Addicted Teens: Drug Addiction

Produced 2015

 One bad decision could take a teen 20 years to get out of. Addicts tell their stories of abuse, recovery & how they turned their lives around. Drugs do not make you a bad person, but they can destroy you. No one starts taking drugs with a fundamental desire to be a failure or throw away the best years of their life. But thats what happens when someone gets addicted. So what is it about drugs that can take you down a path of self-destruction and self-hate? Why would someone take drugs in the first place and why do some users get addicted to drugs and some dont? How does addiction happen? Lets find out. Here are real people, telling their real stories of addiction, what happened to them and how hard it was for them to turn their lives around. It teaches teens that one bad decision could take them 20 years to get out of. Addicted Teens is a documentary series that takes an in-depth look at teen addiction. It provides a personal connection with addicts, abusers, families and those in recovery and talks about the risks of trying drugs, an honest look inside substance abuse and the steps towards recovery. Teens and real experts (recovering addicts) discuss their experiences with drug addiction and ex-addicts provide views of their daily battle with this addictive behavior and how they changed their lives. It delivers an unforgettable message that will make teens reconsider their next hit and how addiction can happen to anyone. Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription drugs used without a prescription. These drugs are chemicals and while each drug produces different physical effects, all abused substances share one thing in common. They hijack the normal function of the brain and change the way the brain responds to issues of self-control, judgment, emotion, motivation, memory and learning. Drugs change the signals coming to and from the brain. Although this can cause temporary euphoria it can also cause hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and uncontrolled behavior. Marijuana is the number one gateway drug for teenagers. It is stated that teens who smoke marijuana are 85 times more likely to use other illicit drugs. Many teens do not understand why or how they can become addicted to drugs. It is often mistakenly assumed that drug abusers lack moral principle or willpower and that they could stop using simply by choosing to change their behavior. In reality, drug addiction is a complex disease and quitting takes more than good intentions or strong will. Because drugs change the brain in ways that foster compulsive drug abuse, quitting and recovery is a lifelong commitment. Student Discussion Includes: What is drug addiction? The two major causes of addiction. How quickly someone can become addicted to drugs. Drugs a teen most commonly abuses. Living an addicted life. The worst part about living with drug addiction. Long-term effects of drug use. Drug cravings. Relapse. Rehab. Long term recovery. A teens advice to other teens.

Length: 30 minuts