Veronica Cartagena

Exploring the Link Between Depression and Drug Use in Teens

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Teens who use drugs frequently have a co-occurring mental health problem, like depression, alongside their addictions. There is a particularly tight relationship between depression and teen drug use, and frequently, drug addiction recovery programs for teens incorporate psychotherapy or other mental health counseling services into their treatment plans. The link between depression and drug use in teens is complex, but understanding it can help parents and teens find the right programs for treating addiction in Fort Lauderdale for their needs.

Depression and Addiction Cycle

Researchers are unsure what comes first in teens who suffer from addiction and depression. Does depression increase the risk for drug abuse, or does drug abuse make teens more likely to experience depression? Addiction experts believe that both answers are likely to be true, and that teens who suffer from both addiction and depression come to their diseases in different ways. During psychotherapy in rehab, teens may uncover which disease existed first and contributed to the other, which can help shape their rehab and aftercare plans.

Negative Urgency

For teens whose depression is likely a trigger for their drug abuse, researchers have found that negative urgency is a common thread. Negative urgency is a way of coping with depression symptoms that includes acting rashly without thought of the consequences when faced with severe stress. Teens with depression who use negative urgency behaviors seem to have a higher rate of drug abuse connected to their depression, as they use drugs as coping mechanisms. During rehab, teens with negative urgency traits often work on building coping skills to help prevent relapses.

Drug Use Triggers

For teens who are motivated by peer pressure or other factors when they begin to use drugs, depression can be a result of the addiction. The impact of drug use on their lives in school and their personal relationships can cause stress that leads depressive symptoms. Psychological changes caused by drug abuse and the pressure of cravings can also trigger symptoms of depression.

Why the Teenage Brain Is Susceptible to Addiction

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Despite what many people believe, addiction is not a disease that only affects adults. The seeds of addition are often found in adolescence, largely because of the nature of the teenage brain. For this reason, addressing addiction recovery with programs designed for teen drug and teen alcohol counseling near Fort Lauderdale is an important part of breaking the cycle.

Watch this video to learn about how teens’ brains put them at risk for addiction. Research has shown that the DNA in their brains is more open to the addictive nature of nearly any type of drug they use. People who begin drug abuse or alcohol abuse as teens without any intervention are much more likely to develop addictions than people who begin abusing drugs or alcohol as adults.

Setting Goals for Addiction Aftercare

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Aftercare is an essential part of addiction recovery. After the initial rehab process, aftercare supports people in recovery as they transition back to their normal lives while maintaining the progress they have made. Setting goals is an important part of aftercare services in Fort Lauderdale so that individuals get the appropriate support for their needs.

For teens recovering from addiction, aftercare goals involve the whole family. These goals may involve a plan for helping teens return to school without turning to drug abuse in times of stress or a strategy for coping with peer pressure, seeing old friends, or visiting old places that can trigger addiction symptoms. Other aftercare services may include goals for ongoing counseling for family members as they rebuild relationships or address issues that contributed to the substance abuse. Each aftercare plan is personalized based on individual needs, but the common goal each plan shares is helping people transition from rehab to normal life with the tools to avoid a relapse.

Helping Teens Overcome Peer Pressure to Drink

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For teens, the pressure to drink is everywhere, and it can be overwhelming. Even teens that are committed to staying sober are vulnerable without the right tools to help them overcome peer pressure and stand their ground when offered alcohol. If you are concerned about teen alcoholism in Fort Lauderdale, help is available to get your teen back on a healthier track. To fight addiction before it starts, help your teen face underage drinking peer pressure with these tips.

Plan Excuses

It’s nearly impossible for teens to go out and not be faced with an opportunity to drink at some point. Give your teens the confidence to deal with these situations by pre-planning a few excuses they can use to save face with their friends without taking a drink. Your teen could offer to be the designated driver, blame it on his or her need to get up early for a family event the next day, or say that you always check his or her breath after a night out. When your teen has a ready-made set of excuses that stop the peer pressure but not friendships, he or she will feel more comfortable about saying no.

Get Involved

Know who your teens’ friends are, and encourage your teens to host their friends at your house from time to time so you can develop relationships with them. It also helps to connect with their friends’ parents so you can have a network of support in managing behavior, and so you can identify the parents that may have laxer attitudes about drinking. Being engaged with your kids’ friends and letting them all know your behavior expectations can take some of the pressure of off your teen.

Share Your Stories

Tell your teens stories about when you had to deal with pressure to drink as a teen or maybe about how accepting a drink led to bad consequences. Showing your teens that alcohol abuse, addiction, and peer pressure are situations you also had to face will let them know that they’re not alone and will encourage open lines of communication.

The Real Story on Alcohol and Drugs

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Addiction is a deeply personal struggle. Individuals become dependent on drugs or alcohol for vastly different reasons. Sadly, teenagers who suffer from drug addiction or alcoholism near Fort Lauderdale and do not enter rehab are significantly more likely to deal with serious problems with their educations, careers, and relationships as adults. If your teen is struggling with alcohol or drug use, make sure you know how to deal with the problem to ensure a positive future. Keep reading to learn some key facts about alcohol and drugs.

