Drugs and Alcohol (young people)
Using drugs and alcohol to escape from problems
Some of the young people we talked to had been through difficult situations at home and had used illegal drugs or alcohol to ‘escape’, or try to forget what was going on in their lives. The experience of growing up with an alcoholic father made it difficult for Chloe to live a ‘normal’ life when she was at school with her friends. She felt more mature than others her age and this made her feel different and distant from them. Sophie was kicked out of the family home by her violent stepfather And Steph was put into care because of her mother's heroin addiction. She thinks that young people who grow up seeing their parents addicted to drugs and alcohol often go on to abuse drugs and alcohol themselves.
Steph was put into care because her mum was addicted to heroin. She says that young people in care often see drugs as a way out of problems, but she would never do heroin.
Steph was put into care because her mum was addicted to heroin. She says that young people in care often see drugs as a way out of problems, but she would never do heroin.
Taking cocaine and alcohol to escape her problems just made Mary Ann feel worse. (Played by an actress)
Taking cocaine and alcohol to escape her problems just made Mary Ann feel worse. (Played by an actress)
But when I was seventeen, I’ve been in a violent relationship since I was fifteen as well, so kind of I think all that adds to it as well, but then obviously not living at home and having that stability, no obviously I know it’s my own fault but, and then as I was seventeen really bad experience happened in my life and I turned to Cocaine because I was working as a well so I had money, I had no child then, and every single weekend, even during the week I was just going out and, that was my escape route, but then every morning I would just feel so down and depressed and everything would just seem a thousand times worse, but then I’d go out and do it again and that’s all I wanted to do, I didn’t want to deal with anything head on I just wanted to go and just get obliviated that’s what I wanted to do, that was my aim.
Relationships
Some of the young people we spoke to said they drank or took drugs as a result of being in difficult relationships. Tara had previously been bullied due to her weight issues and had low self-esteem so was thrilled when she got an older boyfriend. He and his friends made her feel under pressure to take drugs. Charlie and Mary-Ann also took drugs to forget the problems in their relationships.
Tara felt lonely before she met her older (now ex) boyfriend when she was 13. She was ‘naïve’ and he introduced her to drugs.
Tara felt lonely before she met her older (now ex) boyfriend when she was 13. She was ‘naïve’ and he introduced her to drugs.
Charlie started taking more and more drugs to cope with the strain of supporting her boyfriend through his emotional issues.
Charlie started taking more and more drugs to cope with the strain of supporting her boyfriend through his emotional issues.
It was definitely a negative thing because I was using drugs more than seeing him and he weren’t particularly interested in it. He was in a bad place as well, just feeling depressed and sad a lot of the time, he didn’t know how to deal with it. And neither did I. I was running away from it – from him – because I realised I was not happy with what was going on, and I couldn’t deal with the strain it was putting on me.
I was trying to deal with his problems, and the fact my course was going badly, and my drug use was getting greater and greater… I just couldn’t deal with it. But a lot of it, I think, was that I was trying to support him emotionally and I just felt worn out and unable to cope. And I think I got into drug use more, because I just – I didn’t know how to deal with it any other way.
The way in the end was to end the relationship but that wasn’t a particularly positive step. Though now it’s been a very positive one, we’re on good terms again. But at the time it was really hard for him, it was a blow when he was already going through a lot. But I couldn’t deal with it anymore and it was sort of. If I’d have tried to keep with him for longer then I think I would have had a breakdown myself. You know it was getting extremely intense and I couldn’t deal with the strain anymore of supporting someone else quite to that extent when I had my stuff to sort out too.
Mary Ann’s drug and alcohol use got worse after her boyfriend was sent to prison. She didn’t know how to cope with the situation. (Played by an actress)
Mary Ann’s drug and alcohol use got worse after her boyfriend was sent to prison. She didn’t know how to cope with the situation. (Played by an actress)
Seventeen.
Depression and low mood were often mentioned as reasons for drinking alcohol or taking drugs. Alex suffered from depression and anxiety, he used alcohol to feel secure and to build up his confidence. Sam said that he often felt ‘down’ as a teenager and wonders if his depression was triggered by the use of drugs, or if it was the other way around. Craig has experienced depression since he was twelve but one of his main reasons for using drugs was ‘rebelling’ against his diabetes - something he has lived with since he was a baby. Feeling lonely, insecure and like they didn’t ‘fit in’ at school also affected some of the young people we spoke to. See Drugs and mental health for more information on the link between drugs and depression.
Feeling uncertain about the future
Some felt that they drank alcohol and took drugs because they were unsure ‘who they were’ as people and didn’t have any plans for the future.
When Michelle was doing illegal drugs and drinking alcohol she lacked ambition. She thinks it’s particularly important for girls to have plans in life.
When Michelle was doing illegal drugs and drinking alcohol she lacked ambition. She thinks it’s particularly important for girls to have plans in life.
I mean it’s hard to say because I was, I was so young when I started doing all this but I think maybe if I had had like, not a, a, not a shock, a shock is probably not the right word but if I had had something, some thought about my future, some sort of, if I had even, you know, if I had had a plan when I was a teenager that would have helped me, it’s because I didn’t have no plan and I didn’t have no interest or thought or anything for what the futurewas going to bring, I just didn’t care and, I didn’teven know people could have plans for the future, you know? It was just all about me and, what I was going to do and it, you know, I never really, I think it’s really important for teenagers to have, you know, ambition, especially for girls because there is a, there is a lot of pressure to fall into, ‘oh I’m going to be a bad girl, I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that, I’m going to be really, really popular’ and then find out like I did that it doesn’t make you really popular.
As a teenager, Kasim was trying to understand who he was. He says weed helped him with that.
As a teenager, Kasim was trying to understand who he was. He says weed helped him with that.
Some people had come to the conclusion that they have an ‘addictive personality’. Harry said that he lacks control compared with others who can take drugs in moderation and he described his drug use as ‘all or nothing’. Daniel described himself as the ‘classic drug addict, alcoholic, nicotine addict, sex addict’. He said that he is aware of a pattern of mental health problems in his family but that there was little in his upbringing and background that could explain his addictive behaviour.
Daniel has felt an ‘emotional disconnection’ from the world since he was a child and thinks this could be the root of his problems with addiction.
Daniel has felt an ‘emotional disconnection’ from the world since he was a child and thinks this could be the root of his problems with addiction.
Some people found that the feeling of relaxation they got from cannabis helped them to concentrate and work through problems. Peter thinks that he comes up with some of his best solutions to work-related problems, after he has had a smoke in the evening.
Charlie suggests that people should stay away from drugs and alcohol if they have problems.
Charlie suggests that people should stay away from drugs and alcohol if they have problems.
It’s when you start to use drugs to escape what goes on or because you’re not happy with things that’s when it becomes an issue. I think you should be very careful if you’re feeling sad. To be honest, I think the best thing to do is to not drink or to take any drugs until you’re kind of over it. Because yeah. I mean it can help you to escape but ultimately you’re better dealing with those emotions than you are running away from them. And I think most problematic drug use does come from people who are in a bad state emotionally and they end up taking them. I mean in a bad state socially or economically and they end up taking drugs.
Last reviewed: July 2018.
Last updated: January 2015.