addiction: A FEW THOUGHTS FROM OUR TEENS.
There has been a lot of information presented so far, but we still need to understand what is driving continued drug use and what role the drugs play in your life. Let’s talk to our three experts again. Hi guys. I want to point out that you guys seem to be approaching substance use from really different walks of life. Austin, you have the more stereotypical image of a “rough around the edges” drug user. Ethan, you look like any other popular high school guy, and Sam, even though you’re not using anything, you seem set on being in the right crowd – the “fun” crowd.
A Yeah. We probably won’t all be ending up at the same party anytime soon. Austin, what did doing all of those drugs add to your life?
A Well, part of it was that I didn’t have much structure to my life when I first started getting into using. I didn’t have any hobbies, my mom was always working, I barely saw my dad and have no siblings, so I was alone a lot. I was bored. I’ve always been drawn to risk, whether through skateboarding or pulling pranks on teachers, so I wasn’t scared to try anything. Using all these drugs made life more interesting for a while. I felt good about myself, too. When I was high, all the constant buzzing in my head – the worries, the self-doubt, the negative thoughts – just stopped. I felt instantly better, for a few hours, anyway. What made you keep using?
A
I couldn’t get through the day without using something. When I wasn’t using, I was miserable – the negativity and worries piled
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up way more than they had before. I wasn’t getting as much joy out of using, but at least I could put off reality for a bit longer. Also, I think addiction runs in my family. My mom had a problem with pain killers for a long time, and my grandmother and uncle are both alcoholics. I definitely felt like there was addictive process that just took over. I never meant to get addicted, but it happened pretty fast. It’s amazing that you were able to stop, given how far in you got.
A
Yeah, well, it wasn’t easy. It’s a bit of a blur, but when I got kicked out of school, my mother dragged me to see the counselor that had helped her through her addiction. The counselor really helped me to see that I still had choices, even though it would probably get worse before getting better. I ended up going to residential treatment for youth, because I really needed to get away from all the things in my life that made me want to use. When I was in treatment, I really connected the dots and saw all the underlying issues that made me want the drugs so badly. What’s different now?
A I go to meetings with other teenagers who have had drug problems. We can relate to each other. I see a counselor regularly.
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