Adolescent Addict Summary

The Adolescent Addict’s main focus is two teenagers who that have been through substance use treatment programs. The two individuals started using substances from a very early age. The two individuals used any psychoactive substance that they could but their use mostly consisted of alcohol and marijuana. The main topics covered in this video were onset, treatment, and the importance of family interventions. Overall, this video shows not only what an individual goes through during treatment but the toll that substance use takes on the adolescent’s family.

Before getting started about the video itself I would like to discuss the title, The Adolescent Addict. I disagree with the title and how the title of the video refers to the adolescent

Dennis explains the unique developmental needs in regards of treating adolescents. He explains the changing brain of adolescents and how they are not in full control of their emotional regulation system. During this developmental time emotional regulation is still being acquired and learned. However, when an individual between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five introduces psychoactive drugs into their system the impact on the brain is extreme. During this developmental time frame, adolescents are suppose to be learning how to control their emotions, behaviors, and learn coping skills. When drugs are introduced to the system on a regular basis, adolescents loose even more control of emotions and behaviors. As a substance abuse counselor in training this information is very important for me to know and understand. Most of the clients I see will have developed an addicton during the ages of 18 and 25. Having background knowledge of brain development and using during adolescents help me to better outside what needs to be done for treatment. I would need to include more information and programs on coping skills and work through the underlying issues that led the individual to

Kathleen Brady is a professor and director of psychiatry at the Medical School of the University of South Carolina. She is considered an expert on addiction and co-occurring disorders. During An Interview with Kathleen Brady there is a summary of what is addiction, myths about addiction, co-occurring disorders, the role of dopamine and relapse. As a substance abuse counselor in training this video gives a general synopsis of my education on substance use, abuse, and dependence. The three main concepts discussed that I found interesting were the role of emotional trauma and stress on the addiction process, dopamine, and the common myths of