Teen Alcohol Abuse

Teen Alcohol Abuse is Increasing
Executive summary about teen alcohol abuse by Randy Kimbrell

Teen alcohol abuse has become a huge problem in the United States. The average age that a child in the United States begins drinking on a regular basis is just shy of age 16. That's 5 full years before the legal drinking age! So when do they take their first drinks? Even younger: age 11 for boys and age 13 for girls.

alcohol abuse

The young person may develop psychiatric problems like anxiety, depression, or even clinical depression. When children, especially young children, witness drinking and a favorable view of alcohol consumption in their home, they are far more likely to become underage drinkers and eventually abuse alcohol.

On the other hand, when parents regularly communicate their negative beliefs about teen drinking, enforce behavior rules in the home, and monitor their children's activities and whereabouts, the children have a much better chance of staying out of trouble.

Peer pressure can also have an effect on an adolescent's decision to begin drinking. Parents, teachers and social workers need to remain alert to the signs of alcohol abuse in teenagers.

Teens, Depression, And Alcohol Abuse

Executive summary about teen alcohol abuse by Samantha James

As a teen you can have depression as a result of the situations surrounding you and the stressors you have in your life. What isn't normal is when you have a persistent depressed mood and it starts affecting other things in your life like your grades, failing relationships with family and friends, even some shoplifting incidents have been associated with depression.

So what would be a natural progression for a depressed teen? It has been said many times that teens will drink to feel normal. But drinking doesn't make you feel normal. It's called self medicating. That's why a depressed teen is more vulnerable to alcoholism. The biggest problem with teen drinking is you are a work in progress. Your brain is still developing the capacity to learn life skills. Drinking will damage the receptors in your brain and that in itself can make it harder for you on the road back from depression, not to mention side effects like short-term memory loss and emotional problems that will crop up with alcohol abuse.

So now you have depression and a drinking problem - what are you going to do?

Try to get rid of the negative influences and unnecessary stressors in your life. 

Check out my other article on child custody .