Adolescent alcoholism is called alcohol addiction, which occurs directly at the age of 10-16 years. This disease has some differences from adult alcoholism. Often in children addiction and compulsive attraction very quickly appears. Due to the fact that the patient does not have mental and physical maturity, somatic and intellectual disorders, as well as mental problems, are observed. They all progress pretty quickly. The diagnosis is made after anamnesis, examination and conversation with the child. Treatment is determined individually. The main role is given directly to activities that adjust the mental state.
Disease characteristics
At the moment, the problem of teenage alcoholism and drug addiction is relevant. It is common not only in the Russian Federation, but also in all countries of the world. Often, alcoholism in adolescents develops within 2-3 years, with the regular use of alcohol and alcohol-containing drinks. It should be noted that this dependence differs from the adult in that children have obvious and gross problems with internal organs. Due to alcoholism, physical health deteriorates, and the degradation of the psyche and intelligence begins. Often patients suffer from problems from the reproductive system. Girls have infertility. It is possible that those adolescents who previously suffered from a similar disease will have children with congenital problems. Treatment is carried out directly by a narcologist.
Statistics
With regards to statistics, more than 10% of children who are hospitalized in neuropsychiatric hospitals suffer from teenage alcoholism. In the nineties, the average age when children tried alcohol was approximately 16-18 years old. At the moment, this figure has dropped to 10.
Previously, according to statistics, a similar problem was most often recorded in boys, but today it is also common among girls.
Causes
Most often, the problem of adolescent alcoholism arises under the influence of not only psychosocial factors, but also biological ones. It should be noted hereditary. Children who live in a family of alcoholics, the likelihood of dependence on alcohol, drugs and toxins is three to four times greater when compared with those whose parents do not drink. Moreover, sons are most often diagnosed with this problem. In Russia, adolescent alcoholism, unfortunately, is very common.
Injuries and Mental Health
In children, craving for alcohol and other substances of a similar type can cause various types of head injuries. The likelihood of developing this disease will be several times higher if a person has inherited psychopathies. In this case, the reasons for a teenager can be completely different. If we are talking about a child of the epileptoid type, then such children use alcohol in order to disconnect from the world. The schizoid guys have a slightly different reason. Thus, they try to simplify communication with their friends and peers, and also try to calm down internal conflicts. Often the impetus for the development of alcoholism is that the child is trying to stand out in the eyes of others. Asthenics often try to avoid conflict with the help of alcohol, and depressed teenagers try to improve their mood.
Situation
Among the factors that contribute to the development of alcoholism at an early age, it should also include the situation around them. Thus, the family, immediate environment, stereotypes and social attitudes directly influence. At the same time, hyper-custody, great control, high requirements, double standards, indifference to the emotional state of the child and so on are of the utmost importance.
Parental indifference
Often people with alcoholism in their teens have been beaten by their parents in childhood. This affects the behavior of the child in society, he is trying to establish himself in society and become a leader. Accordingly, if a boy or girl falls into an asocial company, then it ends with theft, drug or alcohol. An important aspect is that such children are usually quite sensitive to stress, impulsive and anxious. They have a low self-esteem. Children with the help of alcohol try to have fun, calm their fear and anxiety, and also facilitate communication with people.
Problem Features
Most often, teens try alcohol for the first time in a company. Over time, this develops into a group need. At a time when the child is not in the circle of his friends, he has no craving for alcohol, but as soon as he gets into his usual environment, this desire intensifies. That is why adolescent alcoholism often arises due to erroneous stereotypes about a good pastime. Along with conversations, disputes, regular walks, listening to music and watching movies, drinking alcohol is considered commonplace. Such group dependence is a prerequisite for the development of the described problem.
It should be noted that the stage at which the child’s mental addiction takes place is smoothed out as much as possible, it is almost impossible to determine. Unlike adults, this desire manifests itself only in the presence of “their” group of people. Given that the child receives vivid emotions and positive impressions, the formation of dependence can be quite easily missed.
