Are Teenage Girls More Likely to Develop a Drug Addiction?
Recent studies have show that teenage girls may be more likely to develop an alcohol or drug addiction than their male counterparts. According to The Partnership for a Drug Free America, more than 50% of girls believe that drugs will help them to forget about their problems.
As a girl and a former teacher I can defintely see the reality in this conclusion. It became greatly apparent to me during my years of teaching that girls are far less likely to receive legitimate medical treament for ADD, depression, and a host of other mental illnesses. This is due to a combination of stereoptypes about 'moody' girls and the fact that they display different symptoms, symptoms that tend to be far less annoying to parents than those commonly exhibited by boys. When girls remain untreated for mental illnesses they slowly begin to self-medicate.
Add to this the growing problem with sexual abuse, which is far more predominant with girls then boys and you have the perfect storm.
If you are a girl who feels you have a drug problem you are not alone. If you are the parent of a girl who you think may have a drug or alcohol problem, now is the time to do something about it.
It is important that you contact someone who can get you help. Teenagers are still developing and can be greatly damaged by excessive drug or alcohol use. Drug abuse in girls also leads to a higher incidence of unwanted pregnancies and unhealthy children. There are many drug addiction recovery centers aimed at helping young girls.