A recent study conducted at the University of South Florida reported a link between trauma, alcohol use and incarceration amongst teens.
The study was done by surveying 373 incarcerated male teens in the age range of 14 to 17 years old, each having been convicted of a violent crime. The survey questions addressed the levels of alcohol and drug use of first time offenders and compared them to multiple offenders.
The study revealed that multiple offenders had higher levels of alcohol use in the 6 months leading up to the time of the offense. The multiple offenders also had a higher incidence of traumatic events during childhood compared to the first time offenders.
Based on the above findings it can be determined that there is some form of link between childhood trauma, alcohol and committing violent crimes.
The Influence Of Trauma On Alcohol And Drug Use
It has been a long known fact that alcohol is sometimes abused by someone going through rough times in their life or trying to cope with mental stress. Alcohol can act temporarily as their “solution” to this trauma. However, as has been seen by anyone who spends time around a heavy drinker, that person has a tendency to do things that they normally wouldn’t do and when they are going through a rough time in their life, may even act violently while under the influence of alcohol.
Based on a study conducted in 2004 on inmates, about 55 percent of the inmates surveyed were dependant or addicted to drugs or alcohol and about 30 percent of them reported having been under the influence of drugs or alcohol while committing the crime that got them imprisoned.
It is important that teens that are dealing with trauma in their life get the appropriate help in their life, as when they don’t statistics show that they are turning more and more to alcohol and other drugs to relieve this pain. This in turn is creating young teens that have a greater tendency to commit crimes in society. This is a very dangerous cycle that with proper care on an individual basis can be avoided.
Solutions For Those Already Dealing With Drug Or Alcohol Abuse Problems
It is impossible to erase the past and if one had childhood trauma they must learn to get past this with some type of help. Drug use connected with this can be resolved if you handle the physical aspect of the addiction as well as the underlying issues that causes it. Undergoing this type of treatment gives the person the ability to face the childhood trauma and work on handling it and healing themselves. This is what is offered through Narconon.
Narconon has shown to have a 76% success rate for permanent sobriety and is a long-term residential program that lasts 4-6 months and could be longer depending on the individual needs of the person.
The Narconon program addresses not only the physical aspect of removing the drugs from the body, but also addresses other aspects of the person’s life. Including teaching the person “life skills” to further enable them to succeed when they go back into the world and not just fall back into the same trap. This can be specifically helpful to someone who grew up in an abusive or traumatic environment as a teen because they may never have learned the necessary tools in life in order to succeed.
For more information on the successful treatment offered through Narconon or to get help for a loved one contact us today.
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