The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently funded a survey co-conducted by UCLA and University of South Carolina Columbia, which indicates that children who have ADHD are more likely to engage in drug use.
According to the study, to be published in Clinical Psychology Review, children who have been diagnosed with ADHD are up to three times more likely than their peers to become dependent upon, or abuse, various substances, including nicotine, cocaine and marijuana.
“Parents with children of ADHD are in a precarious position,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “Not only must they manage their child’s ADHD, but they also must continually be aware of any signs of drug use such as change in mood or behaviors. Often times, these changes can be difficult to detect in in their child because the variables affecting the ADHD are so great, that it is difficult for a parent to know if a changed behavior is the effect of ADHD, or if something else is at work. Vigilance, along with communication, is paramount in order to prevent drug abuse in their child.”
The study also indicates that adolescents who have been diagnosed with ADHD are 1.5 times more likely to try marijuana than those without ADHD. The research also indicates that experimentation with substances such as nicotine and illegal drugs often comes at an earlier age than what is considered “normal” among their peers.
The research presented analyzed nearly 30 long-term studies that followed over 4,000 ADHD children and nearly 7,000 non-ADHD children for a decade or more.
Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center offers professional intervention services as well as expert drug rehab to help your loved one get on the road to recovery. For the past 13 years, Mountainside has established itself as an innovator within the addiction treatment field, and the treatment modalities Mountainside utilizes are regarded as among the most cutting-edge approaches in helping individuals to get, and to remain, sober.
The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as a Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specialization and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addictions. As a result of their unique, innovative approaches to addiction treatment over the past 13 years, Mountainside has become the model for the addiction treatment field.
The program, along with its professional addiction treatment team, have earned national recognition and resulted in Mountainside being invited to Washington by the White House to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes its program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and resulted in the adoption by many throughout the country of a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.
If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside
Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.
