Teenagers in the quest to explore themselves and the world around them, try to experiment with things and take risks, all while dealing with expectations and performance stresses. And in the absence of appropriate supervision, they sometimes get off the track.
Immaturity of their age, lack of knowledge and experience, and vulnerability have made kids as young as 12 years turn to substance misuse.
When surveyed across the nation, it was found that 1 in 8 teenagers in the US was abusing illicit psychoactive substances in 2020.
Although there could be a dozen of reasons why they start abusing drugs, some of them could be as unusual as simple boredom. Statistics also suggest that children who are bored and have access to cash are 50% more likely to engage in harmful addictive habits.
Read further along to find out about five more of such strange reasons why teens use drugs.
1. Wanting to Look Cool and Mature
Teenage is the time when children strive for freedom the most, especially because their parents are protective and restrain them from doing things. They want to grow up fast and be able to take their own decisions. On top of that, they always want to stand out and impress their fellow folks.
In the wake of trying to showcase themselves as cool grown-ups, they are keen to try alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, more so, if they are already exposed to such things around them.
2. Desire to Fit In
Teenagers often encounter situations where they feel compelled to do certain things they otherwise won’t. More like an indirect form of peer pressure.
In the attempts to make friends or belong among the seemingly cool and popular social circles that indulge in binge drinking, drug house parties, and smoking events to have ‘fun’ and feel high, they start misusing as well.
Sometimes when they are rejected and feel isolated or worthless, the resulting anxiety or depression might also stimulate them to try intoxication.
Especially, girls in their growing years usually feel conscious about their appearances and bodies. They might try to self-medicate themselves to lose weight and feel better about themselves.
3. Inquisitive and Rebellious Nature
It’s not always stress that drives teens down the road to substance abuse. Sometimes it also relates to age-induced personality odds such as curiosity, the urge to take risks and defiance.
Children tend to adopt what they witness around them. If they find their parents and peers casually enjoying drinking and smoking, they are more likely to feel tempted to experience them too.
However, at times their obstinacy towards drug use is simply a result of insurgency. It’s not very uncommon in teenagers that the more you try to prevent them from doing something, the more irresistible it becomes for them.
4. Boost Performance
In the deficit of proper knowledge of use, students might try to abuse performance-enhancing psychoactive drugs like attention-augmenting caffeine or energy-escalating stimulants to cope with the pressure to ace exams and club activities, increase self-confidence or get ahead of their peers.
But continued use can show a negative impact instead. If that’s what your teenager is going through too, the Orlando treatment program extended by WhiteSands rehab is offering professional help to rehabilitate teens and adults back from SUD.
5. To Relax and Escape Troubles
Tension to perform well on the next test, pressure to prove their worth to teachers, parents, and friends, career aspirations, hassles for approval from peers, dating issues, conflicts at home, and whatnot, teenagers indeed have a lot on their plate to deal with.
As they start feeling overwhelmed by their day-to-day struggles and can’t find someone to share their emotions with, they might resort to addictive drugs to relax, feel better and be more confident about themselves.
Conclusion
Irrespective of the reasons, parents should make children understand that while drugs might provide a temporary stress relief or a momentary sense of reward, their irresponsible use can have lasting effects on their minds and bodies.