Adolescence is a period of transition from being a child to being an adult, a period full of anxiety as well as curiosity, where role confusion is experienced on the way to identity acquisition. During this period, while children move away from their families, they try to establish their own social environment and become the desired person there. The onset of substance use largely occurs in these social environments. According to research, the majority of first-time drug users are young people under the age of 18. Experts list the main reasons that push young people to try substance use as follows:
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Curiosity,
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The desire to be accepted in the social environment,
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Stress,
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Emotional difficulties in your life,
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Desire to escape.
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Drugs create addiction by directly affecting the brain. This physical dependence is often accompanied by the above factors, and it becomes inevitable for the young person who experiences relief after the first try to try the second one. As the level of addiction increases, the person begins to experience crises when he cannot access the drug and begins to develop side problems that affect his entire system, such as depression, anxiety disorder, aggression, sleep disorders, and eating problems. Moreover, substance use that begins at a young age is highly likely to continue as an addiction in adulthood if left untreated.
According to the 2016 report of the Green Crescent, substance use is increasing in Turkey, especially among young people. If we try to look at the bright side, the demand for treatment is also increasing. So, once detected, the chances of it being fixed are pretty high. The report states that the following signs should be paid attention to in order to detect substance use:
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Grades falling too low,
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Bloodshot eyes,
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Laughing for no reason,
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Decreased interest in the environment,
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Decrease in self-care ,
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Avoiding eye contact,
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Permanently feeling hungry,
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His breath or clothes smell of smoke,
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He constantly hides something,
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A state of unusual tiredness,
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Don't run away from home.
Of course, these factors, alone or together, should not be taken as definitive evidence of substance use, but they are seen as important signs for families to be a little more careful and increase their communication with their children. The best way to understand this is to have a direct and close communication with your child.
Adolescence is one of the periods when the need to be seen, respected and understood as a subject is most intense. The individual who tries to leave childhood and become an adult wants to show that he is no longer a child, that he has his own feelings and thoughts and that he has as much say as an adult. But to the parents, he is a child who is not yet mature enough to make his own decisions because he physically appears that way. Conflicts between adolescents and their families often arise from this. The adolescent, who is not seen as a subject, tends to engage in risky behavior to show this in his social environment. When his family puts a ban on this, this is seen as a chance for him to make his own decision, and by breaking that ban, for example by running away from home, he shows his family that he is a separate person from them. To avoid this, what families need to do is to maintain a communication based on understanding and respect with their children. No matter how small your child may seem to you, your child may not feel small, and it may be important for him/her that his/her words and decisions are taken seriously, which is undoubtedly important for someone in adolescence. Showing that you are interested in his/her feelings and thoughts on a certain subject will prevent your child from looking for other environments to show himself/herself.
It may be important to try even when it seems like it is too late. As mentioned above, the demand for treatment, as well as substance use, is increasing among young people. Therefore, when you suspect your child is using substances, the best thing to do is to ask him or her in a supportive and understanding way. Because social support is the most important tool in the treatment of substance use.
When detected, various psychological treatment techniques can be followed in addition to drug treatment to prevent physical need. Provide individual therapy to children in line with their wishes Family therapy, which includes all family members, can also be followed. Of course, the child is not alone in individual therapy; families have a big role. While young people are helped to find more functional techniques to cope with their problems, families are also given psycho-education, and a process is followed in which the points they need to pay attention to, such as communicating effectively, being honest, supportive and understanding, or to avoid recurrence after treatment, are followed. In family therapies, conflicts within the family, communication problems and environmental problems are directly addressed.
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