Teen Substance Abuse and Mental Health

There is a direct relationship between substance abuse and mental health, meaning that
substance abuse can result in mental health issues and vice versa. Teenage is a phase of growth
characterized by the need to explore and experiment. Teens who experiment with drugs put their
health and safety at risk. Various factors contribute to drug abuse, including easy accessibility,
insecurities, and a constant desire for social acceptance. Drug use is also associated with poor
judgment. Substance use and addiction can therefore result in mental illnesses. Substance use
affects some brain functioning, leading to mental health conditions such as impulse control
disorders, schizophrenia, mood, and anxiety. At the same time, mental health issues can result in
substance abuse. For instance, a teenager having post-traumatic mental disorder can result in
substance abuse as a coping strategy. Therefore, there is an association between teenage
substance abuse and mental health, which need to be addressed by taking the necessary
measures. This case focuses on mental health conditions as a precursor of teenage drug and
substance abuse.
Teenage substance abuse and addiction are symptoms of underlying and unaddressed
conditions, such as past traumas and mental disorders. Research postulates that teenagers with
mental health disorders are more likely to develop substance abuse at some point in their lives.
When the co-occurring mental disorders in teens are left unaddressed, they resort to self-
medication through substance abuse, leading to addiction and physical dependence. Such is
common in teens, especially because they feel ashamed of drawing attention to disturbing issues.
Mental disorders and substance abuse feed each other in that an addicted teenager believes that
the only way to get relief is through depending on illicit substances (Hadland et al., 2018). Teens
turn to drugs and alcohol due to the influence of addiction to cope with the feeling of low self-

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esteem, anxiety, depression, and other complex conditions. Therefore, addiction, a mental health
condition, results in more urge to use drugs as the system becomes dependent.
Teenagers take drugs such as alcohol to cope with antisocial personality disorder. The
urge for substance abuse begins with the desire to fit in. Illicit substances can lower inhibitions
and allow individuals to act freely with no regard for consequences. Such explains the definitive
connection between teenage mortality resulting from motor accidents and alcohol consumption.
Teen alcohol use increases the probability of developing an antisocial personality disorder.
However, the symptoms of these disorders appear in the early life of an individual and are
interpreted as behavioral issues. The use and addiction to alcohol only exaggerate symptoms
such as impulsivity, rebellion, lack of remorse, and disregard for the law, among others (Hadland
et al., 2018). Teens need to know that it is possible to cope with a pre-existing antisocial
personality disorder without using alcohol and other illicit substances.
The other commonly abused drug is cocaine, whose addiction is associated with anxiety
disorders. The impact of cocaine triggers an existing anxiety disorder or contributes to its
development. As a stimulant, cocaine enhances senses leading to a feeling of delusions and
dissociated euphoria. Besides, it makes the most introverted people erase feelings of self-doubt
ad social anxiety. However, once the addiction and dependency on cocaine develop, the relapse
of the same symptoms leads to increased anxiety and paranoia. Moreover, teenagers with pre-
existing anxiety disorders tend to use cocaine to self-medicate (Hadland et al., 2018). As a
stimulant, cocaine erases the feeling of agitation, insomnia, depression, and intense cravings,
among others. Nevertheless, the state of anxiety may increase due to changes in the biochemical
composition of the brain caused by cocaine addiction. Coping with co-occurring mental
conditions and addiction requires that the teenager learns about the triggers and coping strategies.

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Schizophrenia is associated with the use of marijuana. Teenagers who experience early
symptoms of schizophrenia remain in denial. They are reluctant to admit that they have problems
with their mental health, especially because of the fear of being judged (Hadland et al., 2018).
These people use marijuana and other illicit substances for self-medication without realizing that
substances exacerbate the condition. People experience a relaxing effect after smoking and often
consider it therapeutic. However, the feeling results from adverse reactions to the drugs, which
lead to anxiety and paranoia. Normalization of substance use in contemporary society has posed
significant consequences. The severity of these substances is underestimated, and the effects are
only felt when one becomes addicted (Hadland et al., 2018). Therefore, a pre-existing mental
condition such as schizophrenia, the most stigmatized mental disorder in society, can lead to a
teenager seeking self-medication by taking marijuana.
Depression is another common mental condition among teenagers that often leads to drug
or substance use. The development phase marks a transition from childhood to adulthood and is
characterized by self-identity. Individuals become more aware of things happening around them,
and the reality of life opens before their eyes. The adolescence age consists of complex decision-
making on social matters, including careers and relationships. As a result of this transition to
independence, teenagers develop psychological conditions like depression (Riquelme, 2018).
Because life has to move on, some opt to use drugs to cope with the change. Heroin is the most
commonly abused drug in ‘curing’ depression. Its interaction with brain receptors triggers the
production of hormones such as serotonin and dopamine. These biochemicals are responsible for
positive mentals experiences, such as pleasure and euphoria. Besides, heroin causes the
overproduction of neurotransmitters, which decreases the natural production of these hormones

