they are impressed by.
Secondly, some teenagers start using drugs as a way to relax and escape from their problems. Young people often get stressed out very easily and are just unable to cope with the various tensions in their lives and this leads to them taking up drugs. Once they get that relaxed feeling by using drugs, they start to use them on a more regular basis, and they feel that it is easier to deal with their problems. However, they also feel a strong guilt in the end when they get back to normal.
While it might sound bizarre, some teenagers start using drugs out of boredom and to bring some excitement into their lives. This is just to try something new which is often regarded as very dangerous and risky. Many high profile celebrities have been caught using drugs, and this has not really helped change this fact. However, drugs do not change your situation since they only worsen it.
Another reason why teenagers may start using drugs is that they feel that this is what would make them seem more mature and appear grown up in the eyes of others. This is a very weird reason considering the fact that most people do not start using drugs just because they are adults. While adults lead very busy lives, most of them normally do not have the time to start using drugs just to prove their maturity and this is something that teenagers simply do not understand.
Teenagers often think that they are immortal, even though they perhaps do not realise it. Few people think about dying unless they have come up against it. Often, they know the risk of taking drugs but think that somehow nothing bad will happen to them, just as they know the risk of excessive speed when driving, but they still do it, thinking that nothing will happen.
More useful articles can be found at "Where Kids Get Drugs"
The Effects of Social Drugs
One trouble with party drug use is that they are often not confined to the party environment. Once young people find out what effect they have, they often start to use them more often, party or not.
Young people use them to increase their energy levels and alleviate feelings of tiredness and anxiety. They take these drugs in order to relax and feel good about themselves.
Many want to become indifferent to the external environment. As a parent, you would definitely be very conscious about how your children behave. The last thing you would want is for them to use any type of drug, which is why you should be aware of the side-effects. Here is a guide to the more commonly used type of party drugs and how they affect your body and mind when used.
Alkyl Nitrite is the chemical name given to poppers, which cause an increase in your heart rate. The amount of blood flowing through the brain and heart increases. This is what we refer to as the rush. The drug is often inhaled, and users may experience the effects immediately upon inhaling it. It also causes light headedness, dizziness and severe headache. The drug is not addictive, and users normally do not experience any withdrawal experience. However, they may develop tolerance to it if they use poppers continuously for a fortnight or so.
Amphetamine or speed is basically a kind of stimulant which affects the nervous system. Like poppers, it helps to increase the heart rate. The effects of this drug usually last for several hours after usage, even though it may take up to 30 minutes for users to notice any of the effects. Users may experience increased energy and confidence levels, while remaining extremely wide awake and hyperactive.
Withdrawal effects including feelings of restlessness, anxiety, dizziness and irritability and insomnia like symptoms are reported amongst active users. If a user stops using the drug suddenly after long term use, they may experience rapid mood changes together with extreme hunger and lethargy. It has negative fallout on the overall health of the cardiovascular and digestive systems.
Cannabis, also known as weed, is one of the most commonly used types of party drug. It has a mild effect on the physical wellbeing of the users. It causes increase in appetite, decreased blood pressure and dizziness, and is often regarded as the gateway to the usage of harder drugs such as heroine. This is why parents need to be very careful if they discover that their children are using this drug. It is also pretty addictive, and withdrawing from it can be very difficult.
The word "cocaine" often sends jitters through the spines of parents. If your child is using it, then it would be one of the worst fears. It causes physiological arousal, and users get feelings of well-being while being indifferent to fatigue and pain. This drug is extremely addictive, and damages the overall health of the user. If it is used with crack, then users are likely to suffer even more damaging effects.
Crack is another commonly used party drug. Its effects are quite similar to those of cocaine, even though they are much more extreme and intense. Users can experience the effects immediately, and they last for up to 10 minutes. Apart from the same effects as cocaine use, users often get extremely aggressive and paranoid, and it is very addictive and fatal if there is an overdose. Crack has negative fallout on the mental health and central nervous system of the user. It may take several months before users can fully recover.
