How people progress from casual, social use to alcohol and drug abuse to full scale addiction is complex. We know that San Benito County residents tend to begin their substance use during adolescence often as an experiment (curious). Adolescence is a time when teenagers try new things and many times this means experimentation with cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana. There are four typical reasons why young people continue to drink and use drugs after their initial experiment; relaxation (cope with stress), intoxication (they like the way it makes them feel), to feel grown up and to fit in with their peers.
Most people grow out of this experimental phase within a few years but others do not and that is when the trouble really begins.
You can speak with a counselor today about how to help a loved one who drinks or uses drugs.
Addiction and alcoholism at their core are childhood illness. They stem from childhood matters that are anything but childish matters. We know that adolescents at the greatest risk of developing drug and alcohol dependency commonly come from families with a history of substance abuse, suffer from depression or don’t feel like they are in the mainstream.
Alcoholism, prescription drug abuse and illegal drug use causes many societal, familial and personal problems throughout California. Drug and alcohol abuse plays a significant role in just about every other problem facing San Benito County such as violent crime, sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s), child abuse, child neglect, teen pregnancy, suicide, accidents, injuries, domestic violence, homelessness and mental health disorders.
San Benito County teenagers reported two major consequences related to their alcohol and drug abuse; fighting and unwanted/unprotected sex. Approximately one third of all San Benito County teenagers reported driving an automobile after drinking or using drugs or being in a car with a driver who recently drank alcohol or used drugs.
Females run a higher risk of being sexually assaulted when under the influence. We know that drugs and alcohol affect women at a more rapid rate than men, primarily due to their lower body weight and lower water density. We also know that female substance abuse is rising at a faster rate than for males. In fact, recent data shows that significantly more young females (12-17 year olds) than young males reported non-medical use of psychotherapeutics; tranquilizers, painkillers, sedatives and stimulants. Another revealing statistic is that approximately 30% of females compared to 35% of males who needed drug treatment received it in the last year.
We know that many more men than women will succumb to the effects of drugs and alcohol. It is also known that these effects tend to be much more serious for men than for their female counterparts. Many San Benito County men may shorten their life spans by as much as 25% due to long-term alcohol and drug abuse. Male alcoholics and drug addicts also run a much higher risk of developing diseases such as Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, Hepatitis C, HIV, Beri Beri and others.
Alcohol and drug abuse has a broad and significant impact on the overall health and well being of all San Benito County residents. Addictive behaviors drive up San Benito County health care costs, crime prevention costs, judicial costs, education costs, etc...
San Benito County alcoholism and drug addiction prevention programs promote individual and familial health for all age groups. Many county and public organizations are designing creative and effective solutions to help San Benito County residents recover from alcoholism, prescription medication addiction and illicit drug addiction.
The goal of drug addiction and alcoholism prevention is to free alcoholics and drug addicts from their dependence to alcohol and drugs, improve their physical and mental health and develop warning signs to head off relapse.
Alcohol, prescription medication and drug detox centers that effectively detoxify their clients in an inpatient drug and alcohol rehab facility tends to show greater results than outpatient alternatives.
Find a drug rehab center or alcohol treatment facility by calling our Addiction hotline.
|
