Millions of teenagers turn to drugs to address mental health concerns. While we tend to think of the term drug as connoting an illegal substance, many drugs used by teenagers are prescription or over-the-counter, meant to provide relief from concerns like anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. While drugs have the potential to treat mental health issues, they may also create serious health consequences that leave an individual struggling to get by. This volume addresses the landscape of drugs commonly used by teenagers, from marijuana to antidepressants, with details on how these substances can help, hinder, or hide underlying mental health issues.
Rather than seeking professional help, teenagers all too frequently turn to illegal drugs in an attempt to self-medicate for an underlying mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. This often produces co-occurring disorders: drug addiction on top of a mental health problem. Although the mental health profession has been slow to address co-occurring disorders, the field is beginning to catch up, which is promising news for these struggling teens.