Most Teens Do Not Use Drugs

While some parents mistakenly believe that drug use is a simply a rite of passage that all teens will experience and outgrow, the truth is more complicated. While nearly 45 percent of all 12 th graders have used marijuana, only 6 percent use it on a daily basis. By comparison, only 4 percent of all 12 th graders have used cocaine, and less than 1 percent have tried heroin. If your teen is one of the relative few who is using drugs, he or she is likely to be struggling with drug abuse.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Usually Has Psychological Roots

When teens use drugs or alcohol, they are usually trying to cope with uncomfortable internal feelings. Teens may feel isolated and rely on substances to deal with feelings of depression or anxiety. They may also feel insecure or suffer with low self-esteem. In that case, teens use drugs or alcohol to try to fit in. Unfortunately, addiction can quickly set in.

Rehab Can Help End Dependency Before It Becomes Addiction

Teen substance abuse does not disappear on its own. Only support from family and friends and a comprehensive rehab program that targets mental health issues can truly help end drug or alcohol dependency before it turns into dangerous addiction. If your teen’s drug or alcohol use has started to affect his or her grades, social life, and relationship with you, it is time to consider rehab.

Tips for Listening to Your Teen

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If your teen is suffering from drug addiction or alcoholism in Fort Lauderdale, you may feel understandably frustrated. It is completely natural for parents to feel overwhelmed, sad, and even angry. However, it is important to remember that your teenager needs your love and support as he or she enters rehab. Support from family and friends is essential to overcoming any addiction. Simply listening to your son or daughter is a key part of understanding his or her struggle. Below you’ll see a few strategies that can help you communicate more effectively with your teen during and after the recovery process.

Foster Safe Environment

Fostering a safe space is the best way to get your teen to open up about addiction or alcoholism. If your teen is struggling with alcohol or drug abuse, he or she may feel understandably anxious about being punished. Instead of threatening your teen, create a safe space. Before beginning any conversation about drugs or alcohol, tell your son or daughter that you will not be discussing rules or discipline. Instead, tell your children that you are just there to listen, and there will be no disciplinary repercussions.

Ask Good Questions

Listening to your teenager talk about alcohol or drug abuse also involves asking good questions. If you simply sit silently, he or she may feel embarrassed—or as though you do not understand the situation. Even if your teen simply wants to vent, nod encouragingly throughout the conversation. When you do ask questions, calmly ask how he or she feels about losing friends, struggling at school, or having a hard time at home. Never attempt to speak for your teen or assume you know the answers to these questions.

Remove All Distractions

To encourage your teen to share, make sure to turn off your smartphone before beginning any conversation. If you are constantly interrupted by calls from your spouse, other siblings, or the office, your teenager will feel as though he or she has no support in the struggle with drug abuse or alcoholism.

Educate Your Teen on Drugs and Alcohol

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Teen recovery in Fort Lauderdale is possible for any teenager suffering from addiction. However, to prevent substance abuse from occurring to begin with, it is important to educate your son or daughter about drugs and alcohol.

Rehab is an option for anyone struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction, including teens. But it is important to remember that the road after rehab is always a struggle. Recovering alcoholics and drug addicts often have to battle temptation for the rest of their lives. To make sure your teen has a healthy, productive, and happy life, make sure you educate your son or daughter about drugs and alcohol early on. Your teenagers should always know when and how to stop drinking. Drinking as a teenager is incredibly risky, as teens are more likely to abuse alcohol. Teenagers do not know how much they can drink at once—and are also more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors like drinking and driving. Teenagers’ brains are still changing, and drugs and alcohol can wreak havoc on their brain chemistry and growing bodies. When substance abuse begins during the teenage years, it is also much more likely to persist into adulthood. Having a conversation with your teen to share these facts can prevent the cycle of addiction and ensure a lifetime of good physical and mental health.

Peer Pressure and Drug Use

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Drug addiction near Fort Lauderdale is often perpetuated by a group of people who indulge in the same bad habits. As you will learn in this video, peer pressure is an especially serious problem when it comes to drug abuse among teens.

Addiction can easily happen when drug abuse is encouraged by a teen’s close friends. Teens often begin experimenting with drugs or alcohol because their friends use substances to ease the discomfort of social situations—or simply to rebel. Without intervention at the right time, drug abuse can quickly spiral into addiction.

Recovering from an Addiction

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Parents looking for family counseling in Fort Lauderdale for their teen’s substance abuse treatment may be wondering what the process is for helping adolescents recover from an addiction. Our treatment model begins by helping the client understand that he has an addiction and that there are other ways to live and socialize. We prepare the teen with the skills that he needs to recover and connect him with community recovery support programs. We also provide aftercare services to help teens and adolescents avoid relapse and to encourage healthy behavior.

The Bougainvilla House is an outpatient counseling center designed to guide teens and adolescents away from alcoholism and drug addiction. Our center provides a safe place for your teen and our professional staff is committed to helping all of our clients make a successful recovery. At The Bougainvilla House, our policy is to continue treatment for adolescents and teens that struggle with recovery by adjusting and assessing their recovery plan to ensure their success.

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