In most cases, teens know that drugs are dangerous for them and that there’s a chance of addiction. Then, why do teens do drugs and take the risk? Many parents and even some teens want to know the answer to this question.
Why Do Teens Do Drugs?
The adolescent years are a vulnerable period in everyone’s lives. During this time, teens might find themselves in hard-to-deal-with situations that could lead to drug use. While it’s impossible to cover all of the reasons why they might do drugs, several reasons are prevalent.
Peer Pressure
One of the most common reasons why teens turn to drugs is peer pressure. Their friends do drugs, or they start hanging out with a group of teens who do drugs. To fit in, they often feel like they need to participate in doing drugs as well. For adults, fitting in might not seem like a big deal, but it’s huge for teens.
Conflict and Stress at Home
The atmospheres that teens grow up in have significant effects on their behavior. Having fights with parents or parents fighting amongst themselves, for instance, creates a lot of stress. They might think that using drugs is the only way to relax.
Copying Parents’ Behavior
The saying “monkey see, monkey do” is very true when it comes to drug abuse. Teens who grow up in homes where parents abuse drugs have an increased risk of doing so themselves. They pick up a lot of habits from their parents, and sometimes drug abuse is one of those habits.
Addiction Is Genetic
Sometimes, unseen factors affect drug use. Researchers have found that families can pass on addiction in their genes. Teens of parents with the disease are more likely to develop it than if their parents don’t. Of course, they still have to decide to try drugs in the first place.
Curiosity
In other cases, teens make that initial decision just because they’re curious. They want to know what it feels like to use drugs, so they try them. Sometimes all that it takes is an interest in what something is like for teens to try it. After all, trying things is how everyone gains experience in life and develops as individuals.
Let Zelus Recovery Help Your Teen
Don’t let teen drug abuse rip your family apart. At Zelus Recovery, we offer a wide range of addiction treatment programs for teens and young adults. We make it our goal to provide treatment that fits their needs. Some of the programs that we offer include:
- Outpatient rehab
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Inpatient rehab
- Family therapy
- Early intervention
- Substance abuse program
Don’t let signs of drug abuse in your teen go without treatment. Learn more about why do teens do drugs. Reach out to Zelus Recovery today at 208.518.0797.
