The teenage years are for learning, growing, and experimenting. These are normal and healthy parts of adolescence. However, a number of teens who experiment with drugs and alcohol will develop a drug abuse issue. What starts as experimentation can become a life-threatening addiction to harmful substances.
Understanding the stages of addiction is crucial for parents who worry their teen may be at risk. With proper knowledge and support, teens can break free from the cycle of addiction and regain control of their health and their life.
Key Takeaways
- Addiction in teens typically progresses through five distinct stages.
- Drug use usually begins in the teen years and may either stop at experimentation or continue toward addiction.
- At each of the five stages, teens experience more significant negative consequences on their life, relationships, school, and other activities.
- To achieve long-term recovery, teens need addiction treatment that addresses underlying causes of problem drug and alcohol use.
What Parents Should Know About Teen Drug Addiction
Regardless of gender, economic class, and age, no one is immune to addiction. Several factors can increase a teenager’s risk of developing a drug addiction. These include:
- Genetics: Parental genetics can influence mental health.
- Environment: Teens who spend a lot of time around those who use drugs or alcohol are more likely to develop a habit themselves.
- Self-esteem issues: Self-consciousness and self-esteem issues are common. Teens try to escape those feelings through drug abuse and addiction.
- Co–occurring disorders: Eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and more can become evident during the teen years. These mental health issues can push teens to self-medicate their symptoms with drugs and alcohol.
Parents may feel helpless in the face of these issues. It’s impossible to change some of them and if they are having an effect on the teenager, parents feel powerless.
However, teens report that their parents’ thoughts and opinions on drug use and addiction do factor into their behaviors and actions. Research shows that higher levels of parental support and parental monitoring—knowing where your teen is and who they are with—are associated with lower rates of teen alcohol and drug use.
Statistics on Teen Drug Use
The Monitoring the Future Study, published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, tracks teenage alcohol and substance use in the United States.
According to the most recent study, alcohol use was reported by:
- 52% of 12th graders
- 31% of 10th graders
- 15% of 8th graders
Illicit drug use was reported by:
- 32% of 12th graders
- 21% of 10th graders
- 11% of 8th graders
The 5 Stages of Addiction in Adolescents
How and when do teen substance use and alcohol consumption progress into addiction? The five stages of addiction help explain the process that can lead to adolescent substance use disorder.
Stage 1: Experimentation
The first stage of the five stages of addiction is initiation or experimentation. In this stage, a teen is exposed to and tries alcohol or drugs for the first time.
Reasons for trying drugs or alcohol in adolescence vary. Many teens are simply curious. Or they see friends or family members using substances, and use become normalized. Family environment, trauma, genetics, peer pressure, and underlying mental health issues also play a role in experimentation and addiction. Additionally, the adolescent brain is still developing, and the areas responsible for judgment and decision-making are not yet fully formed.
What happens after experimentation? Sometimes, drug or alcohol use stops here. Not every teen who tries substances will develop a substance use disorder. However, some adolescents continue to progress through the stages of addiction.
Stage 2: Regular Use
Stage two of addiction occurs when a teen begins using a substance or substances on a regular basis, whether in social settings or alone. They may get into the habit of using a substance at parties, for example, or on the weekends. Or they may seek out the effects of the substance for pleasure, or to cope with stress or sadness. They may use drugs or alcohol to relax, decrease social or school anxiety, or reduce boredom.
At this stage, physical dependency on the substance has not yet been established. But a teen may become emotionally attached to the substance. The drug has become associated with avoiding uncomfortable emotions or creating more pleasurable situations.
Also in this stage, teens may start to experience consequences of substance use, such as missing school or work due to hangovers.
Stage 3: Risky Use
The risky use stage of addiction is when a teen begins to consume more drugs and alcohol, in a dangerous manner. Moreover, at this stage, the impacts of substance use have begun to infiltrate the teen’s life. The consequences of teen drug use may include changes in friendships, family relationships, mood, and performance in school or at work. Their behavior is likely changing. They may have gotten into legal trouble and received a DUI or been taken into custody for reckless behavior.
During the risky use stage, the substance is taking a clear negative toll on the life of the teen and their family. Teens usually cannot hide the negative effects of the substance in the risky phase. Parents, teachers, and friends are likely concerned about the teen at this stage. However, their usage may not yet qualify as a full-blown substance use disorder.
Stage 4: Substance Use Disorder
The fourth stage of teenage addiction is dependence on the drug. This dependence is characterized as a teen substance use disorder, which includes several qualifying criteria.
During this stage, the teen has a psychological and/or physical dependence on the substance. Hence, they have withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings if the substance use stops.
