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Alcohol and Teens (cont.)

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How can a teen get help for an alcohol problem?

Alcohol and Teens At A Glance

  • Alcoholism is a substance-use disorder in which the sufferer has problems managing how much alcohol they drink, and their lives as a result.


  • The symptoms of alcoholism include tolerance to alcohol, withdrawal episodes, using more alcohol for longer periods of time, and problems managing life issues due to alcohol.


  • Alcoholism is caused by a number of individual, family, genetic, and social factors rather than by any one cause.


  • Although a number of genes play a role in the development of alcoholism, this is a disease in which other factors more strongly influence its occurrence.


  • Alcoholism is diagnosed by evaluating whether the individual shows a number of symptoms of problem drinking on a regular basis.


  • Alcoholism treatment is usually treated based on the stage of the addiction, ranging from management of risk factors and education to intensive residential treatment followed by long-term outpatient care and support.

REFERENCES:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "Alcohol and Drug Abuse." 2007.

American Psychiatric Association. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Text Revision. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 2000.

Brechting, Emily H. "A Longitudinal Study of Coping Strategies and Substance Abuse in Adolescent Boys." Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse. vol. 16.2. Mar. 6, 2007.

British Medical Association. "Alcohol and Young People." Health 5.6 (2002).

Brown, Sandra, and Susan Tapert. "Adolescence and the Trajectory of Alcohol Use: Basic to Clinical Studies." Adolescent Brain Development: Vulnerabilities and Opportunities 1021 June 2004: 234-244.

Bukstein, O.G., W. Bernet, and V. Arnold, et al. "Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Substance Use Disorders." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 44.6 (2005): 609-621.

Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University. "Prevalence of Underage Drinking." May 3, 2007.

Committee on Substance Abuse. "Indications for Management and Referral of Patients Involved in Substance Abuse." Pediatrics 106.1 July 2000: 143-148.

Deas, D. "Evidence-Based Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorders in Adolescents." Pediatrics 121 Apr. 2008: S348-S354.

Dooley, David and Joann Prause. "Predictors of Early Alcohol Drinking Onset." Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse 16.2 (2006).

George, Enitza D. "Assessment and Treatment of Alcohol Use in Adolescents." American Academy of Pediatrics 1999 Annual Meeting.

Lamminpaa, Anne. "Acute alcohol intoxication among children and adolescents." European Journal of Pediatrics. Vol. 153; Number 12. December, 1994.

Liddle, Howard. "Adolescent substance abuse." Drug Rehabs. 2000-2004.

Martin, Kimberly. "Adolescent treatment programs reduce drug abuse, produce other improvements." National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Findings. Vol. 17, Number 1. April 2002.

McCarthy, Alice R. "Teens and alcohol: preventing that lethal combination." Parent Teacher Association. 2000-2007.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. "New advances in alcoholism treatment." Number 49. October 2000.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. "The genetics of alcoholism." Alcohol Alert. Number 60. July 2003.

National Institute on Chemical Dependency. "General and specific guides to detection of alcohol and drug use and definition of addiction." 2007.

National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research based guide." 3/31/05.

Rosenbaum, Marsha. "Experience, research show testing doesn't work." The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 6/8/03.

Russell, Michael. "Alcoholism treatment medications." Ezine Articles. 3/10/07.

Sher L. Alcohol consumption and suicide. International Journal of Medicine 2003; 99(1): 57-61.

Shillington, Audrey M., Clapp, John. "Parental monitoring." Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse. Vol. 15, Issue 1. 12/5/05.

Staff J, Patrick ME, Loken E, Maggs JL. Teenage alcohol use and educational attainment. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 2008 November; 69(6): 848-858.

Thomson Corporation. Physicians' Desk Reference 2010; Toronto, Canada.

Tyler, Kim A. "Examining the changing influence of predictors on adolescent alcohol misuse." Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse. Vol. 16, issue 2. 3/6/07.

We Don't Serve Teens. "Dangers of teen drinking." 5/3/07.

Witmer, Denise. "Warning signs of teenage drug abuse." Parenting Adolescents About, Inc. 2007.

Zickler, Patrick. "Family-based treatment programs can reduce adolescent drug abuse." National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Findings. Vol. 17, Number 4. November 2002.


Last Editorial Review: 1/12/2011


Patient Comments

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Alcohol and Teens - Personal Experience Question: At what age did you start drinking? Was peer pressure a contributing factor? Please share your story.
Alcohol and Teens - Signs and Symptoms Question: What were the signs and symptoms associated with alcohol intoxication in you, a friend or your child?
Alcohol and Teens - Parental Prevention Question: As a parent of a teen, how do you try to prevent alcohol use and/or abuse?
Alcohol and Teens - Causes and Risks Question: If known, what were the risk factors for developing alcoholism as a teenager?
Alcohol and Teens - Treatment Question: What kinds of treatment were helpful in treating your teen alcohol problems?
Alcohol and Teens - Help for Teens Question: Was there a counselor, group, or organization that helped you with your alcohol problems? Please share your experience.
Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_teens/article.htm

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