With peer pressure and fast developing minds, kids and teens can make poor choices. Even the best raised teen with faith and family can give in to the temptation from time to time. How parents teach their children about drugs and addiction varies but it is nevertheless an important conversation.
The article, “How to talk about alcohol and drugs with kids of all ages” by Elissa Strauss looks at how parents can help their children be better prepared to deal with drugs and alcohol. The article states,
“The adolescent brain is in this process of developing and becoming, and it is not finished cooking until young people are in their early or mid-20s. Adolescents aren’t wired for addiction, but they are wired to take risks. Their baseline levels of dopamine (a type of neurotransmitter associated with pleasure) are lower than they are for children or for grown-ups. Drugs and alcohol became a route to novelty and risk — to feel something.”
To read the entire article, please click here
Risk and dangerous choices can manifest into drugs, which later lead to addiction.
Please also review AIHCP’s Substance Abuse Counseling Certification and see if it meets your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification in Substance Abuse Counseling.