White House Office of National Drug Control Policy National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign

TEEN 'SELF MEDICATION' FOR depression leads TO MORE SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS,
NEW report REVEALS
Depressed Teens Using Marijuana, Other Drugs to Relieve Symptoms WASHINGTON, May 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of American teens report
experiencing hebdomads of hopelessness and loss of involvement in normal daily
activities and many of these down teens are using marihuana and other
drugs, making their state of affairs worse, according to a new White Person House report
released today. The report, from the White Person House Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP), uncovers that marihuana usage can decline depression
and Pb to more than serious mental disorders, such as as schizophrenia, anxiety,
and even suicide. Research demoes that some teens are using drugs to relieve feelings of
depression ("self-medicating"), when in fact, using marihuana can compound
the problem. The report, released to cooccur with May's Mental Health
Awareness Month, demoes a lurching two million adolescents felt down at
some point during the past year, and depressed teens are more than than twice as
likely as non-depressed teens to have got used marihuana during that same
period. Depressed adolescents are also almost twice as likely to have got used
illicit drugs as non-depressed teens. They are also more than than twice as
likely as their equals to mistreat or go dependent on marijuana. Marijuana
use is associated with depression, self-destructive thoughts, and self-destruction attempts. "Marijuana is not the answer. Too many immature people are making a bad
situation worse by using marihuana in a ill-conceived attempt to alleviate their
symptoms of depression," said Toilet P. Walters, Director, National Drug
Control Policy. "Parents must not disregard adolescent moodiness as a passing
phase. Look closely at your teen's behaviour because it could be a mark of
something more serious." Although marihuana usage among teens have dropped by 25 percentage since
2001, more than teens utilize marihuana than all other illicit drugs combined. The
new report, "Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent
Data Shows 'Self-Medicating' Could Actually Make Things Worse," demoes the
following: -- Teens who smoke marihuana at least once a calendar month are three modern times more
likely to have got self-destructive ideas than non-users;
-- Using marihuana can make depression and other mental illnesses;
-- The per centum of down adolescents is equal to the per centum of
down adults, but down teens are more than than than likely than depressed
grownups to utilize marihuana and other illicit drugs;
-- Adolescent misses who utilize marihuana day-to-day are more likely to develop
depression than misses who do not utilize marijuana;
-- Depressed teens are also more likely than non-depressed teens to engage
in other hazardous behaviours such as as day-to-day coffin nail usage and heavy alcohol
use. "Don't be fooled into thought that pot is harmless," said Dr. Drew
Pinksy, internist, dependence expert, and host of VH1's Celebrity Rehab. "Marijuana is an habit-forming drug. Teens who are already down and use
marijuana may increase their likelihood of agony from even more than serious
mental wellness problems." In fact, the effectiveness of smoked marihuana have risen consistently over
the past decennaries and higher effectiveness translates into serious health
consequences for teens. Some surveys demo that higher effectiveness marihuana may
be contributing to an addition in the figure of American teens seeking
treatment for marihuana dependence. The hazards associated with recent and
long-term marijuana usage include schizophrenia, other word forms of psychosis,
and even suicide. "Not only are striplings at greater hazard for drug abuse,
but they may endure more than consequences," said Nora D. Volkow, M. D.,
Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "There is also some
evidence that in vulnerable teens -- because of familial factors -- the
abuse of marihuana can trip a schizophreniform disorder." ONDCP is urging parents to pay near attending to their teen's
behavior and temper swings, and acknowledge that marihuana and other drugs
could be playing a unsafe function in their child's life. Parents can take
some concrete stairway to protect their teen from marihuana and other illicit
drug use: -- Look near at your teen's behaviour -- moodiness may not just be a
passing play phase; it could be mark of depression or drug use;
-- Acknowledge the warning marks of drug usage and depression, including
carelessness with grooming, alteration in behaviour and friends, loss of
involvement in day-to-day activities, and backdown from family;
-- Be more than involved: supervise your teen's activities; inquire inquiries and
cognize how he or she passes time; put bounds about drug usage with clear
regulations and effects for breakage them. For more than information about what parents should cognize about the link
between drug usage and depression, visit: . The
full report, "Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent
Data Shows 'Self-Medicating' Could Actually Make Things Worse" can be
accessed at
. Since its origin in 1998, the National Young Person Anti-Drug Media
Campaign have been authorized by United States Congress to cut down and forestall adolescent drug
use. For more than information on the ONDCP National Young Person Anti-Drug Media
Campaign, visit .