Teenage alcoholism is the excessive and progressive use of alcohol in adolescents and young adults between the age of 12 and 20. Though consumption of alcohol in US is illegal under the age of 21, but a significant number of teenagers are facing problems of excessive drinking.
The causes of teenage alcoholism are quite different from that of adult alcoholism. While most adults take up drinking when faced with problems, most teenagers start drinking as a celebration, for excitement or under peer pressure. Other causes may include lack of parental support, harsh inconsistent discipline or rejection in any form by the society or family members. Parents’ drinking behavior may also cause a teenager to start drinking early in life. Peer drinking and pressure have also been associated with teenage drinking. Confusion, anxiety, depression and inability to manage one’s emotional state may lead a teenager to excessive drinking. Influence of media, especially advertisements that make alcohol attractive is another cause of teenage alcoholism.
According to researchers, teenagers who begin to drink alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who drink after the age of 21. It has been estimated that about 3 million teenagers in US suffer from alcoholism. The dangers associated with teenage alcoholism are death, health problems, behavior disorders, and legal implications. Accidents like car crashes, drowning, burns, homicides and often unintentional injuries because of violent behavior have been seen to lead to deaths and suicides. Since the brain of a teenager is still under a developing process, excessive consumption of alcohol can affect not only in its development but also the thinking abilities and memory power. Behavior disorders like violent behavior and impulsiveness are generally seen in teenagers with heavy drinking problems. Since it is illegal to drink under the age of 21, teenagers found with an increased alcohol content in the blood can be penalized or arrested.
Teenagers with warning signs of alcoholism should be immediately checked and treated as this could lead to serious health problems and can scar their future permanently.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Signs of Alcoholism
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
One of the hardest things to do is to recognize that you have a drinking problem, which may be a result of denial, pride, or even the fact that your dependence may have already clouded your judgment. Unfortunately, not being able to recognize that you...
-
A Guide To Alcoholism
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Substance addiction is one of the most difficult diseases to treat because this kind of addiction is chronic and progressive in nature, which means that the longer and more you are hooked on the substance, the harder it is to overcome. One example of this...
-
Alcoholism Facts
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Alcoholism or alcohol dependence is a chronic disorder characterized by compulsive, repeated, and excessive consumption of alcohol to the extent that the individual’s health, social and economic functioning is impaired. Alcoholism has four symptoms namely craving, loss of control, physical dependence and tolerance. Craving is...
-
Alcoholism Recovery
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The most important path to the success of alcoholism recovery is the recognition and willingness of an individual that the problem of alcoholism exists. Alcoholism is generally treated under the supervision of trained professionals. Alcoholism recovery would mean an individual moving from dependency of alcohol...
-
Alcoholism Stages
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
An individual passes through several phases prior to the last stage of addiction or dependence. The four stages of alcoholism are pre-alcoholic, prodomal, crucial and chronic. The first or the pre-alcoholic stage is the use of alcohol without any negative consequences. There is no preoccupation...
-
Effects of Alcoholism
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Substance abuse or drug and alcohol addiction involves ingesting or administering harmful substances to our bodies. Given this, it can be expected that the continued use of these substances will have negative effects on our bodies. For alcoholism, the effects include short and long term...
-
Alcoholism Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Alcoholism is a disease, and as such, it needs to be treated as soon as possible and it needs to be treated effectively to reduce the chances of relapse. Given this, rehabilitation centers have formulated ways by which it can be treated based on the...
-
Alcohol Rehab And Children
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The children of alcoholic parents grow from infancy through their adolescent years experiencing some difficult times. In America, one in five adults have lived with an alcoholic growing up. Their chances of becoming alcoholics are four times more than other children. It is observed by...
-
Teen Drug Abuse
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Drug abuse by teenagers is very common, which can lead to disastrous consequences in the future. A large proportion of deaths in people between 15 and 24 are reportedly connected in some way or the other to drug or alcohol abuse. Such abuse also leads...
-
Alcohol Treatment Programs
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
In the United States, around seventy thousand Americans receive alcohol rehabilitation treatment on any given day. Due to the fact that alcoholism affects a large number of people, rehabilitation centers are constantly developing modes of treatment that will ensure long-term sobriety for their patients. These...