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(Hadland et al., 2018). The implication is taking higher doses of heroin to experience similar
effects needed for depression management. This leads to heroin addiction or dependence.
Admittedly, teenagers have used opioids as management for post-traumatic stress
disorder. PTSD is not only limited to disaster survivors and war veterans. Any traumatic event is
a trigger to PTSD. The symptoms associated with this condition, such as flashbacks and anxiety,
make teens desperate for relief. Abusing such powerful prescription opioids causes emotional
numbness, dissociation, and euphoric pleasure, temporarily relieving these symptoms. The
existing misinformation regarding the safety of prescription drugs has influenced an increase in
teen prescribed drug use (Hudgins et al., 2019). Opioids affect brains, and their prescription
provides a gateway to heroin abuse. Access to prescribed painkillers contributes to overdoses of
opioids leading to addiction. PSTSD increases the risk of overdose mainly when used to address
triggered episodes.
From a Christian perspective, teenage substance abuse and mental health are related. The
two can be considered pandemic within a pandemic. God placed many things in the world for
people to enjoy, including clean air and sunshine. However, there are other things that God
required people to consume with precaution because using them might be calamitous, like in the
case of man-eating the forbidden fruit (Grim & Grim, 2018). Basing the argument on this
perspective, the use or too much use of some things can cause severe damage to individuals’
health and society’s well-being. Illicit substances such as alcohol, heroin, and other prescription
drugs can cause addiction. The Bible gives various warnings about the dangers associated with
intoxication. In the book of 1 Peter 5:8, Peter tells readers that they are likely to make mistakes
and bad choices when they are not sober. Teenagers should consider alternative coping strategies

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like seeking social support before resorting to drugs to treat pre-existing mental health
conditions.
Moreover, Christians argue that emphasizing the biological aspect of healing mental
conditions has had extraordinary benefits. However, healing comes with unnecessary costs and
risks. People have continuously disregarded the significant role of spiritual aspects of healing as
a better alternative to drugs. The consequences are dire: the development of PTSD, mood
disorders, and anxiety, among other conditions arising from addiction. Therefore, there is a need
to recognize the importance of spirituality in the treatment and healing of mentally-challenging
patients. Treating mental health conditions should embrace the traditional paradigm of body,
mind, and spirit (Grim & Grim, 2019). Religious involvement and spiritual support can
effectively deal with teenage substance use and mental health prevention and recovery.
In a nutshell, it can be argued that mental health conditions are a precursor for substance
abuse among teens. Teenage is a phase of growth associated with self-identity and self-
awareness. At this stage, people start realizing they have a pre-existing mental health condition
that needs to be addressed to fit in and perform like the rest. Unfortunately, some use substances
to address their conditions instead of seeking better coping strategies such as support systems.
Substance use worsens their conditions by influencing the development of other mental
conditions such as anxiety and depression. People should consider embracing the traditional
paradigm of healing the body, mind, and spirit from a Christian perspective. Parents should also
ensure that they are part of their children’s life to avoid cases where teenagers feel unfit and seek
comfort in drugs. Such has detrimental effects on their mental health and general well-being.

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References

Grim, B. J., & Grim, M. E. (2019). Belief, behavior, and belonging: How faith is indispensable
in preventing and recovering from substance abuse. Journal of Religion and Health,
58(5), 1713-1750.
Hadland, S. E., Bagley, S. M., Rodean, J., Silverstein, M., Levy, S., Larochelle, M. R., … &
Zima, B. T. (2018). Receipt of timely addiction treatment and association of early
medication treatment with retention in care among youths with opioid use disorder.
JAMA Pediatrics, 172(11), 1029-1037.
Hudgins, J. D., Porter, J. J., Monuteaux, M. C., & Bourgeois, F. T. (2019). Prescription opioid
use and misuse among adolescents and young adults in the United States: A national
survey study. PLoS Medicine, 16(11), e1002922.
Riquelme, M., García, O. F., & Serra, E. (2018). Psychosocial maladjustment in adolescence:
Parental socialization, self-esteem, and substance use. Anales de Psicología, 34(3), 536.