Youth and Drugs: The Drivers of the Addiction Crisis- Pt 2
The Precipitating factors of drug use.
1. Psychosocial Factors: For instance, someone who is exposed to peer pressure and is not assertive enough to stop the peer pressure will easily be precipitated into substance use. Someone who is always dependent on other people to keep going on, such pressure will make such people who innocently meets people who take substances will also try it.
2. A Major life event: For instance, through accidents or illness and both parents of the person dies, it can be a precipitating event for some people. We don’t mean that these things will happen automatically but they are events that can lead to things like this. Also, disappointments in our life’s endeavors can make one to be overwhelmed making the person to be vulnerable to psycho active substances.
3. Exposure to excess stress: For instance, after watching the documentary on BBC about the war in Serra Leone, it was said that after the war almost 80% of the population of that country had a psychological or psychiatric problem due to exposure of excess stress of war that lasted over a decade so they were either having traumatic stress, post-traumatic stress or extreme chronic acute stress to issues like depression, anxiety.
The Perpetrating Factors of Drug Use
This refers to ongoing issues that sustain substance use such as withdrawal symptoms which can be a perpetrating factor because every time the person experiences some feeling of withdrawal he goes back to the substance.
1. Inadequate Coping Mechanism or Lack of Adaptive Coping Mechanism for Normal Daily Struggles: such person who is looking for an easy way out may easily go down the lane of substance use. Because a person goes through stress does not mean that your go through coping mechanism should be substance use, that is the most tricky and risky thing someone can do. There is a very thin line between wellness and illness and many people don’t know what they are predisposed to so.
2. Social Validation: When you are in a group of friends and they are taking substances, but you don’t want to, it will seem you are out of place, you are looking at social reinforcement or validation, you will eventually start creating the pathways that conduct the substances in your brain.
3. Conflict Exposure in The Family: Addiction thrives during confusion and that also reminds us the theoretical perspective. The 0-18months age bracket is very critical to human developments and this is where parents should pay a crucial attention to. The baby at this stage should be nurtured such that the baby is not stuck in the stage of being under fed or over fed. Whatever decision we make as a family today will affect the children in the nearest future.
4. Ineffective Parenting: such that the parents of the child get into quarrels and fights very often, the baby will grow into a mind of confusion. Also, a situation when the child tries to pick some initiative about house activities or chores and the parents are not there to give the leading, the child becomes more confused and confusion becomes configured in his personality which makes him begin to form a perception that the family is not always available. When this is carried into the age of adolescents, he begins to mingle with peers who will make him vulnerable to taking substance and begin to do what their peers want them to do.
Role of the Family in Helping Prevent Youths in Going into Drug use, Addiction and Substance Use
The family is very important in society. It is the family that will teaches diligence, hard work, honesty, patriotism, etc. It is also the family that makes sure that it is a place of comfort, succor and a place where people can call home, a place of support. When you come from that kind of family where values are taught, you won’t be easily swayed by whatever is happening in the economy, media or among peers and friends and then go into the line of substance use. Therefore, the role of the family is very important and cannot be over emphasized as everyone comes from a family including those engaged in substance use and drug abuse.
Practical Steps to Curb the Menace of Drug Abuse and Addiction.
1. Education
Mass education is very important. We need to educate the minds of the youths about the dangers of drug use and addiction.
2. Expanding Mental health services and awareness: some of those who use drugs don’t know it affects them in anyway but if they get to know it will start a process of change.
3. Make therapy and Counselling more accessible to young people.
4. Reduce the stigma around mental health issues. And even drug use we need to watch what we call people caught in the web of substance use, for instance calling someone an addict is labelling already.
5. Create national policies against drug abuse
6. Develop the country and the economy.
7. Let the government create jobs.
8. Help and support from family and friends.
9. Addressing the issue of Substance uses among Youths on a National Scale level.
It is not enough to create the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), it is not enough to run campaigns with such quotes such as “drink responsibly” or “smokers are liable to die young”. Nationally we have to develop our country and economy, we need to lift people out of poverty. Let the environment and the country be a place to where people can be proud of and see success and future in.
Adedeji Odusanya
Odusanya Adedeji A., is a Licensed & Certified Clinical Psychologist whose domain of expertise cuts across management of specific mental health issues such as, Depression, PTSD, Anxiety & Anxiety related disorders, Substance Use Disorder, etc
