Substance Use Disorder And Its Effects On Children

Scottsdale, AZ based Pinnacle Peak Recovery has published a new article that aims to educate parents on the addiction services they can find in and around Phoenix. A child experiencing a substance use disorder can represent a parent’s worst nightmare (even as an adult), but the center assures their community that not only is recovery possible, it is likely, with 75% of young adults who experience addiction eventually recovering.

The center acknowledges that parents can feel as if all hope is lost when their child falls prey to this condition, no matter what the substance in question is. It may appear that, regardless of what measures they take to curtail their child’s substance use, they only seem to lose their grip even more as time goes on.

This feeling is common among parents in such circumstances, and the center says it is important for them to know that the future is by no means set in stone. There is always hope, even for cases that seem beyond all help, and there are numerous resources available that are designed explicitly to help both the child and their parents during the former’s recovery journey. However, these resources come in a variety of packages and may be better suited to certain circumstances over others, so it is vital that parents and children alike do everything they can to learn more about the options at their disposal in order to determine what is right for their needs.

As such, educating their community — especially those most vulnerable — is central to the mission at Pinnacle Peak Recovery. They aim to give parents all the insight they need to make the best choices regarding their children’s treatment and recovery, choices that will ultimately help their family heal as a whole.

To begin with, the center states it is important for everyone to understand that a substance use disorder affect’s both a person’s brain as well as their behavior. With each use, their inhibitions against such substances drop even further, and it becomes much harder for them to control themselves.

The article clarifies, “Substance use disorder, a clinical term used in diagnosis, is commonly referred to as addiction. Someone who is experiencing substance use disorder will have intense cravings for a substance that will cause the person to pursue the use of the substance despite it causing harm in the person’s life. Substance use disorder starts as a voluntary action, a person choosing to take a substance, but over time substance use can affect parts of the brain used for decision making and judgment. This can make it difficult for a person to stop using the substance on their own.”

Crucially, the center points out that around half of people experiencing substance use disorder also have a mental disorder, which is clinically known as a co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis. This is not a coincidence, and researchers believe that there are three distinct possibilities why these conditions occur in tandem so often.

The first of these is the fact that there are common risk factors that can contribute to both mental disorders and substance use disorders, such as stress and trauma. In addition, each condition is known to influence the onset of the other, so the second possibility is that mental disorders contribute to substance use disorder when those suffering from a mental disorder try to find relief through substance use. Likewise, substance use can contribute to changes in brain structure that can increase the likelihood that someone could develop a mental disorder.

Pinnacle Peak Recovery urges parents and other concerned individuals to keep in mind that there is no easy way to determine what causes a substance use disorder. A variety of factors, such as the person’s environment, social dynamics and even genetics, can contribute to their likelihood of developing a substance use disorder (as well as the personal challenges they will have to overcome as part of their recovery). There is no one-size-fits-all approach or treatment, and the article says, “A number of factors may need to be addressed to help your loved one make a successful recovery.”

Fortunately for families across Arizona and beyond, Pinnacle Peak Recovery specializes in approaching patient care and recovery with a holistic eye. Utilizing evidence-based techniques and treatments, they carefully work with each client and their support network to develop a personalized treatment plan that offers the highest chances of achieving long-term sobriety.

More information on this can be found in the full article, and Pinnacle Peak Recovery encourages its community to explore the rest of its resources on substance use disorder and related topics. For further assistance, those interested are welcome to contact the center directly.