We have all heard about ecstasy due to the fact that many high profile celebrities from around the world have been caught using it. Ecstasy basically affects the central nervous system and leads to increased mental activity, with users experiencing a kind of surge in euphoria followed by feelings of calmness. Users sweat profusely and may also experience nausea and a dry mouth together with an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Users feel extremely tired and depressed after the effects start to wear out, and they feel extremely dehydrated. Long term usage of ecstasy can actually be fatal due to heavy loss of body fluid.
These are only a few of the party or social drugs that are available and it seems that more are being invented every day. Parents who suspect that their child is using them should take action immediately if they want to prevent their child’s life from being ruined.
More useful articles can be found at "How to Keep Your Teen Off Drugs"
Young people use them to increase their energy levels and alleviate feelings of tiredness and anxiety. They take these drugs in order to relax and feel good about themselves.
Many want to become indifferent to the external environment. As a parent, you would definitely be very conscious about how your children behave. The last thing you would want is for them to use any type of drug, which is why you should be aware of the side-effects. Here is a guide to the more commonly used type of party drugs and how they affect your body and mind when used.
Alkyl Nitrite is the chemical name given to poppers, which cause an increase in your heart rate. The amount of blood flowing through the brain and heart increases. This is what we refer to as the rush. The drug is often inhaled, and users may experience the effects immediately upon inhaling it. It also causes light headedness, dizziness and severe headache. The drug is not addictive, and users normally do not experience any withdrawal experience. However, they may develop tolerance to it if they use poppers continuously for a fortnight or so.
Amphetamine or speed is basically a kind of stimulant which affects the nervous system. Like poppers, it helps to increase the heart rate. The effects of this drug usually last for several hours after usage, even though it may take up to 30 minutes for users to notice any of the effects. Users may experience increased energy and confidence levels, while remaining extremely wide awake and hyperactive.
Withdrawal effects including feelings of restlessness, anxiety, dizziness and irritability and insomnia like symptoms are reported amongst active users. If a user stops using the drug suddenly after long term use, they may experience rapid mood changes together with extreme hunger and lethargy. It has negative fallout on the overall health of the cardiovascular and digestive systems.
Cannabis, also known as weed, is one of the most commonly used types of party drug. It has a mild effect on the physical wellbeing of the users. It causes increase in appetite, decreased blood pressure and dizziness, and is often regarded as the gateway to the usage of harder drugs such as heroine. This is why parents need to be very careful if they discover that their children are using this drug. It is also pretty addictive, and withdrawing from it can be very difficult.
The word "cocaine" often sends jitters through the spines of parents. If your child is using it, then it would be one of the worst fears. It causes physiological arousal, and users get feelings of well-being while being indifferent to fatigue and pain. This drug is extremely addictive, and damages the overall health of the user. If it is used with crack, then users are likely to suffer even more damaging effects.
Crack is another commonly used party drug. Its effects are quite similar to those of cocaine, even though they are much more extreme and intense. Users can experience the effects immediately, and they last for up to 10 minutes. Apart from the same effects as cocaine use, users often get extremely aggressive and paranoid, and it is very addictive and fatal if there is an overdose. Crack has negative fallout on the mental health and central nervous system of the user. It may take several months before users can fully recover.
We have all heard about ecstasy due to the fact that many high profile celebrities from around the world have been caught using it. Ecstasy basically affects the central nervous system and leads to increased mental activity, with users experiencing a kind of surge in euphoria followed by feelings of calmness. Users sweat profusely and may also experience nausea and a dry mouth together with an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Users feel extremely tired and depressed after the effects start to wear out, and they feel extremely dehydrated. Long term usage of ecstasy can actually be fatal due to heavy loss of body fluid.
These are only a few of the party or social drugs that are available and it seems that more are being invented every day. Parents who suspect that their child is using them should take action immediately if they want to prevent their child’s life from being ruined.
More useful articles can be found at "How to Keep Your Teen Off Drugs"
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