Addiction in Young Adults
Addiction is a chronic disease, like diabetes or heart disease, meaning there is no cure. But addiction can be managed, and people with addiction can — and do — recover.
What is addiction?
Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.
Prevention efforts and treatment approaches for addiction are generally as successful as those for other chronic diseases.
Hope and treatments for young adults are available.
In the United States, 1 in 27 (916,000) adolescents ages 12 to 17 have a substance use disorder.1 While young adults and their loved ones find this journey challenging, there are evidence-based, research-validated addiction treatments that offer improved chances for remission and recovery.
How does addiction affect young adults?
Addiction in young adults may be more common than you think. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH):
- 99,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 smoke cigarettes every day
- 108,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 have opioid use disorder
- 401,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 have alcohol use disorder
- 681,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 have illicit drug use disorder
Initiation of alcohol and substance use can happen during middle school or earlier, increasing chances of developing alcohol and substance use disorders later in life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 15% of Americans report drinking alcohol before age 13 and close to 7% report trying marijuana before age 13.
How to spot substance use and addiction in young adults.
Substance use in young adults needs to be identified and addressed as soon as possible. If your child begins behaving differently for no apparent reason, such as feeling tired or depressed or acting withdrawn or out of the moment, it could be a sign that they are developing a substance use or addiction problem.
Other symptoms include:
- Change in peer group
- Decline in academic performance
- Loss of interest in favorite activities
- Changes in or neglect of appearance and grooming habits
- Hostile behavior toward and deteriorating relationships with family members and friends
These are just a few signs of substance use that parents should be looking for in their children. Parents and others may overlook such signs, believing them to be a normal part of puberty. It is not. Do not underestimate the risks or seriousness of drug use.
- How do adolescents become addicted to drugs, and which factors increase risk?
- Learn more about the signs of addiction.
Addiction is treatable.
“I treat addiction because it allows me to see miracles unfold every day. There is nothing better than helping another human being recover from the disease of addiction.” — Christina Delos Reyes, MD, FASAM, Psychiatrist, ASAM member
Like other chronic diseases, addiction is treatable. Seeking help is an important first step in recovery, but it is critical that individuals receive the proper type of treatment.
ASAM strongly encourages patients and their families to seek out high-quality treatment that is based on clinical outcomes, evidence and research.
- Make an appointment with an addiction medicine specialist.
- Find additional help and treatment.
- Learn the principles of adolescent substance use disorder treatment.
Trustworthy Resources and Advice
Studies clearly show that adults simply warning children about the dangers of drugs does not help prevent early substance use and can actually backfire. Instead, we should advocate strongly for evidence-based programs in our schools, like resiliency skill training and other proven community-based strategies. Additionally, adults can help children avoid substance use by teaching and modeling healthy behaviors and ways to increase resilience and manage stress.
We also can help youth stay away from drugs by cleaning out our medicine cabinets and safely disposing of all unneeded medications; locking up controlled substances, such as medications for pain, sleep, anxiety or weight loss; and minimizing their access to alcohol, nicotine and cannabis. Signs of drug use are like those of many psychiatric conditions, but signs of intoxication, like slurred speech and sedation, are more specific to drug use.
The following are helpful resources for information about addiction, proper treatment options and hopeful, caring communities: