By Odalys Martinez
Drug and alcohol misuse is a serious issue on a national scale in the United States, and the reasons young adults get hooked is a central area of concern.
University of Arizona employee Joe Casillas and two friends shared that their substance abuse disorders started at a young age. Now the three help others who seek sobriety.
Casillas, who works with a campus recovery group, began drinking at age 14, and years of tough experiences with alcohol and drugs followed until he got into recovery.
His grandmother had an addiction as well as serious depression, and she ultimately committed suicide when he was 2 years old. He initially abstained from the using alcohol and drugs because of his grandmother’s story, but curiosity about a new experience led him into addiction, revealed the 32-year-old.
Teenagers turn to using alcohol, drugs and substances for many reasons, whether out of peer pressure, to cope with a traumatic event, in response to media’s influence, or, simply, for fun.
University of Arizona employee Joe Casillas and two friends shared that their substance abuse disorders started at a young age. Now the three help others who seek sobriety.
Casillas, who works with a campus recovery group, began drinking at age 14, and years of tough experiences with alcohol and drugs followed until he got into recovery.
His grandmother had an addiction as well as serious depression, and she ultimately committed suicide when he was 2 years old. He initially abstained from the using alcohol and drugs because of his grandmother’s story, but curiosity about a new experience led him into addiction, revealed the 32-year-old.
Teenagers turn to using alcohol, drugs and substances for many reasons, whether out of peer pressure, to cope with a traumatic event, in response to media’s influence, or, simply, for fun.
“First it’s fun, then it’s consequences and fun, then it’s only consequences,” explained Rohith Boyilla, a UA student who also works with others on recovery. His experience began because a family member suffered from mental illness. He started using alcohol as an escape, until it got out of control. Rachel Abraham, a graduate assistant who works in the UA’s health promotion and prevention services, said misusing substances at a young age can lead to a plenty of health problems later, mainly because the teenage brain isn’t fully developed. To fully understand this, Abraham explained that our body produces melatonin. Taking melatonin supplements would make our brain stop producing the chemical naturally, which would make the user have cravings. Similarly, when substances are introduced into the body, serotonin levels can be affected and lead to chronic depression. John Fritsche, a recent UA grad who participates in recovery, said in college, many assume that everyone drinks in college, but statistics indicate a third of students have only one or two drinks a month. Casillas attended Catholic school before college. He was so well prepared for college, he said, that the first three years were somewhat of a repetition of what he’d learned before, giving him time to party. He said he could’ve done so much more in school and he could have avoided unsavory experiences, such as being close to death multiple times, being beaten by a gang, suffering from a brain bleed, getting a DUI, going to jail, getting kicked out of a nursing program twice, and making countless trips to hospital and rehab centers. “Anyone who loved me basically was suffering. I was breaking their hearts, wanted to get sober but I couldn’t,” he said. Abraham confirmed a problem today is that many teenagers are fully aware of the consequences that misusing substances and consuming alcohol and drugs can lead to, yet they ignore the warnings. Accessing substances is easy for teenagers. Some have strategies to get at the alcohol and drugs, such as owning a fake ID, taking parents’ alcohol around the house, or finding contacts who will provide them alcohol or sell drugs to them. Alternatives and help are available. Wildcats Anonymous offers activities for students who wish to stay sober, especially during times when the drinking rate is up, such as on holidays, weekends and spring break. Abraham advises teens who feel curious about trying drugs to look for joys in life that make you feel the adrenaline rush. You can get there with no need for drug usage, she said. Fritsche advised teenagers who feel curious about trying drugs to educate themselves about the drugs and substances they are taking, because he didn’t understand the full severity when he started. For students who do succumb, there’s help available. Finding help is possible. Sources in recovery said they once felt hopeless and now feel they are on a successful path. Casillas’ recovery path started by wanting to be sober. He followed all of the steps in rehab and got a job in low-level management there. At age 29 he felt motivated to attend school and eventually complete his undergraduate degree. Now he works to help others get to the same sober place. “Doing what I can to help people who are struggling, for some reason, I think it’s that sense of purpose, duty. It that helps me remember where I’ve been but also makes the mistakes I’ve done in the past and the pain I’ve count for something,” he said. Fritsche advises students who are thinking of taking drugs: Try to find someone to talk to about what is going on, to find ways to help. “Anyone who might be struggling has to know they are not alone,” he said. |