Substance Abuse Archives | Page 6 of 8

LGBTQ Teens: How Gay-Straight Alliances Boost Mental Health

Adolescence is a turbulent time for any teen. As the developing brain prioritizes sensation, learning, and exploration over risk mitigation, teens navigate a precarious path toward self-actualization and learn to build strong relationships both within and outside their peer groups. While recent research reframes adolescent risk-taking behavior as a natural adaptation – part of an instinctive push toward learning experiences that can lead to self-sufficiency – the facts remain that

June 20, 2020

Recovery at Home During COVID-19: Online AA and NA

The coronavirus pandemic creates challenges in almost every aspect of life. Teenagers in recovery from an alcohol or substance use disorder face obstacles that many other teens do not. They’re trying to stay sober when their previous support options, such as in-person therapy, group counseling, or regular meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), are no longer available. Teens currently enrolled in addiction treatment programs can participate via

May 10, 2020

Home Life During COVID-19: Is My Teenager Craving Drugs? How Can I Tell?

Parents of teens who live with alcohol or substance use disorders face an additional challenge during the coronavirus pandemic. On top of everything new happening, such as telework, virtual school, shelter-in-place orders, and all the details related to COVID-19 that now make up part of their lives, they’re concerned how recovery is going for their teen. Before things changed, parents of teens in recovery knew their teen could get support

May 8, 2020

Parents Want to Know: What Is Huffing?

Huffing is a method teens use to inhale substances recreationally. Teens huff inhalants, such as aerosol bottles of air freshener or deodorants, by spraying them into a towel and then pressing the towel to the nose or mouth. They then inhale the concentrated fumes to achieve a short-term high. Parents need to know this fact: Huffing inhalants is extremely dangerous and can be fatal. The statistics on adolescent huffing are

April 27, 2020

Hand Sanitizer: This One COVID Commodity Can Actually be Dangerous for Teens With Substance Use Problems

With the arrival of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the U.S., hand sanitizers and similar products literally flew off the shelves in most major retail stores. Though the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends handwashing as the number-one way to prevent getting infected, hand sanitizer is in high demand for those who can’t access soap and water on the go. Big box stores, drug stores, and grocery stores are constantly replenishing

April 24, 2020

COVID-19: How Isolation Can Be Dangerous for At-Risk Teens

Medical experts from around the world have one unanimous message for everyone during the coronavirus pandemic: stay home. Most cities and states in the U.S. have issued strict shelter-in-place orders, intended to curb the spread of COVID-19. Rallying cries of “stay home, save lives” and “flatten the curve” scroll across news feeds everywhere. While isolation and quarantine policies help mitigate the impact of the virus – especially for at-risk populations,

April 17, 2020

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week 2020 Part Two: Drug Use Among Adolescents

This year, National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week takes place between March 30th and April 5th. Organizers and advocates invite teens, parents, teachers, school administrators, public policymakers, and anyone involved in the life of teenagers to get on board with the theme for 2020: NDAFW 2020: SHATTER THE MYTHS About Alcohol and Drug Use This is our second article for NDAFW 2020. Our first article gave a quick history of

March 31, 2020

The Danger of Drinking Games for Teens

Celebrations in the U.S. often feature alcohol. At sports events, concerts, parties, and sometimes school dances and proms, it’s quite common to see young adults and teenagers with alcoholic beverages in hand. This even happens when alcohol isn’t officially allowed at these events. Teens manage to sneak in alcohol anyway. Or they may pregame the event by getting drunk beforehand. Unfortunately, this practice has reached the point where parents need

March 23, 2020

Why is Adolescent Polydrug Use so Harmful?

When an individual uses two or more substances at the same time, the practice is called polydrug use. Polydrug use is particularly common among adolescents experimenting with alcohol and drugs. How Common Is Polydrug Use in Teens? One study of teens in California, conducted by the RAND research institute in Los Angeles, found that 29% of their sample of high school seniors engaged in polydrug usage in the past year.

February 19, 2020

Pros and Cons of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Your teen is addicted to heroin or other opioids. You’ve been getting lots of advice. Mental health professionals have told you about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), 12-Step programs (e.g. Nar-Anon), and adolescent drug rehab centers. You’ve also heard about detoxification (often referred to as detox), and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). For teens addicted to heroin or other opioids, traditional detox—cutting off all the substances from their system

January 23, 2020

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