Middle school is when young people transition into teenagers. The teenage years are filled with new experiences, shifting hormones, physical development, challenging lessons, and a newfound need for autonomy. Teenagers are notoriously curious and are often known for testing boundaries and pushing limits. Since the early 1900s, behaviorists (psychologists who study behavior) have researched what drives observable behaviors. The behaviors of teens are driven by intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, as well as their physical, biological, and emotional needs. The motivations that drive each young person vary drastically, and often continuously shift as they enter new stages of their lives. Further, teenagers inherently react to external stimuli from an emotional standpoint. This can be attributed to the fact that a teenager’s brain does not begin to reach its full development until age twenty-five, at the earliest. The prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain that reigns rational thought, executive planning and impulse control) is the last to fully develop. This means that teenagers innately process, problem solve and make decisions using their amygdala (the area of the brain that is most closely associated with impulsivity, aggression, emotion, and instinctive behavior). Hence, teenagers that experiment with drug use in middle school often do so without considering the consequences.
Middle school drug and alcohol use is more common than one may assume. Below are various statistics and facts related to drug use in middle school teenagers:
Although, the number of teens and preteens using drugs and alcohol has been steadily declining since it peaked in the late 1990s, middle school drug use remains to be a nation-wide problem. Research has found that the younger someone is when they first try drugs the more likely they are to go on to develop substance use disorder.
Seeking help is never easy, but you are not alone! If you or someone you know needs mental health treatment, we strongly encourage you to reach out for help as quickly as possible. It is not uncommon for many mental health difficulties to impact a person for the long term. The earlier you seek support, the sooner you and your loved ones can return to happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
Our admissions team is available to answer any general questions regarding mental health issues, treatment, and/or specific questions about the program at Pacific Teen Treatment and how we might be able to help your family. We can be reached by phone 24/7 at 800-531-5769. You can also contact us via email at info@pacificrtc.com.
PTT provides treatment for the contemporary issues facing teenagers in today’s world utilizing a family focused and collaborative approach providing individualized care for teens and their families. Licensed by the State of California, Community Care Licensing Division #198209636
At a time when most residential programs are affiliated with large healthcare corporations or backed by private equity, Pacific Teen Treatment is proudly a private, family-owned operation.
