Drug addiction

Drug addiction of teenagers and young adults

A drug addiction has a huge impact on young users and their social environment. A drug addiction can be caused by various circumstances. You're not feeling well, you want to suppress your feelings and then quickly grab something that makes you feel comfortable. Your thoughts are slowly being taken over by all the problems that your drug addiction brings to your day-to-day functioning. You also deteriorate physically, your condition is no longer what it used to be. You isolate yourself socially and perform poorly at work. You lose more and more grip on your life. In short, your addiction affects all areas.

We speak of a drug addiction when:

• It's used for the wrong reasons
• You try to release tension
• When you feel down
• You have fear you want to push away
• Used at inappropriate times
• Drugs become more important than anything else

Symptoms of a drug addiction

The use of drugs becomes a problem if, on average, the use occurs more often in circumstances in which they endanger others, such as in traffic. In addition, a drug problem can lead to neglect of personal responsibilities, such as at work. Family members often find out about a drug problem late because users often deny and cover up their drug use for a long time.

How to recognize a drug addiction:

• Poor functioning at work
• Problems with your health
• Loneliness (isolating from environment)
• Failure to keep agreements
• Hiding drugs
• You use drugs to change your mood
• Making more and more excuses (and lying more often)
• You make promises or attempts to quit
• Financial problems
• Suffering from withdrawal symptoms
• Arguing with family members about drugs

What are the causes of drug addiction?

Becoming addicted to drugs is also related to predisposition. One is more prone to addiction than the other. This predisposition can be manifested by several factors, including a traumatic childhood, drug problems in the family, drug use among friends, impulsive personality, or some other psychological problem. In addition, the easier it is to handle (or obtain) drugs, the sooner drug use can lead to overuse and eventually to long-term addiction.

What are the risks of drug addiction?

A drug addiction entails several risks. It affects health but also your mental state. Below is a short summary:

• Gloom
• Unconsciousness
• Respiratory disorders
• Blackouts/Amnesia
• Aggressiveness
• More frequent unsafe sex / regret afterwards

Why The Grange Youth Clinic?

At The Grange Youth Clinic we treat people who are addicted to different types of drugs. We can well imagine that you have many questions when you are orienting yourself for clinical treatment. If you cannot find the information you are looking for, please call one of our employees. We are happy to help you with all your questions!