Youth Addiction
Adults who are addicted to drugs or alcohol started off experimenting, liked the way the substance made them feel and gradually progressed to the point where they can no longer function without it.
The journey from experimentation to dependency doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, 85% of adults who are addicted started their lifestyle of abuse before the age of 18.
Perhaps one of the reasons these adults are still “using” is because they experimented at a young age, when the brain is still developing. Two areas of the brain are particularly important during the growth stage: the limbic system, which governs emotions and is responsible for the need for stimulation; and the prefrontal cortex, which helps to control impulses and make decisions.
Lacking inhibitions and fully developed reasoning abilities, the teen is a prime candidate for becoming addicted.
To compound matters, science has proven it takes up to the age of 23 for the brain to develop and mature. This means that experimenting with drugs or alcohol can do great harm to the brain’s developing circuitry. In other words, the more addicted a young person becomes, the more damage there is to the brain. If this dependency is not resolved during puberty, it is highly likely the youth will battle substance abuse for the rest of his or her life.
