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Addiction has powerfully negative effects on adolescents, their families and the realization of their hopes and dreams. The sad fact is that that every addict started life as a human being with great potential. The addiction, like an overwhelming cancer can consume these hopes and dreams. There are different stages of addiction. Each stage would require a different type of treatment modality. They are the early stage, the middle stage and the late or advanced stage of addiction. In adolescents, the stages of addiction can progress more quickly than as an adult, although this is not always true. It can take a few months or a few years to reach the later stages of addiction. EARLY STAGES OF ADDICTION Begins smoking cigarettes Experimentation with drugs Begins smoking pot and drinking Hangs out with the drugging and drinking crowd May steal medications from parents Urgent requests for money, cons and manipulates to get requests met Preoccupation with finding drugs and orients activities around them School problems begin, maybe truancies or begging parents to make excuses for them May not come home when requested, staying out all night Few consequences from their use Ability to control use Tolerance to using Substance use becomes a way of communicating to others Attention span decreases Lower tolerance to frustration MIDDLE STAGES OF ADDICTION Beginning to try and limit their us Blaming others for thing that are going wrong Using different types of drugs to gain control over use Withdrawing from family and friends Stealing Academic decline and truancy Mood swings Lying Increase in time spent in using substances Changes in personal appearance Arguments within the family Legal difficulties Loss of control LATE STAGES OF ADDICTION Suspension or being expelled from school Increase in anxiety Lowered self esteem Increase in legal issues Blackouts Passing out Signs of withdrawal symptoms Unable to control substance use Isolating Anger outbursts Denial of using Weekend binges or daily use Paranoia Begins to steal, deal or prostitute to support their habit Weight gain or weight loss Stops trying to hide their use Addiction is chronic, progressive and sometimes fatal. There are many forms of treatment for adolescent addiction. No one single treatment is effective for all individuals. Treatment must touch on all facets of the adolescent's life. Social, family, school, legal and medical are just some areas that need to be a focus on, in treatment. If the adolescent is using heroin, medication management may be successful, such as buprenorphine or methadone. If an adolescent is using drugs, the best form of treatment always includes the family. Family participation and counseling is vital in providing proper treatment to the adolescent. Without family participation, the chances of the adolescent getting into recovery are low.
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Wendy McLellan MA, LCDPII is a licensed mental health and substance abuse counselor, with more than sixteen years of experience. She has recently devoted time to the efforts of www.safecomputerkids.com in their goal to provide parental internet safety tools and resources to the public.
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