Adolescent Drinking Could Cause Severe Problems in the Future

It may seem unlikely to you that your child could have a drinking problem, but young adults are vulnerable to developing substance misuse issues – and when adolescents get addicted to alcohol, the consequences are often dire. What makes adolescence such a sensitive time, and is there anything you can do to prevent your teen from heading down a self-destructive path?

Adolescence Is a Critical Time for Preventing Substance Abuse

The earlier teens begin experimenting with adolescent drinking, the higher the chances they will develop a substance misuse disorder later in life. Drugs rewire the brain’s reward pathways, which can lead to addiction and other behavioral health problems. If you’re a teen’s parent or guardian, you have a pivotal part to play in reducing their risk of developing a drinking problem and the various mental and physical health issues that accompany it.

For teens and adults alike, risk of alcohol abuse increases sharply during stressful circumstances. Many teenagers undergo tumultuous life events like moving, having their parents get divorced or starting at a new school. When children graduate from middle school to high school, they may face a dizzying new array of life challenges, including unfamiliar social and academic situations. For many students, this transition coincides with the time they initially get exposed to underaged drinking.

Substance Use Interferes With Teen Brain Development

During adolescence, many teens flirt with risky behavior as they begin testing their boundaries and accepting more responsibilities at home and school. The desire to have new experiences and fit in socially is healthy, but it may also make teenagers more susceptible to adolescent drinking. No matter how responsible you think your teenager is, research has shown that the rational, decision-making part of the brain does not fully mature until around age 25. An adolescent’s ability to display good judgment might go by the wayside when friends pressure them to drink in social settings.

Because teens’ brains are still developing, adolescent drinking has a higher potential to disrupt brain function in areas that play essential roles in memory, learning, judgment and behavior, which could cause severe problems later in life. It’s not entirely surprising that teens who drink often struggle at home and academically, and can develop mental health problems such as depression at greater rates.

Since alcohol lowers inhibitions, adolescent drinking could also lead teens to do illegal or dangerous things like:

• Driving under the influence
• Having unprotected sex
• Experimenting with harder drugs
• Skipping school or work

These risks could have a ripple effect that leads to ramifications like sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy, a criminal record, a worsening substance use disorder, job loss or expulsion from school.

What Can You Do About Adolescent Drinking?

As children transition into young adulthood, they may start acting secretive or stop doing previously enjoyable hobbies. While these are expected parts of adolescence, they could also be warning signs of a teen’s struggle with addiction. Keep the lines of communication open, and ensure your child knows they can come to you with any questions or concerns. You may want to role-play a few scenarios to give them practice in politely turning down a friend who offers them a drink.

If you’re concerned that your child may have a substance use disorder or a mental health challenge such as anxiety or depression, ask your family doctor. You may also want to research young adult addiction treatment facilities like Hope Academy to get your teen the specialized help they need to avoid severe problems in the future. Contact us today to learn more about what we provide.

Millennials and Addiction

Are Millennials more at risk for addiction? Some studies say yes — and perhaps one reason is that the adolescent brain, which is impulsive and risk-taking, is wired to get addicted to things.

From e-cigarettes to smartphones, a Bustle magazine highlighted some aspects of millennial life that create the possibility of “an addiction loop in the brain, creating a driving need, going into withdrawal if denied, and needing more and more to keep itself happy and rewarded.”

Here’s a quick summary:

E-cigarettes: They are now the number-one tobacco product among Millennials, and young people are particularly vulnerable to its effects, according to the Surgeon General. These include nicotine addiction, use of other addictive substances, reduced impulse control, deficits in attention and cognition deficits and mood disorders.

Cell phones: Being attached to your smartphone can trigger a behavioral addiction, which produces some of the same effects in the brain as substance use disorder, including withdrawal.

Gaming: Specifically multiplayer online gaming (think Pokemon Go) has been linked to behavioral addiction among adolescents. One study notes that this can lead to “preoccupation with gaming, lying gaming use, lost interest in other activities, withdrawal from family and friends, and the use of gaming as a means of psychological escape, noted the article.

Multi-tasking: Constantly switching from Facebook to email to twitter – also known as multi-tasking – has been linked to addictive behavior. And it can also put you at risk for reduced brain volume and emotional intelligence, according to a 2016 study cited in the article.

Addiction Treatment for Young Adults
At Hope Academy, our young adult program is designed to help you change destructive behaviors and make lasting changes that will have a positive impact on your life and long-term health. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

New Evidence Shows Why Adolescents Are Vulnerable to Addiction

Studies have shown that teens are more vulnerable to the effects of addictive substances like cocaine and nicotine than are adults, but scientists had been unable to identify why this is true. Now, two studies with mice by investigators at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a likely cause.

The eIF2 molecule is essential for protein synthesis, and its subunit, eIF2a, is a key factor in regulating this process. In the two studies published together in the journal eLife, results showed that the regulatory activity of eIF2a in adolescents was reduced in the presence of the addictive substances.

Results Confirmed in Both Studies 
The two similar studies, one with cocaine, the other with nicotine, produced evidence of how the addictive substances reduced the activity of eIF2a molecules in adolescents, but not for adults.

Study 1: Adolescent and adult mice were injected with saline or a low-dose of cocaine. Results showed that cocaine led to a reduction in the eIF2a activity in the adolescents, but not in the adults.

Then, investigators tested the effects of cocaine on adult mice in which the production of proteins controlled by eIF2a molecules was altered, and on adolescent mice whose eIF2a activity was increased. Results showed that the adults with altered eIF2a activity demonstrated the same susceptibility to cocaine-induced changes as shown in adolescents, and the adolescents whose eIF2a activity had been increased showed greater resistance to the effects of the drug.

Study 2: Similar experiments were carried out on mice using nicotine instead of cocaine. Results showed that the different effects on adolescents and adults were also true for this drug.

In addition, this study identified a genetic variation in eIF2a which affects how smokers’ brains respond to reward. Evidence of this finding was confirmed with functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Advancing Addiction Education & Treatment 
According to Andon Placzek, lead author of the nicotine study, the results of these studies could help to educate young people about the risks of experimenting with addictive drugs. “They could also help discover a new way to fight addiction in both adolescents and adults, for example by altering the activity of eIF2a in the brain.”

Addiction Help for Young Adults
For young people, addiction to drugs or alcohol disrupts a promising future and destroys the opportunity for a fulfilled and productive life. Addiction treatment at Hope Academy restores opportunity with effective modalities, sober living, and academic and career counseling. If your young adult loved one is caught up in substance abuse, dial 866.930.4673 to speak with one of our recovery advisors and begin the enrollment process for your loved one now.

Source: eLife. "Studies explain adolescents' vulnerability to addictive drugs." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 March 2016.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160301103108.htm