Addiction Among Adolescents

Abuse and addiction are common problems with adolescents in almost all parts of the world. These two words have substantial differences which will be discussed in this context. Substance abuse indicates that someone is using something in the wrong way. Substances are abused when people smoke, drink or take illegal drugs. Addiction means that an individual has no control over the substances that he or she takes. People get addicted for medicines, glue, cocaine, marijuana or even cigarettes, among others. Normally, addiction begins as abuse after which the person cannot live without the substance. Majority of the adolescents begin by tasting substances like cocaine, marijuana, cigarette, and many others before getting used to them (Feldman, 2014). This is what is referred to as addiction in adolescence. The developing brain of an adolescent can be affected by abuse and addiction in the following ways. To begin with, drugs cause
It is noted that the adolescent stage is quick to discovering new things, ideas and acts. Therefore, a child who has been brought up in a healthy spiritual living is likely to use these substances. Peers are the destroying agents for such adolescents. Adolescents are tempted to use drugs after their friends indulge in such habits. They are eager to taste the substances and experience the feeling thereafter. Adolescents lack control of thoughts and actions. Therefore, the knowledge acquired in spiritual development may not be applied in the adolescent stage. These adolescents are likely to use and abuse drugs in order to be like their peers. A survey that was conducted on the grounds of addiction and spirituality indicated that adolescents who were considered to be more religious would smoke and take alcohol, as well as illicit drugs. The people who successfully recovered showed greater levels of spirituality and