The formation of a special worldview
It should be noted that over time, episodic drinking smoothly flows into regular. Then, it is not psychological dependence that develops, but physical dependence. Unfortunately, child-teenage alcoholism has a rather complex mechanism, since, unlike adults, a child quickly begins to deny the occurrence of addiction in him, and ceases to control the amount of alcohol consumed. A world view of the type of “without alcohol there is no normal life” is formed very quickly. As soon as this attraction begins to form, mental disorders immediately appear. The patient becomes lethargic, angry and uninitiated. It should be noted that the difficult teenage period begins to intertwine with alcohol addiction, so the result is a rather specific picture. The latter sometimes leads to the fact that the patient's condition is greatly overestimated. If you change the living conditions at an early stage of addiction, then in 90% of cases, most mental disorders that were previously obvious and noticeable completely disappear.
When a physical need is formed, the psychopathological manifestations become stable. A child has an abstinence syndrome, which is completely different from an adult. It should be noted that the signs of primary dependence in mature people is a mental disorder, in a child, vegetative disorders. That is, sweating disappears, the skin becomes pale, bradycardia appears. A little later hysterical reactions, depression and dysphoria begin.
When compared with adults, children can not go into a real binge. For a long time, nausea and vomiting persists if too large a dose of alcohol is consumed. Alcoholic psychoses in adolescents almost never occur.
Effects
Teenage alcoholism greatly affects a person’s condition. The intellect, psyche, and the body itself suffer quite severely. Alcohol destroys neural connections that must be formed precisely in childhood.
Children suffering from such addiction study very poorly, they are not able to absorb new information and process the data. All patients who are addicted to alcohol are in an unfavorable environment. Certain teenagers completely refuse to study, choosing low-paying jobs. Often these are the kind of guys who get into juvenile colonies.
Even if the treatment is carried out at an early stage, when the formation of dependence is just beginning, it still leaves its mark on later life. After therapy, many children choose the same way of being if they fall into the same environment.
Organ damage
It should be noted that with teenage alcoholism, all organs are damaged. The body's activity is disturbed, problems with the cardiovascular system, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary problems begin. Pressure begins to jump, tachycardia and arrhythmia develops, cystitis, hepatitis, pyelonephritis and so on are observed. If a person in a drunken state cools, then, as a rule, this leads to infections, as well as a decrease in immunity. Given that patients suffering from this disease begin sex life quite early, because of this, STDs and STIs are spreading.
Diagnosis and treatment
The doctor makes a diagnosis by examining and talking with the patient. If severe alcoholism is observed, which is expressed by many diseases, as well as mental and somatic disorders, then, in principle, there will be no problems with its formulation.
If there are no pronounced changes, then often overdiagnosis occurs. Some experts say that in 30-50% of cases, such a diagnosis is made erroneously. Sometimes narcologists take demonstrative and imitative forms of behavior, where the child, drinking quite a bit, tries to attract the attention of parents, for the symptoms of teenage alcoholism. Prevention should be carried out even in such cases. It is quite important not to miss the formation of dependence. Therefore, such an overdiagnosis takes place, since alcoholism develops very rapidly. The sooner the diagnosis is made, the greater the likelihood that it will be possible to save the child from severe dependence. It should be noted that the patient must be completely isolated from negative living conditions.
If we are already talking about a severe stage of alcoholism in a child, then treatment is often ineffective. This is due to the fact that the boy or girl stubbornly denies his addiction and does not consider his behavior abnormal. In this condition, an intense pathological craving for alcohol is observed. As a rule, the desired result is not achieved when using aggressive drugs or implants. The best effect will be observed if you apply a psychological correction of behavior, sending the child to a rehabilitation center. It should be noted that then long-term isolation from the previously familiar circle of friends is necessary. This psychotherapy must be combined with studies, sports and so on. Great employment in various areas of life is also considered an excellent prevention of alcoholism in adolescents.