Caught in the web of Substance Abuse
When a teenager is caught in a web of drug and alcohol use, his school performance may easily suffer. From infrequent use at social gatherings with other peers, he may glide into misuse which can become a severe distraction to one’s academics. A teenager hooked on a substance may have drugs constantly on the brain. When he sits down in class, his mind may be miles away, thinking of how or when he can get his next hit.
The relentless yearn for the substance becomes a gnawing pain from within that may leave an adolescent constantly agitated and restless. Agitation and restlessness are common causes of stress and anxiety. And a stressed out and anxious teen is definitely not in the right condition for facing the challenges of high school. This relentless yearning and agitation can consume an adolescent, and the attention that he should have been able to apply to his schoolwork actually goes to unproductive mind-wandering.
Decreased Productivity
Obviously, these effects have their own effects on a troubled teen’s school performance. His attention may not be just halved, but even more of his mind can be occupied by his yearn for the drug than any kind of drive he may have ever had for school. What then? He will no longer be capable of bringing back the grades or sufficient work he used to.
If called during class recitation by the teacher, most likely his mind will be elsewhere and his in-class recitation grades will take a dive. If he is busy figuring out where he can get the cash for his next hit once class is out, then you can bet that the time he should spend studying will be sacrificed. This of course, will take its toll on his subjects’ tests or examinations.
Peer Problems
A teenager’s problems with substance abuse can also affect the way he interacts with his peers. Oftentimes the adolescent may even isolate himself while focusing on his yearning for the substance. His allowance and all his money may go to the substance. And if matters become desperate, he may revert to becoming a school bully in order to get the cash he needs to the incessant gnawing within of a drug habit.
He may bully his peers into giving him their allowance in order to support his drug habit, even stealing and pawning things to get the cash needs. He may choose not to go to class at all. Cutting class and skipping school are actions often made by those troubled teens caught in the web of substance abuse. A clear connection between drug and alcohol issues and teenage school troubles exists. Once substance abuse becomes a matter of concern, your teenager’s school life may be the next domino to fall.
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