Question

Take a topic specific to these disorders and expand on them. Do some independent research that can include: Films, YouTube, research articles, books etc.

some examples can include:

-Treatment for adolescent substance abuse/dependence

-Evidence based interventions for Trauma cases

-Correlations with other disorders

These are just examples, up to you what you chose to research and what you chose to inform the class on.

As always I look for quality, if you do research that is peer reviewed please cite work.

Answer 1

Addictive Drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, hallucinogens can have long-lasting effects on the developing brain and may interfere with interpersonal relations with family members, peers and school performance. Substance abuse is a more serious mental health issue which is associated with adolescents because Most adults who develop a substance use disorder report having started drug use in adolescence or young adulthood. Therefore, an early intervention programme which targets adolescents can be a effective strategy in the treatment of drug use.

In this regard, it isn interesting to note that Adolescents can benefit from a drug abuse intervention even if they are not addicted to a drug.  For the youth, any drug use even if it seems like a mere “experimentation” done out of social pressure, is cause for concern, as it exposes them to dangers from the drug and associated risky behaviors such as road rage, drunk driving, acts of vandalism to support the expensive drug seeking habit, etc. and may lead to more drug abuse in the future. To this end, psychoeducation by school counselors, extra curricular peer group activities in terms of ‘anti-drugs campaign’, vigilance by parents over the adolescent family member’s use of substances, can be effective ways to address substance abuse in adolescent patients though community interventions.

Such community programmes can be especially effective in the prevention stages of the disorder. A more serious and Effective method for treating full blown substance abuse would be seeking medical treatment in the form of drug therapy and rehabilitation programme where the adolescents are helped to deal with the withdrawal symptoms associated with removal of the substance seeking behaviours and gradually led to experience positive changes in the absence of drug use. During the rehabilitation phase, behavioral modification techniques such as relaxation, aversion training, etc are employed to help the adolescents learn more adaptive behaviours and coping stratigies in order to reduce their dependence on substances as ways to reduce stress.

All in all, substance  abuse treatment needs to be tailored to the unique needs of the adolescent. This involves making a comprehensive assessment to identify the person’s strengths and weaknesses to be addressed, keeping in mind the adolescent’s level of psychological development, gender, relations with family and peers, performance I n school, interaction within the larger community, cultural and ethnic factors, etc. Thus, a successful Treatment plan for substance abuse in adolescents should address the needs of the whole person, rather than just focusing on his or her drug use.