Health Effects Of Teen Substance Abuse

The Impact Of Teen Substance Abuse On Health

Alcohol and drug abuse can create short-term and long-term health effects for the user, which can be particularly harmful during the teenage years. Since the teenage brain is still developing, drugs and alcohol can have stronger effects on the brain, creating long-term consequences on learning, memory, and decision-making.

Fortunately, there are ways to help your teen recover from their addiction and live a healthy, successful, and purposeful life.

How Substance Abuse Affects Teens’ Brains

Research has shown that dramatic spurts of critical development in the brain and body occur during the teenage years. The adolescent brain undergoes a reduction in grey matter volume, accompanied by an increase in white matter volume, changes in synapse connections for emotional control, an increase in dopamine expression, and a refinement of the GABA neurotransmitter system.

All of these changes are important and necessary for the development towards adulthood, including improvements in decision-making skills and sharpening the memory circuits. These changes last throughout the teenage years and into the early-mid 20s of adulthood, which is when alcohol misuse often begins.

This crucial developmental period results in changes in mood, behavior, cognition, increased reward sensitivity, and a decrease in inhibition. Since teenage brains are undergoing numerous changes, there are deficits in executive function compared to the adult brain, meaning that teenagers may struggle with making informed decisions.

All of these changes contribute to an increase in impulsive behaviors, which is why teens are more susceptible to alcohol and drug misuse at this age. Addiction affects the brain’s ability to function in the short term and hinders proper growth and development in the long term. Impairment in learning and memory is the most considerable effect that alcohol and drugs can have on the teenage brain.

Other effects substance abuse can have on the teenage brain include:

• Interfering with neurotransmitters and damaging connections within the brain.
• Reducing the ability to experience pleasure.
• Causing missed opportunities during a period of heightened learning potential.
• Ingraining expectations of unhealthy habits into brain circuitry.
• Inhibiting the development of perceptual abilities.
• An increased risk of learning disabilities
• An increased risk of mood disorders, such as teen depression.
• An increased risk of teenage anxiety disorders.

Addiction is a disease that rewires the brain and changes how the reward center reacts to pleasure. As teen drug use increases, the brain and body crave the euphoric dopamine rush from drugs and alcohol. As a result, your teenager may have a difficult time cutting back or stopping misuse, no matter how hard they try, or regardless of the consequences their addiction has on many aspects of their life.

Health Effects Of Underage Drinking

Since underage drinking is often based on accessibility, teenagers tend to be more likely than adults to binge drink. People who begin drinking during adolescence, especially those who drink a lot, are more likely to develop alcohol dependency than those who don’t. The dangers associated with binge drinking include unprotected sex, drunk driving, sexual assault, violent behavior, and trouble with the law.

In addition to external risks, alcohol poses a serious risk to the physical health and growth of teens.

Studies have shown that excessive drinking in teens can result in:

• Delayed puberty and negative effects on the reproductive system
• Lower bone mineral density
• Higher levels of enzymes, indicating liver damage
• Shorter limbs and reduced growth potential
• Impaired learning and memory

Health Effects Of Teen Drug Use

Drug use has short-term and long-term health effects that can be both physical and psychological. Drug misuse can affect the way a teenager thinks, feels, and acts. Health effects generally depend on the specific drug used. For example, cannabis has been linked to schizophrenia and psychosis, as well as a decrease in fertility, and problems with concentration and memory. When smoked, it can result in lung diseases such as asthma and lung, throat, and oral cancer.

Cocaine and related amphetamines can increase a teen’s risk of stroke, heart attack, sudden death, anxiety, psychosis, and nasal passage damage. If injected, they can also spread blood-borne diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Opioid use raises the risk of a fatal overdose.

Long-term Impacts Of Teen Substance Abuse

Substance abuse affects the brain and body long-term. Drugs and alcohol can have effects on almost every system in the body and can result in the following:

• Lung cancer
• Oral cancer
• Liver disease
• Heart disease
• Increased physical signs of aging
• Decrease in long-term memory
• Decrease in concentration
• Increase in mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and psychotic disorders
• Poor dental health

There are many side effects of substance abuse that go far beyond the biological and physiological aspects. Some of these include:

• Legal trouble
• Car accidents
• Assaults
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Unplanned pregnancies
• Wasted academic opportunities
• Delayed or deferred career opportunities
• Damaged relationships with friends and family

How Substance Abuse Contributes To Health Conditions

Drugs and alcohol can affect nearly every organ system in the body. Injecting, snorting, inhaling, and smoking substances can act as foreign invaders that can threaten a teen’s immune system, making them susceptible to infections. For example, injecting drugs can cause many types of skin infections, such as abscesses and wounds.

Smoking any type of substance entails breathing in carcinogens and tiny particulate matter into the airways and lungs, which can damage the respiratory system, increasing the risk of lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer.

Alcohol is a toxin that the liver must process and break down, which can cause serious liver damage over time. Alcoholic liver disease can develop in stages, starting with fatty liver, progressing to alcoholic hepatitis, and eventually cirrhosis. The longer and heavier a teenager drinks, the greater their risk of irreversible liver damage.

Additionally, cocaine and other stimulants such as amphetamines work to increase the heart rate and blood pressure, and as a result, can cause heart attacks and strokes without warning.

Some drugs, such as inhalants (including household cleaners), can damage and destroy cells in the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system, causing long-term effects including hearing loss, memory loss, concentration problems, balance issues, and muscle spasms.

How To Help A Teen Who Is Using Drugs Or Alcohol

Spotting the signs of teen substance abuse isn’t always easy, but the earlier you spot the warning signs and address treatment options, the less likely your teen will experience complex issues down the road.

In general, the sooner someone seeks addiction treatment, regardless of age, the better their chances for recovery. If you’ve already talked to your teen about their drug use and the problem continues, it may be time to consider professional addiction treatment.

Featured Centers Offering Addiction Treatment for Teens

Addiction Treatment For Teenagers

It’s important that addiction treatment is age-appropriate and tailored for teens. Many teenage addiction treatment centers provide individualized care in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Rehab can help teens overcome addiction by offering personalized treatment plans that combine medication and psychotherapy. This approach supports them through withdrawal and helps identify the underlying triggers driving their substance use. The ultimate goal is to equip your teen with healthy coping strategies and tools to manage future cravings and urges.

Teens who engage in substance misuse are at increased risk for health problems that can affect many aspects of their development and life. If you notice that a teen is struggling with substance misuse, it may be time to consider addiction treatment.

Addiction treatment can be personalized for your teen, and with the right treatment plan, team, and support systems, they have the opportunity to heal and live a successful and fulfilling life well into adulthood. To explore your rehab options, visit our rehab directory today where you can easily search by substance, level of care, and insurance provider to find the many rehab facilities available to you.