Transcript Guest Speaker - Raquelle Leclerc

Youth and Drugs
Class presentation HTHS
Raquelle Leclerc, R.S.W.
Addiction
Services
Social
Worker
Help students who have
difficulties related to the use,
abuse or addiction of:
 Drugs, Alcohol or Gambling.
Addiction
Services
Social
Worker
 Also for parents or guardians,
family members and friends who
are affected by someone elses
drug, alcohol or gambling
problem.
 Explain the effects of alcohol and other
drugs and help you determine and access
the best treatment for you.
Individual
Counselling
 Help you develop the skills you need to
lead a happier and healthier life.
Individual
Counselling
 Help you set goals for yourself and help
you attain them.
 Help you learn more about how to avoid
relapse and how to deal better with it if
it happens.
• Try to control use or quit but without success.
• Spending more time obtaining and planning
drug use.
• Using to feel “normal”. Loss of control
(quantities, time, etc.)
• Psychological and physical dependence
(withdrawal symptoms).
Addiction
• Continue to use despite the negative
consequences ( school, home, law, etc.)
• Letting go of positive
activities (sports, work,
hobbies, etc.)
Non-User
Experimental
Stages of use
Occasional
Regular
Abuse
Dependence
 Canadian youth are initiating
substance use as early as 14 or
younger.
Experimental
 This early drug use sets in motion a
pattern of behavior that translates
into destructive social
consequences.
The person needs to “hit rock
bottom” before getting help.
Common
myths
related to
addiction:
 No evidence that this is true.
 The sooner we can intervene,
the better.
 More reasons to want to
change.
 The person needs to want help
Common
myths
related to
addiction:
 Generally people with addiction
problems don’t just wake up one day
saying they need help without some
kind of external pressure from
family, friends, school, employer,
law, etc.
 It’s the role of the counsellor to
engage the person in treatment by
making them see the impact of their
drug or alcohol use on their life and
help them understand the benefits
of making changes.
Stimulants (Uppers)
Drug
Classification
Depressants (Downers)
Hallucinogens (Psychedelics)
40 – 60 % of people with
substance use problems will
also have a co-occurring
mental health issue.
What’s the
big deal?
And vice versa
30% of high school youth
report elevated levels of
psychological distress
(depression, anxiety and social
dysfunction. – CAMH 2009.
Concurrent
Disorders
What does
this mean?
Mental
Health
Issue
Substance
Abuse
Problem
Concurrent
Disorders
•ADHD
•Depression/Anxiety
Most
Common
Concurrent
Disorders
•Schizophrenia
•Bi-polar Disorder
•Eating Disorders
CAMH Youth and Drugs and Mental Health:
A resource for professionals)
Violent and criminal
Common
Myths
Lazy and don’t want
help
Homeless and don’t fit
into society
 Admitted she was
using drugs and
alcohol to deal with
emotional issues.
Demi Lovato
 She went into a
treatment facility at
the age of 18 and
was diagnosed with
an eating disorder
and bi-polar.
 A letter to her fans
Robert
Downey Jr.
• Introduced to weed at
age 6 by his father
• Addicted to drugs
since since he was 8
years old
• Oscar nominated
• Addiction
• Bipolar Disorder
• Prison and rehab
• Sober since 2003
 Skipping school to get wasted
at 13.
 Dropped out of school at 16
 Family intervention at 19
Cory
Monteith
 He used "Anything and
everything," he said. "As much
as possible.
 I had a serious problem ... I
burned a lot of bridges. I was
out of control. That's when I
first went to rehab. I did the
stint but then went back to
doing exactly what I left off
doing."
 Lea Michele on Cory Monteith
• 5 time Grammy
winner
• Rehab in 2008
 Self-harm
Amy
Winehouse
• Eating disorders
• Depression
• Died of alcohol
poisening on
July 23, 2011.
Addiction and
Mental Health
Issues do not
discriminate!
Affect every age,
religion, culture,
income and
educational
level.
• No simple cause
• Each person is unique
What
Causes
Concurrent
Disorders?
• What came first?
• Independent problems that
interact.
• (CAMH: Concurrent Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders
Information Guide)
• The levels of use are harder to
determine for teenagers than adults.
Teenage
addiction
vs
Adult
addiction
• Although the addiction process is similar
for adults and teenagers, it develops
more quickly with teenagers.
• 0-6 years old = 5-15 days
• 7-12 years old = 5-15 weeks
• 13-18 years old = 5-15 months
• 19 years old + = 5-15 years
 Pot use in adolescence can…
Marijuana
and
Psychosis
 Increase the risk of developing a
psychotic disorder by more than
40%
 Trigger or worsen symptoms in
young people vulnerable to
psychosis
 If you choose to use, waiting until
your older (mid-20’s) reduces your
risk
 More than half of American youths ages
12 to 20 have tried alcohol. Girls are
nearly as likely as boys to experiment
with drinking.
Alcohol
 Underage and binge drinking is risky and
can lead to car accidents, violent
behavior, alcohol poisoning, and other
health problems.
 Drinking at a young age greatly
increases the risk of developing alcohol
problems later in life.
 The teen brain is still developing, so it is
vulnerable to the effects of drugs.
Teen Brain :
Under
Construction
 The prefrontal cortex, which an adult
uses to make decisions, is still
developing in a teen.
 The teen brain relies on the limbic
system to make decisions.
 Drugs interfere with the limbic system.
 Drugs also interfere with the teen brain’s
natural development, affecting the brain
and entire body.
Accidental
overdoses are
now a leading
cause of
accidental
deaths in the
US, surpassing
car crashes.
CNNHEALTHMonNovember19,2012
 A person dies every 19 minutes, on
average, from an accidental prescription
drug overdose.
 Alcohol and pain or sleeping pills can be
a deadly combination
 Negative self-perception
 Social isolation
 Family problems
 Loss of hope for recovery
Stigma can
lead to…
 Increased victimization
 Barrier for seeking help
 Unemployment
 Suicide
(Hear Me, Understand Me, Support Me, CAMH 2006)
 Know the true facts
 Be aware of your attitudes and
behaviours
Making a
Difference
 Choose your words carefully
 Educate others
 Support people if you can
 Don’t be afraid to Talk About It
- Trusted Adult
- School guidance counselors
Where can
I go?
- School Addiction Services Social
Worker
- Mental Health Services
- Family Doctor
 http://fr.drugfreeworld.org/
 http://educalcool.qc.ca/
Resources
 http://parlonsdrogue.com/
 http://www.adosante.org/