By NCADD Staff
We all have stress in our lives. However, teens, in particular, tend to experience high levels of stress — even more so than that of adults. Dealing with school, as well as social media pressures, are sources of stress that are largely unavoidable. As a result, many teens end up turning to drugs to cope with their everyday stresses. Here is what parents should know about stress and drug use.
Stress in teens
In a 2014 APA’s poll, titled, Stress in America™: Are Teens Adopting Adults’ Stress Habits?, teens reported that the stress that they experience over the school year far exceeds what is considered to be healthy. On a ten-point scale, teens’ stresses were reported to be an average of 5.8 as opposed to 3.9, and even topped the adults’ stress score average of 5.1. Teens also reported their stress to be higher than what they considered healthy during the summer months, though it was to a lesser extent. The teens polled also reported feeling overwhelmed (31%) or depressed (30%) as a result of their stress. Teens who reported high stress during the school year also said that they spend an average of 3.2 hours online a day. With the higher levels of stress that teens report, they have also reported significantly negative effects of that stress on their health, as well as negative coping mechanisms.
Twenty-three percent of teens reported that they would skip a meal due to stress. Nearly 39% of teens reported that they skipped meals weekly or more. Teens have reported sleeping far less, on average, than the recommended amount and nearly 18% said that when they do not get enough sleep, their stress increases. Thirty-six percent of teens have also reported feeling tired due to their stress levels. While exercise has been shown to have positive effects on stress, 20% of teens reported exercising less than once a week or not at all. [5]
Stress and drug use
Stress can be a motivator, but it also can produce negative feelings and, unfortunately, increase the possibility that a teen will use drugs. When people are under stress, the brain releases cortisol, the stress hormone. Over time and under chronic stress, parts of the brain that are related to memory or learning are negatively affected by the presence of cortisol. Interestingly, some of these areas of the brain are the same parts impacted by drug use and addiction [1]. In reality, your child’s brain is still developing until age 25, and stress can damage parts of the brain that can make your child more vulnerable to drug addiction, in the same way that early use of drugs can [2].
It’s not a new concept that stress can lead to drug use and addiction — far from it — but it’s something that many parents don’t necessarily associate with school and the good intentions that they have for their kids. Abusing drugs not prescribed to them, like prescription stimulants, act on the “reward center” in your child’s brain, releasing euphoric chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. In time, they can cause the brain to rely on drugs to keep those chemicals flowing. While drugs might make your child temporarily feel respite, in the long run, misusing drugs actually makes stress more pronounced [3].
How to help your children manage their stress
Unfortunately, those exposed to chronic stress are more likely to use substances in an attempt to relax or “power through” the stress, so it’s important that your child knows how to use healthy coping mechanisms instead to deal with the pressures he or she faces [4].
Here are some strategies for you and your child to help them cope with their stress.
Talk to your child about their stress
When you notice that something is bothering your child, mention it to them as a casual observation. It is important that it does not sound like an accusation or like you are trying to put them on the spot. If you can, name the feeling that you think they’re experiencing (e.g. anger, stress, frustration, sorrow). Be sympathetic and make it clear that you care about their concerns and that you want to understand.
Listen to your child
When your child confides in you, listen attentively and calmly. Don’t rush to jump in with judgments or what you think your child should have done or should do. Make sure that you let your child’s concerns be heard. Take your time and try to get the whole story. Comment briefly on the feelings you think they must have been experiencing.
Help think of things to do
If there is a specific problem that is causing your child stress, talk with them about what to do to resolve it or to cope with the stress. Encourage your child to be a part of the brainstorming process — it’s important that you don’t do all of the work. By actively participating, this will build your child’s confidence. Make sure to support all of their good ideas and add to them as needed.
Listen and move on
Sometimes what helps most with stress is talking, being listened to, and feeling understood. Afterward, try changing the subject to something more positive and relaxing. Help your child come up with something to do to feel better. Don’t give the problem undue attention or ruminate on it.
Limit your child’s stress
If certain situations are causing stress, see if there is any way to change them. For instance, if your child is involved in too many extracurricular activities, see if you can limit them to leave more time and energy for other things, such as homework, which may be causing added stress.
Be there for them
Sometimes children do not feel like talking about what’s bothering them, and that’s okay. Let your kids know that you’ll be there for them when they are ready to talk with you. You can help them feel better just by being there and spending time with them; if you notice that your child is “down in the dumps,” try to find something positive that you can do together. Your presence can count for a lot.
Be patient
While it’s difficult to see your child unhappy or stressed as a parent, it’s vital to try and resist the urge to fix every problem for them. Focus instead on helping your child solve their own problems by teaching them healthy coping strategies, such as putting feelings into words, calming down when they need to, and bouncing back to try again.
The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids explored teen stress and anxiety in a back-to-school blog post series on their website, including how to help your child manage stress in a healthy way. Check them out here.
Sources referenced above include: [1] Psychology Today; [2] NSDUH; [3] Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences; [4] NIDA; [5] APA; [6] Johns Hopkins
Article provided by: Partnership for Drug-Free Kids