Substance Use in Teens

This blog is intended to be informative. It is not intended to be a complete guide or in any way seen as a complete understanding of teen drug use.

There are many factors to consider when thinking about teen substance use, such as which substances are being used, the environment in which they are used, frequency, and possibly most importantly, the reason they are being used. All of these factors are interrelated and thus must be considered together when trying to understand substance use. For the purposes of this blog however, the focus will be on understanding the why teens may use substances and how this impacts development.

The purpose substance use serves can be multifaceted and complex, however we can separate reasons for use into two categories to make it simpler. Generally speaking, substances are used to enhance an experience or escape an experience. Enhancing might mean making a concert more exciting or enhancing the connection a teen feels with their friends by using a substance with their peers. Escaping is numbing, avoiding, or detaching from emotions in a given situation e.g. “I feel much less anxious and awkward if I smoke weed before a social event”. Wishing to enhance an experience is a natural human drive. The human brain loves novelty and most substances release and/or mimic certain neurotransmitters (chemicals) in the brain that make us feel good. Wishing to escape pain and discomfort is also a basic instinct all humans possess. Thus, the desire to use a substance to numb anger, anxiety, depression, etc. makes perfect sense. 

A crucial problem with regularly escaping and enhancing life experiences though, is that it keeps teens from developing the ability to tolerate day-to-day life. During the teen years, the brain is in some of the most critical stages of developing its ability to regulate emotions and think in a rational and critical manner. With substance use the brain is receiving outside chemicals that make it nearly impossible for it to learn how much of a particular neurotransmitter it needs to produce on its own to create a healthy, regulated person. Instead, the teen brain begins to rely on an outside source for chemicals to regulate since it believes it does not need to make these chemicals for itself. In addition, if a teen routinely uses a substance they are not allowing themselves to learn how to tolerate discomfort and regulate through it. Instead, they end up decreasing their tolerance to discomfort and relying more on the substance to manage day-to-day experiences (e.g. boredom, anxiety, sadness, anger). Thus, we can see the way in which a teen can inadvertently become dependent upon substance use and possibly reduce their ability to experience and/or regulate emotions. 

Ultimately, experimenting with substances is not uncommon amongst teens and is not necessarily cause for panic. However, substance use should always be viewed as something that is risky with potential for serious consequences. By simply breaking down the appeal and the concrete consequences associated with substance use, teens are able to better understand the choice they are making and why they are making them. This in turn, decreases the novelty of substance use and also gives opportunity for an informed choice which decreases likelihood of impulsive action and overall likelihood of substance use. 

Best, 

Paige Campbell, LMFT# 129525

https://thrivetherapyandcounseling.com/paige-campbell

916-287-3430