Teen Alcohol Addiction

QUESTION: What can be done to combat teen alcohol addiction?

ANSWER:

Sadly, one of the main problems in this modern age is that of teen alcohol addiction. The reasons for this are many, the main ones being:

• Peer Pressure to go in for regular binge drinking
• Examples set by parents or siblings who drink heavily
• A way of escape from the hopelessness of a life that seems to be going nowhere
• Courage in order to face emotional pain or insurmountable problems
• Simply having fun.

The teen years are a turbulent time of life in the normal way of human development. If the problem of constant drinking is added to this, there are very serious dangers and pitfalls ahead for these teenagers. Often, they will develop psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, or an antisocial personality that goes much further than the usual period of rebellious behavior that most teenagers go through. Uncontrollable anger can be another result of an addiction to alcohol and there are many instances where teenagers create crimes.

The most recent studies of this problem show that the two main causes for the deaths of those between fifteen and twenty four years old are road accidents and suicide. There are also a high proportion of teenagers whose addiction to alcohol has led them into taking drugs. This problem of teen addiction to alcohol can bring only disaster to the young people concerned and misery to their families and those who care about them.

Teen alcohol addiction - Is there any hope for a teenager who wants to get his life straightened out?
Yes, there are many programs and support groups dedicated to helping young people to break free from their drinking habits and also drugs. The most effective ones are the Christian addiction recovery centers as they go one step further by bringing the love of God into the crippled lives of these teens. This gives them a vital ingredient -- hope for the future -- because the most important thing that they learn is that their Heavenly Father has a purpose and a plan for them that will lead them into becoming mature adults with deeply satisfying and fulfilled lives.