Teenagers and Alcohol Abuse – Questions you Must Know Of
Alcohol use disorder is simply the inability to quit alcohol even when one knows the negative consequences and implications. Unfortunately, this affects most teens and remains the most abused substance among this age group. Professionals at Skyward Treatment Center understand that teens turn to alcohol for various reasons.
For some, alcohol is an avenue to hide their life frustrations and psychological problems. Instead of getting the proper channels to address such struggles, most teens binge on alcohol. Unknown to them, this often leads to a severe addiction that affects them in their current life stages and in future too. The overall effect of such addiction negatively impacts personal and professional life. Sadly, it often ends up in dependency later in life.
What Side Effects do Teen Addicts Experience?
Just like it is for adults, teen alcohol addicts also suffer from severe side effects. These are both physical and emotional.
- Memory problems
- Impaired judgment
- Mood changes
- Slurred speech
- Nausea or vomiting
- Slowed breathing
What are the Long-term Consequences of Alcoholism in Teenage Life?
Early alcohol addiction has far-reaching consequences, most of which are health-related. Some of the health conditions these addicts suffer at later stages in life are often linked to their early addiction to alcohol. These include:
- High blood pressure
- Cancer
- Weakened immune system
- Learning and memory problems
- Mental health problems such as depression or anxiety
- Social and family problems
- Development of alcohol use disorder
How Does Alcohol Affect a Teen’s Brain?
Well, the brain (whether teen or adult)) is affected negatively by alcohol. The effects are both short-term and long-term. Generally, alcohol affects the frontal lobe, which is responsible for balance, speech, memory and judgment. When one consumes alcohol for a long, they experience reduced neurons, which leads to lifetime damage.
Misuse of alcohol often leads to blackouts, where memories are temporarily blocked. Unfortunately, these effects are more prevalent in younger brains because of age and the fact that the brain is still developing.
What are the Short term consequences of drinking in teens?
- Poor decision making
- Lack of awareness and ability to recognize the danger
- Impaired motor skills
What are the Symptoms of Alcohol overdosing?
You can always tell when some over-consume alcohol because of the signs they exhibit. These include:
- Mental confusion
- Seizures
- Trouble remaining conscious
- Trouble breathing
- Nausea or vomiting
- Slowed heart rate
- Dulled response, such as no gag reflex
- Permanent brain damage or death
- Low body temperature
How can you tell that a teen is addicted to alcohol?
This is important for parents and caregivers. Teens struggling with alcohol addiction need to be put in check. You can only act after you are sure by identifying the following symptoms:
- Mood changes
- Bloodshot eyes
- Slurred speech
- Sleep problems
- Red skin
- Lack of coordination
- Double vision
- Increased anger or irritability
- Memory or concentration problems
- Low energy
Alcohol has severe implications for the teen’s life. It is best to discourage them and get them the help they need. Committing your teen child or relative to a facility that cares about their health is the first step to helping them overcome this addiction. Feel free to call us today for this kind of support.
