Understanding Addiction in Teens

Addiction is increasingly recognised as a central cultural problem, particularly threatening children's health, with today's civilisation facing unprecedented challenges from addictive behaviours.

THE RISE OF ADDICTION IN YOUTH

Children are now exposed to addictive behaviours, including substances and technology, at younger ages. This exposure is creating a global pandemic of addiction not only to illicit substances but also to food, electronics, and media.

PREVALENCE AND IMPACT

In the USA, 15% of children are obese, while in South Africa, about 20% of girls suffer from eating disorders. Addiction extends beyond food to include a high tendency towards smoking and alcohol use among adolescents, correlating with higher illicit drug use and alcohol consumption. The extensive use of technology also contributes to changing how children perceive themselves and interact with the world, potentially alienating them from their true potential. Although the highest rate of illicit drug use occurs between 18 to 20 years (18%), 16 to 17-year-olds are not far behind (15.6%) and 4.5% of 12 to 13-year-olds are habitual drug users¹.

THE DEPENDENCY CONTINUUM

Human dependency on basic necessities like food and water extends to psychological and spiritual needs. Maslow's hierarchy of needs illustrates that as physical needs are met, psychological, and later, spiritual needs become predominant. This dependency is often exploited by addictive behaviours, which substitute real needs with temporary gratifications^2,3. The Oxford Dictionary defines addiction as ‘the condition of being dependent on something, of being unable to do without something'. This condition reflects a dependency of the soul life that expresses itself through compulsive urges, craving, or longing to satisfy an inner need through some outer gratification. Such behaviours often replace real needs with temporary satisfactions, highlighting the struggle between our lower nature and higher human capabilities⁴.

VULNERABILITY OF CHILDREN

Children's natural growth and development make them particularly susceptible to addiction when their environment fails to meet their basic emotional and psychological needs. This can lead to the adoption of addictive behaviours as substitutes for real fulfilment, often starting a cycle of dependency that can be difficult to break⁵. For instance, a neglected child may find comfort in food as a substitute for the warmth and love they miss, leading to potentially harmful patterns of behaviour. The needy child will search for any means to gratify their needs and can easily be sucked into whatever gives comfort to the needy soul^6,7. Thus, the addiction to some substance or activity is found which now attaches to the will, taking over the instinct, drives, desires, and motivation, growing stronger the more it is fed.

ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES

The modern child's environment, devoid of adequate support systems like strong family bonds or community structures, pushes them towards finding belonging and identity in potentially harmful spaces like online communities or through addictive substances. Today the child is losing at an ever-earlier age the natural environmental support of parents, community, religion and traditions. They seek comfort and satisfaction in their peer group, virtual reality of the world media, and the power and seduction of the electronic age. This environment often provides a sense of belonging, but it can also justify risky behaviours as forms of rebellion or self-expression^8. The electronic age offers a sense of control and instant gratification, making it an appealing escape for children dealing with underlying emotional issues such as self-doubt, poor self-esteem, or anxiety.

TOWARDS A SOLUTION

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF ADDICTION

Addictive behaviour is invariably a cry for help. It indicates that the child’s real inner needs are not being met, forcing them to seek fulfilment elsewhere. This fundamental understanding is crucial for managing and addressing the dependent behaviour of addicted children⁹.

ASSESSING THE DEGREE OF YOUR CHILD’S ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOUR

It is essential to obtain an accurate understanding of the nature of the child's addiction. While many children experiment with fads without becoming addicted, recognising the signs of harmful addiction is vital. These include changes in physical health, such as tiredness, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, weight changes, and behavioural changes, such as withdrawal, irritability, or loss of motivation¹⁰.

CHANGING OUR ATTITUDE TO THE ADDICTED CHILD

We must realise that all individuals have dependencies, and a child's addiction represents an extreme point along the spectrum of dependency. By acknowledging this, we can approach the child's addiction with compassion and understanding, separating the child from their addictive habits¹¹. This requires parents and caregivers to reflect on their behaviours and make necessary changes to provide a supportive environment for the child.

ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING CHILDREN

Engaging children in open and honest communication about their addictive behaviours is crucial. Children need to feel respected and understood, which creates a foundation for addressing the addiction. Parents and caregivers must challenge children to critically and responsibly face themselves while being clearly informed about the nature and dangers of addictive behaviour.

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

Managing addiction involves creating a partnership with the child, where they are motivated to engage in the recovery process. Successful outcomes depend on engaging the child's higher truth and conscience through trust, commitment, contracts, structure, and realistic time frames. Involving the whole family, community, and school is vital. Clinical and detox management may include dietary and nutritional interventions, natural medications, and various therapeutic options, such as counselling. My experience in counselling has come through the methodology of psychophonetic counselling and life coaching developed by Yehuda Tagar, an expression-based self-development counselling modality based on the work of Rudolf Steiner¹². This approach involves exploring and discovering the real unfulfilled needs in a safe environment, facing and exposing the secondary addictive response, and finding new, healthy resources to address these needs.

CONCLUSION

In the ultimate analysis, the challenge of addiction is the struggle for inner freedom. Addictive behaviour is a force in our time that prevents individuals from finding their true identity and meaning in life. The pandemic of addictive behaviour in today’s children is a reflection of this struggle within our culture. Our children, especially the vulnerable ones, need to discover the joy and freedom that emerges when the higher self can overcome this adversity with the help of supportive adult role models.

References

1. Sadock BJ, Sadock VA. Kaplan and Sadock’s Synopsis of Psychiatry. 8th ed. Baltimore, Maryland USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1998.
2. Vogt F. Addictions Many Faces. Stroud, UK: Hawthorne Press; 2002.
3. Louw DA, Van Ede DM, Louw AE. Human Development. 2nd ed. Cape Town: Kagiso Publishers; 1998.
4. Steiner R. Study of Man. London: Rudolf Steiner Press; 1981.
5. Tagar Y. From the literature of Persephone Institute SA.
6. Goldberg R. Enhance the developing child’s potential. South African Journal of Natural Medicine. 2001;3:47-49.
7. Goldberg R. The three births of childhood. South African Journal of Natural Medicine. 2003;11:44-46.
8. Steiner R. Education of the Child. London: Rudolf Steiner Press; 1975.
9. Harwood AC. The Recovery of Man in Childhood. Spring Valley, New York: Anthroposophic Press; 1982.
10. Harwood AC. The Way of a Child. London: Rudolf Steiner Press; 1974.
11. Goldberg R: Essentials in communicating with stressed children. South African Journal of Natural Medicine. 2005;18:62-67.
12. Tagar Y. Advanced Diploma in Psychophonetic Counselling and Coaching. Persephone Institute.

Editor's note: Here are a few other excellent articles Adverse Childhood Experiences, Build your Child's Confidence and Computer & Cellphone Enslaved Children