Adolescent Peer Pressure and Meth Addiction

Peer Pressure Meth Addiction

There are many reasons adolescents and young people experiment with crystal meth and other drugs or substances. Times are different today, in some ways life is much easier for teens and young people and in other ways it's a lot harder. We have all experienced some form of peer pressure no matter what age we are but the world is different now. There are a lot more negative influences today than ever before and parents are twice as busy because in most families both parents have to work.

Most all kids want to fit in with their peers and some are much more vulnerable than others. It's important for kids to be liked and accepted especially from their friends. Today if you're not liked or accepted by the group or the cool kids they can make your life miserable as we've seen many times on the news. I believe in many ways life is harder for young people today even though they physically don't have to work as hard or be as responsible in the home as their parents and grandparents had to be

Drug abuse and alcohol use is so much worse today than ever before, they're everywhere and people in every age group abuses them. Some kids even in grade school have tried drugs and alcohol before, some out of curiosity, some because they see siblings or parents abuse substances, and also because of peer pressure. By the time a child gets into junior and senior high school, many care more what their friends think about them than anyone else.

It's normal for children and young teens to not only listen to their peers but sometimes define themselves by what their peers think of them. If their friends are drinking or experimenting with drugs and other substances many adolescents and teens out of curiosity will try them too. There are just as many young people who know better and would rather not but looking weak, scared or chicken in front of their peers could change the way they're accepted.

There are many other reasons that young people experiment with drugs and alcohol besides peer pressure, today drugs of every kind are easy to find. It's very common anymore to socially use certain drugs or alcohol. Marijuana, alcohol, and party drugs like ecstasy are some of the drugs young people use when partying anymore. Crystal meth is another drug many young people use to party with and get high.

Crystal meth makes the user in the beginning feel alert, happy, and energized as well as euphoric. Young people experiment with crystal meth for many reasons, because of the effects experienced during use, many young people repeat the abuse. Some of the reasons include:

1. To fit in with their friends.
2. Crystal meth is a relatively cheap way to get high.
3. They see their friends using and they seem to be ok, the drug doesn't seem to affect them in a negative way.
4. Crystal meth gives you energy and keeps you alert, some people use this form of meth because they can stay up late and cram for tests.
5. To lose weight
6. Combat exhaustion
7. Some suffer from depression and crystal meth makes them temporarily feel better.
8. Crystal meth takes away a person's appetite, some use of this form of meth to lose weight.
9. Some kids come from a chaotic and dysfunctional home-life, using drugs like crystal meth helps them to escape for a while.
10. Some kids learn to do drugs or use alcohol from watching parents, siblings, or other adults in their life abuse them.

These are just some of the reasons young people experiment with drugs and alcohol. It's up to the parents and caregivers in a child's life to set good examples and have healthy communication with them. Talking with our children while they're young is crucial anymore about the use and effects of drugs and alcohol abuse. Children need to grow up feeling good about themselves, feeling loved and wanted. Parents also need to let their children have a voice and talk about how they feel.

Being a parent isn't easy; it's probably one of the most important roles in your life and definitely one of the hardest. Being a child isn't easy either in this day and age. We all make mistakes and sometimes learn things in life the hard way. Don't let the use of drugs or alcohol be one of the mistakes you make with your child because you never talked to them about substance use. Talk to your children early and keep that communication going. Some young people will still experiment with substances and some will still listen to their friends and care more about what they think. But many others will have too much respect for themselves as well as an understanding of the dangers associated with drug and alcohol use.