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Addiction in Adolescence
During the adolescence stage of development, humans go through a drastic change
cognitively, emotionally, and socially on the road to adulthood. Early adolescence is a period
where the concept of self is being developed as teens began to separate themselves from their
parents and began to gravitate more towards peers. In current times, adolescents experience a
more heightened emotional state, and the need to make life impacting decisions when compared
to past generations (Wong et al., 2021). The concern of drug and alcohol abuse and other
addictive behaviors also began to emerge. By late adolescence or emerging adulthood,
individuals seek even more emotional separation from their parents and experience more changes
in a short period of time where life changing decisions need to be made. Some of these decisions
include furthering education, career development, marriage and starting families. With so many
changes accruing and decisions being made at one time, many stressors began to influence the
path individuals choose to take in this developmental stage (Wong et al., 2021).
Research has shown that adolescents tend to engage in risky behaviors for various
reasons. These behaviors can include the consumption of substances and other addictions such as
excessive gaming and internet use. When substance abuse/addiction is introduced during this
period, it can further complicate the development of adolescents. Teens and young adults may
feel lost and alone when faced with the struggles of adolescence and emerging adulthood. This is
when adolescents may turn to substances and addictive behaviors as a way to deal with issues
and changes in their life. Adolescents may also turn to substances for a “feel-good” pleasure
experience for a sense of excitement and fun. These negative behaviors tend to be greatly
influenced by peer pressure, lack of communication and support from family, and low
socioeconomical status (Wong et al., 2021). The lack of critical thinking skills being present
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during this period of development also influences behavior and decision making as the brain is
not fully developed until the end of adolescence, around the age of 24-25 years of age.
Acceptance and influence from peers are important in early adolescence, as adolescents
began to discover their own identity and define who they are away from their parents. The need
to fit in with peers can lead an adolescent to engage in the abuse of substances and other
addictive behaviors if not surrounded by positive peer influences and positive adult role models.
In late adolescence, less supervision from parents, more influences from peers and the strive for
autonomy can lead them to addiction and hinder them from reaching their full protentional
(Wong et al., 2021). It is important for parents to monitor their children in this stage of
development to address concerning behaviors early on. Substance abuse and addictive behaviors
can have a negative impact on family systems. Parents began to worry about their children’s
well-being and safety and may began to feel hopeless. It can cause strained relationships
amongst family members, create financial problems, as well as the development of mental
health disorders occur, and potentially traumatic experiences occur (Anzalone, 2020) .
Oftentimes, adolescence is a confusing time in an individual’s life as the mind, body and
spirit are being developed. Healing and resilience from addiction and other adversities can occur
when adolescents experience love, community, and service in a holistic aspect for their mind,
body, and spirit. Spiritual development can be a vital tool in recovery and healing from the
turmoil experienced in adolescence. Spirituality can provide direction and guidance to uplift
when feeling hopeless and lost. It can also build psychological well-being and improve the
coping skills being used to adjust to life challenges and changes (Healing, 2019). It is essential
to identify and implement interventions that enhance social skills, problem solving skills and
self-confidence with individuals that are struggling with addiction/substance abuse in
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adolescence. Counselors should work with parents and adolescents to help the adolescent to
build a positive self-image, learn positive thinking habits and exploring personal attitudes like
self-respect and self-compassion to build resilience and self-esteem (Des et al., 2016).
Adolescence can be a time of stress and great turmoil for individuals in this stage of
development and their loved ones Adolescents tend to engage in risky behaviors such as
substance abuse which can lead to addiction as they become more independent while
discovering who they are and build relationships with their peers. It is important for this
population to have positive supports and connections to promote resilience and healthy
development, Further studies can be conducted to explore how early detection for at risk youths
and implementation of resilience-focused programs can promote long term therapeutic benefits
in adolescents suffering from addiction.
References
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Anzalone, C. (2020, August 24). Parents, family influence adolescent substance abuse. UBNow:
News and views for UB faculty and staff - University at Buffalo.
https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2020/08/livingston-adolescent-substance-use.html
Das, J. K., Salam, R. A., Arshad, A., Finkelstein, Y., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2016, October).
Interventions for adolescent substance abuse: An overview of Systematic Reviews. The
Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5026681/
Healing in addiction recovery: Adolescents and spirituality. Cumberland Heights. (2019, March
27). https://www.cumberlandheights.org/blogs/adolescents-and-spirituality-in-addiction-
recovery-a-path-towards-healing/
Wong, D. W., Hall, K. R., & Hernandez, L. W. (2021). Counseling Individuals Through the
Lifespan (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US).
https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781544343235
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