Use Of Drugs And Alcohol example essay topic

... old can be severe, long, and interfere with all aspects of development, relationships, school progress, and family life (Janzen, & Saklofske, 1991). The existence of depression in school-age children was nearly unrecognized until the 1990's. In the past, depression was thought of as a problem that only adults struggled with, and if children did experience it, they experienced depression entirely different than adults did. Psychologists of the psychoanalytic orientation felt that children were unable to become depressed because their superegos were inadequately developed (Fuller, 1992). More recently, Clarizio and Payette (1990) found that depressed children and depressed adults share the same basic symptoms. In fact, only a few minor differences between childhood and adult depression have been found.

According to Fuller (1992), childhood depression may account for a variety of behaviors, for example, 'conduct disorders, hyperactivity, enuresis, learning disability, and somatic complaints'. Fuller (1992) also reports that depression in children may coexist with 'irritability, low self-esteem, and inability to concentrate'. Also, children may 'internalize depression mal adaptively', perhaps expressing it through conduct disorders, hyperactivity, or attention deficit disorders (Fuller, 1992). Divorce is a family crisis, which could require a long period for recovery. Along with the turmoil associated with the adolescent stage of life, divorce adds other stresses.

Adolescents are already confronted with numerous changes, including physical changes in the body and social adoptions, that the changes that occur as a result of a divorce could be overwhelming. They are also in the transition stage of separating themselves from their parents and developing into an adult. The adolescent is at the stage of development in which he must separate himself from his parents in order to establish himself as an adult" (Anderson, p. 70). "Adults and children are at increased risk for mental and physical problems due to marital distress" (Finch am, Gry ch, & Osborne, 1993). The abnormal behaviors that these children depict are that they tend to have more difficulties in certain situations in their lives: in school, behavior problems, problems with peers, parental relationships, juvenile emotional disorders, crime, suicide, promiscuity and later marital break-up. Adults who went through divorce as a child will admit that their parents' divorce was one of the most stressful events in their childhood.

I notice Sunshine getting a little uneasy and ready to quit this interview so I told her that I had only one question left, and that was her use or involvement with drugs and alcohol. At first she stated that I would tell her dad, I told her this interview was in complete privacy and nothing that was said here would be duplicated by me. She said forget it my dad knows anyway. She stated that she had not used drugs however she had experimented with alcohol at a sleep over party that her friend had. I ask her if she believed that alcohol may affect how she achieves in school. She said, "I only did it that one time".

I went on to tell her about the use of Alcohol and drugs. I explained that the achievement of school-age students is affected by the usage of drugs and alcohol. Many factors can lead to the usage of drugs. There is an apparent correlation between family income and drug use. The pressures exerted by society and peers also increase the chance of school-age students to use drugs or alcohol.

Students who are under the influence of mind-altering chemicals cannot learn as well, lack motivation, and risk permanent loss of memory and ability to learn. Some of the most common factors that seem to have a direct correlation with drug use are peer pressure, high unemployment rate; low paying jobs, continued poverty, health problems, and lack of health insurance. There are many reasons why a high school student may use alcohol or drugs, but there are five main reasons as thought by Cepulkauskaite. They may feel the need to use drugs in order to feel grown up, to fit in and belong, to relax and feel good, to take risks and rebel, or to satisfy curiosity. Students yearn for social acceptance more than academic achievement, which is a problem that society continues to fight. These causes are among the many that may or may not lead to drug usage.

(Haslett 1; Cepulkauskaite 2) The effects of drug abuse are many and range from coma to euphoria to malnutrition. Drug abusers lack concentration and ability to think chronologically. High schools suffer from this drug use because teachers have to work around interruptions and less attentive students. Many schools are now equipped with health services that they did not provide ten years ago. Approximately 66% of the school systems in the United States provide mental health services facilitated through a school psychologist. 78.4% of states currently require an alcohol or drug prevention program.

Society has changed through the use of drugs and alcohol by adapting programs to fit society's needs. (National Center 2) I thought the interview went well for the small time we shared. Sunshine was very involved with the discussion and offer several answers to what she believed were problems. She was very mature for a 14-year-old child. After we talked she simply went inside the house and returned to the normalcy of a school age child.

Bibliography

Cepulkauskaite, I eva. Drug Addiction of Teenagers: Myth or Reality? 1998.
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A survey of school psychologists' perspectives and practices with childhood depression. Psychology in the Schools, 27.57-63. Dubuque, S.E. (1998).
Fighting childhood depression. Education Digest, 63, 64-69. Fuller, T. (1992).
Masked depression in maladaptive black adolescents. School Counselor, 20, 24-32. Hues mann, L.R. 1986.
Psychological process promoting the relation between exposure to medial violence and aggressive behavior by the viewer. Journal of social issues 42,125-139. Janzen, H.L., & Saklofske, D.H. (1991).
Children and depression. School Psychology Review, 20,139-142. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Prevention. School Health Policies and Programs Study. September 30, 2002.
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Yarn ell, T.D., (1999, August 15).