Get Help Today

866.870.6948

Are you looking for treatment for your teen? The National Resource Center can help you choose the right program to help your teen get back on track.

Teenage Drug Abuse

Teenage Drug Abuse

Parents who are informed are parents who can best cope with the pressures and influences their children face when it comes to alcohol and drug use. Many parents of today grew up during those decades of exploding youth drug experimentation, so they believe they know and understand the temptations and the risks their pre-teen and adolescent children face. There are many designer drugs available today that did not exist 20 or 30 years ago. Marijuana potency has increased exponentially in the last 20 years. And to this day myths persist about alcohol that leads many parents to tragically miss signs of serious trouble because they think it is "just alcohol."

Cough Syrup Abuse

Cough syrup preparations are also fast becoming one of the most common drugs of abuse among teens. The active ingredient of many cough syrups is dextromethorphan (DXM), which if taken in large doses can cause visual hallucinations and a heightened sense of awareness - in other words, a cheap high.

Learn more about Cough Syrup Abuse

Teen Meth Use and Abuse

Although the use of crystal methamphetamine - "Meth" - among youth may be decreasing on the national level, certain areas of the United States continue to face significant problems with this potent and highly addictive substance. In addition, not all current research agrees about the prevalence of Meth use among youth and young adults. Although Meth is used by a small percentage of the American population, its extreme potency and potential for severe physical, behavioral, and social consequences keeps it a pressing concern in many communities.

Learn more about Methamphetamine Use Among Youth

Pharm Parties

Drug Testing Trends at School and in the Workplace

Bookmark and Share

Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles

Study examines how the brain perceives stress

By Staff Writer

Soldiers who engage in combat are frequently exposed to trauma that could lead to the development of psychological conditions that require cognitive therapy, such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers recently released the results of a study they conducted to analyze the effect stress has on how the brain perceives threats.

The study, which is published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, analyzed 36 soldiers who took part in the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2010. Soldier brain activity was measured before and after taking the mission. A control group of equal size had received combat training, but remained in the barracks.

Study results revealed that the brains of the soldiers who participated in the mission adapted to continuous exposure to stress. Though these individuals did not develop PTSD, their combat experiences did have an effect on the parts of the brain that regulate vigilance and emotion. In addition, this effect was seen to persist at least two months after they had returned home.

These results led researchers to conclude that changes to the brain can be caused by combat experiences. 

 

Home

Categories


Archive

Not Your Parents' Drug: Marijuana Potency Reaches All-Time High

Marijuana Potency

A recent report by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy indicates that the marijuana being smoked by today's teenagers is significantly more potent than that used by previous generations.

Read Marijuana Potency Reaches All-Time High.

The Risks of Hosting Teen Parties

The Risks of Hosting Teen Parties

Parents who host teen parties should be aware of their liability should teens sneak in alcohol. Saying that you did not allow the alcohol is not enough to protect you, especially if you let these teens drive home and they cause an accident.

Read about Parent's Liability When Hosting Teen Parties.

Create - Connect - Communicate

Create - Connect - Communicate

Learn strategies to keep in touch with your children before they become teenagers and you will be in a better position to understand the pressures they face and communicate your concerns and expectations.

Create a safe, supportive environment for teaching about the dangers of drug and alcohol use.

Connect with teens to find out what they know, how they feel. what pressures they face.

Communicate clearly what you expect and what the consequences of use will be.

The word "expectations" may have negative connotations, but by letting your child know what behaviors you will and will not accept, you help set the tone for their adolescence.

Teens who know their parents will not tolerate illegal drug use tend to resist peer pressure better than those whose parents avoid the issue.

Click here to learn more...

Treatment Resources:

Teen Drug Rehabs

Adult Drug Rehabs