In addition, they are experiencing obvious adverse consequences in their relationships, school, and other areas of life.
Stage 5: Treatment
The fifth and final step of the cycle of teenage addiction is treatment. If your teen is unable to stop abusing drugs or alcohol, a comprehensive drug rehab designed to meet their medical needs is necessary. Treatment involves regaining control over a teen’s life and health, and is possible at any stage of addiction.
Treatment for teen substance use disorder often requires withdrawal management (“detox”), to safely manage the physical and mental withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping the drug or alcohol. But detoxification is just the first step. Effective addiction treatment guides teens to address the underlying causes of problematic drug use and build skills for a resilient future.
The 4 Criteria for a Teen Substance Use Disorder
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) outlines the criteria for a substance use disorder. The criteria fall into four types of categories. These are:
- Impaired control over substance use
- Social impairment
- Risky use
- Pharmacologic
The following criteria within each of the four categories are used to classify a substance use disorder.
Impaired control over substance use
- The substance is consumed in larger amounts and for a longer amount of time than intended.
- The teen wants to stop or regulate substance use, but attempts to do so are unsuccessful.
- An excessive amount of time is spent seeking out, consuming, or recovering from the substance.
- Cravings and desires for the substance are persistent and intense.
Social impairment
- Obligations at work, school, or home are impaired by substance use.
- The substance causes social and interpersonal problems, but continued use persists.
- Hobbies and social activities are reduced or stopped due to excessive substance use.
Risky use
- The substance is used in physically unsafe environments or in unsafe ways.
- The teen continues to use the substance, despite knowing it’s creating or exacerbating use physical, social, and psychological problems.
Pharmacologic
- Tolerance: More of the substance is needed to achieve the intended effect.
- Withdrawal: Withdrawal is a physiological response that results from decreasing or cutting out a substance that the body has become dependent on. Symptoms and signs of withdrawal can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shaking, extreme agitation, anxiety, and insomnia.
Signs of Teen Drug Addiction
Unusual mood swings and behavior are often normal for teenagers. But the following symptoms may indicate that an adolescent is struggling with problem substance use or a teen substance use disorder:
- Hostility or irritability
- Breaks household rules and curfews
- School attendance becomes irregular or grades slip
- Relationships with family and friends deteriorate
- A new circle of friends
- Money disappears from the house
- Interest in hobbies or sports stops
- Sleeping patterns change
Conducting an Intervention
For teens under the age of 18, an intervention is not necessary nor is the teenager’s agreement to enter rehab. Parents and legal guardians have the right to enroll their child in treatment when it is medically necessary. However, many parents opt to hold an intervention. There are a number of benefits for the patient when their treatment experience starts out in this way. Some benefits include:
- Identification of addiction. Many teens do not believe that they have a problem with drug addiction. Hearing specific examples of the consequences of their drug use can help to see they require treatment.
- Non-judgment. Teenagers struggling with drug addiction often feel guilt or shame. Having a nonjudgmental intervention can help them to understand the medical nature of the disorder. Also it can help kids see that they can make positive changes in their life.
- Encouragement and support. It is valuable for kids to hear that their family members care about them. They care enough to confront them in this way and give them the support they need to make the difficult changes ahead.
- Education. Learning what to expect when they go to drug rehab can increase an adolescent’s willingness to get help and their openness to what lies ahead.
- Preparation. Parents are encouraged to enroll their teen in a drug rehab prior to the intervention. They pack a bag so that their child can leave immediately to begin their new life in recovery.
Teen Drug Addiction Treatment at Newport Academy
At Newport Academy, our programs treat teen addiction in combination with primary mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Our substance use treatment for adolescents includes personalized medical care, family therapy, individual therapy, group therapy, and academic programming. Our whole-person, comprehensive approach addresses each adolescent’s physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs and provides experiential tools to help your teen flourish.
Newport Academy’s tailored treatment approach allows teens to grow and heal in community with peers who are experiencing similar challenges. Teens achieve long-term recovery by addressing underlying trauma and mental health issues, and learn healthy skills for coping with life stressors.
Our psychiatrists provide medication management and track teens’ ongoing progress, and our expert clinicians guide patients in a wide variety of clinical and experiential therapies, including equine, music, art, and movement. In our residential and Partial Hospitalization Programs, we also offer a robust academic component, to ensure teens continue to progress in their educational and career goals while receiving the treatment they need.
Start the healing journey today: Contact us for a free teen health assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 5 stages of addiction?
What are the 4 types of criteria for a substance use disorder?
What is the first stage of addiction?
Sources
BMC Public Health. 2021: 21: 2000.
Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2022