Large cities are a prime target for exploiting teens and tempting them into destructive lifestyles which glorify drug and alcohol consumption. It may not be obvious at first, but teen substance abuse in Los Angeles is more common than you may have originally thought. It may be the “normal” boy next door or even your own child, but regardless, addiction is a terrible, devastating disease which requires professional assistance and intervention. After all, teenagers don’t usually just start drinking or abusing drugs for no reason; there is usually an underlying cause. This makes the substance abuse merely a symptom – albeit a big one – and one which is really a cry for help
While most teens start out with a little recreational alcohol or marijuana (a.k.a. weed, pot, herb, etc.), there are also a growing number of teens trying ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin. Additionally, it’s estimated a decent percentage of teens have used prescription medications to get high because they’re so easily accessible. Most prescription drugs are not bought on the street, but instead come straight from their own parent’s medicine cabinet, and the latest trend is for a group of kids to have “pharma parties,” where everyone digs into their parents legitimate prescriptions and brings them to share.
In addition to the above drugs, teens are also using inhalants; huffing and sniffing common household items and chemicals. Teen substance abuse in Los Angeles area is further escalated by the easy access to new and innovative street drugs. Synthetic versions of drugs are sometimes haphazardly acquired and the purity of the substance is unknown. There are also trying trendy drugs like bath salts and spice, which is just the same compound found in bath salts sprayed onto synthetic marijuana pretty much resembling catnip, which may just leave them much worse off than they already were.
Addiction to any kind of drug can happen quickly, but your teen also may have been abusing them for a while and has just kept it hidden. If you are looking to identify whether your child may have a problem, teen substance abuse is often associated with the following signs and symptoms: behavioral changes, falling grades, blowing off responsibilities, anxiousness, or depression. As soon as you suspect your teen is using you need to take action. Los Angeles area teen substance abuse will only get worse if precaution and care isn’t taken to spread the word about how large this problem actually is.
If you need a place to help your teenager get clean, or even address any underlying or co-occurring issues like trauma or depression, contact Adolescent Growth. Their specialized treatment programs can help your teen to reclaim control over their life and bring your family back together.
