Teen Substance Use and Trauma

Teen Substance Use and Trauma

We all know teens who have tried drugs or alcohol at one time or another. There are many reasons or theories as to why teens use drugs or alcohol or even try it to begin with. The reasons vary from peer pressure to a way to cope with life. Children or teens see their parent use alcohol or drugs as a way to cope with life stressors and so they believe this is normal. They are not taught there is different and better ways to deal with stress or life issues then using alcohol or drugs. Teens see the only way to deal with life is to use.  

Another major reason teens use alcohol or drugs is trauma. Trauma could mean different things. Trauma is when someone has a life altering crisis happen that effects how they view life around them. This could be something as drastic as sexual abuse or assault to a parents’ divorce or witnessing or experiencing some kind of violence. What many teens and adults try to do is use alcohol or drugs to cover up the negative feelings of the trauma they have experienced. It is a way to cope.

Why this it is such a problem of course is because then teens become addicted. Then they have another problem on top of the trauma. Some teens can go through one trauma or multiple and not have any drug or alcohol use issue. This I believe comes from having supports to help them through the trauma and deal with it in a healthy way. While other teens do not have these supports or resilience in order to not begin to use. There are many factors that play into this equation.

If they choose to use then they of course usually have more problems on top of the trauma. There are legal issues, school, peers, friends, family, and the list goes on. Teens who have experienced trauma want to hide the problem. They do not want to deal with the negative feelings. For some it is better to get high then to deal with the pain of the trauma.  They want to appear “normal” and fit in with their peers.

So as a parent how do you know if your child or teen has experienced a trauma or multiple traumas? Well or starters be aware of who they are spending time with. Try to have open communication with your child or teen. Explain to them at an early age what healthy coping skills are and what is not healthy. Remind your child or teen that drinking or using drugs is not a healthy way to cope with life’s problems. Help your child or teen healthy ways to deal with stress so when it comes they can at least try to deal with it in a healthy way.

Watch for signs of depression in your teens. Things to look for is if they are withdrawing more than normal, dropping grades, change in sleep or eating patterns, withdrawing from friends. If there are major life events going on in your family or in your teen’s life be aware of how these things, like a divorce are effecting your children and teens.

Things like divorce last longer than the initial break up and divorce. There are still stressors, many of them ongoing for a while after the divorce. Be aware of what is happening when they are with their other parent. Children or teens that have been through a divorce have to deal with blended families, holidays, school and life events, and can sense tension between their parents. This causes great stress for these children and teens. 

This is true of other traumas too. There is the initial traumatic event, but the effects can last for years to come if not for a life time. To best help your child or teen is to help them deal with the trauma they have experienced in a healthy way. This would be done by getting mental health services, talking about feelings, acknowledging the issue and problem solving. Starting this from the beginning of the traumatic event will hopefully help your child or teen learn to cope with stress the right way.

If this is not done, if a child or teen is not allowed to express themselves or given a chance to talk things out, then they are more likely to turn to using substances to deal with way they feel. They see using substances as a way to numb or forget the problem. The problem is of course is still there. It doesn’t go away. Then the teen tries harder and harder to forget the problem. So they use more and more. It becomes a cycle.

Also, remember your teen is watching the adults around them to see how they handle life’s problems. So, parents do you drink when you are stressed? Do you drink around your children or teen? Do you talk about drugs and alcohol use to your children? How old do you start these talks? Live by example with your children. 

Part of helping a teen with substance use issues is getting to the bottom of the problem. Why they use. For many teens this is painful because they have buried it for so long. So, how do we help these teens?

Well, for starters we help them figure out why they use to begin with. There is a reason they are using. Then helping them deal with that reason or reasons, and then helping the teen learn new, healthier ways of coping with stress and life in general. They will most likely need help with finding new supports, friends, job, school, and so on. Hopefully this can all be done before they get into too much trouble with courts, school or other authorities.

But, sadly for many teens they have been using longer than their parents realize. They have become addicted and need serious help to overcome their drug use issue.  This will involve lots of supports and helping services and care for these teens. For many teens it could take many times of failing to figure out they actually have a problem. They have the mindset they do not have a problem or they want to fit in and “be cool” with their peers. They usually end up in the court system because they have gotten in trouble.

As a parent it is important to acknowledge that your teen has a problem. If you as the parent ignore the problem then your teen will think it is okay and continue. Just because your teen has a drug or drinking problem does not mean you failed as a parent. What it does mean is that your teen and your family need help. Asking for help is the first step in the right direction. Don’t be afraid to make that step! Your teen’s life could depend on it!

Teens use alcohol and drugs for many reasons. Knowing what those reasons are can be very helpful to you and the children and teens around you. Teaching children and teens how to cope with life stressors is the first step in preventing a substance use problem to begin with. As well as being aware of what is going on in your children’s lives and if something has happened to them seeking the right services to help your child or teen cope with the trauma and pain they have suffered.