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Horizon Services Program: Project Eden (Hayward)
Teen drug and alcohol use can lead to many long term effects, both psychological and physical. Learn more about how substance use affects teens.
Teen drug and alcohol use can cause a number of changes – not just to your body, but to your personality, your brain, and the way you view and approach the world. Science can provide substantial insight into why these changes occur, as well as how you can revert some of the negative changes of teen substance use.
Project Eden helps teens struggling with substance use. Learn more about Project Eden at Horizon Services.
In understanding how drug use changes you, it’s first important to look at the way substance use affects the brain. Your brain is the seat of your personality, dictates your thoughts and emotions, and even affects how you feel physically.
Alcohol and other drugs each affect the brain differently, but a common thread that ties addictive substances together is the way they interact with the brain’s reward system. Every addictive drug interacts with the neurotransmitter dopamine: a chemical responsible for the feeling of reward and motivation.
Your brain produces dopamine all on its own. Dopamine is released naturally for activities that feel good, such as:
This release of dopamine tells your brain that the activity was rewarding and encourages you to come back to it again and again.
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When people use drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, or opioids, a surge of dopamine is released that is far above what you can experience naturally. This leads to your brain becoming accustomed to high levels of dopamine and makes less rewarding activities pale in comparison.
If you develop a substance use disorder, these changes make it difficult for people to enjoy anything outside of alcohol or drug use. It can also lead to a host of other mental health challenges, such as depression or trouble focusing.
Changes in the brain are just the tip of the iceberg. Substance use can quickly lead to a cascading set of personality and mood alterations, even if you’re unaware of them happening at the time. Some of the most common changes that teens can experience include:
When you develop a substance use disorder, it can become incredibly difficult to find the motivation for even routine, everyday tasks. This could include losing interest in your school performance, finding it difficult to study, or losing your passion for extracurricular activities.
Your mood can change substantially if you turn to alcohol or drug use as well. Common shifts in mood include:
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Teen substance use disorders have been linked to an increased risk of developing mental health conditions, as well. If you’ve experienced a negative change in your mood since you’ve started substance use, alcohol or other drugs are likely to blame.
Using alcohol and other drugs can lead to you isolating yourself from your friends, family members, and other important people in your life. People tend to avoid those who disapprove of their substance use, often leading to abandoning entire friend groups or social circles in favor of spending more time with people who use drugs or alcohol like you do.
Drugs and alcohol affect far more than just the reward centers of your brain. They can also affect specific regions associated with memory, problem-solving, attention, and much more.
The earlier you start using substances, the more substantial these changes can be. This not only affects your ability to perform well in school but can affect nearly every area of your life for years to come.
The good news is that you can reverse many of the changes you’ve experienced from teen substance use. As an adolescent, your brain is still developing, and if you stop using addictive drugs now you can make a full recovery without experiencing any lasting effects.
Breaking free from a substance use disorder can be the first step in building a foundation for a healthier future. Embrace the healthier activities in life that bring you joy. Reach out to a mental health professional if you need support. Care for yourself now, and you’ll be grateful in the future.
If you know a teen struggling with substance use, we can help. Learn more about Project Eden at Horizon Services.
Written by
Holly Tracy was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, where her love for the ocean was shaped by time spent fishing, surfing, and camping along the Pacific Northwest coast. Those early experiences instilled in her a deep appreciation…
