If you find any deviation in your son's behavior, do not accuse him, but look in the past what you have done to him. In large part, you will find that this is the product of your own making.
I read in a psychology book that most psychological disorders and problems occur as a result of events in the childhood period, which accumulate inside the child until he grows a little older, and appear in the form of abnormal behaviors or psychological disorders, and in this case you must resort to a psychiatrist immediately.
Childhood trauma and substance abuse
In the past, and before psychology advanced, people noticed that an abnormal childhood in which a child was exposed to some trauma was linked to a deviation in his behavior as he grew up. One of the pictures of this behavioral deviation is drug use. Today, with this tremendous progress in various fields, we have research that supports the idea of a clear relationship between childhood trauma and consequent drug use.
There is no doubt that there are many other factors that cause a person's behavior to be skewed, but childhood trauma remains the strongest and most profound. It may lead to substance use disorder later in life. These traumas affect the reward centers in the brain, making a person more susceptible to addiction later on.
Between (1995-1997), a study was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which examined the bad experiences of childhood and the consequent health and psychological problems. The study was on more than (17000) people. They were each given a questionnaire with a number of questions about the different types of childhood trauma.
Participants in the study were those who received health care, had graduated from universities and were employed, and the average of their childhood adverse experiences was (2), while the participants who were treated for addiction had adverse childhood experiences (6), that is, three times more than their parents. The study concluded that those whose adverse childhood experiences reached (6) degrees or more were more likely to take drugs and narcotic drugs. In this regard, one researcher suggested the idea that those who had experienced childhood trauma used drugs as a way to reorganize the disorganized nervous system due to PTSD.
Kinds of trauma to the child
The types of trauma the child is exposed to are different, the most prominent of which are: physical abuse such as beatings, verbal abuse such as insults and hurtful words, neglect, domestic violence, parental separation, poverty, bullying, deprivation, living in an abnormal society, and living in prison for a period.
Unfortunately, these traumas to which the child is exposed, cause some disorders that affect the psychological and physical functions. In some cases, the maturity and psychological development of a person who has had a share in childhood trauma is delayed. In addition, trauma also affects a person's natural abilities to perform daily functions. They also cannot control their emotions when dealing with the stress of life, whether at work or at home. Therefore, we find that survivors of these traumas are able to organize their lives and their minds well, because if they do not organize them they will suffer more in this life.
Abuse is the easiest way to harm yourself
Sometimes, those who were traumatized will reenact what happened during childhood, but not exactly, and you find them hurting themselves in another way, as they have adapted to self-harm. Some of them are addicted to alcohol, some play gambling, and others use drugs. These narcotic substances provide them with more adrenaline or endorphins, which are chemicals that are naturally secreted inside the body, but once the human body gets them from the outside, the body begins to get used to the external source and here the imbalance occurs. These substances help a person get rid of feelings of depression, anxiety and fear for a specific period of time and their effect ends, and one needs to get them again, and so he becomes addicted to abuse.
They believe that taking drugs is a way to help them cope in this life, and there is no problem with using it. It provides the material required for feeling happiness and access to the concept and sense of freedom, even if it is at a high price. For them, drugs are a fast and immediate source of freedom. Compared to other forms of self-harm - which are definitely behavioral perversion - such as gambling or eating disorders, for example.
Abuse is one of their escape strategies
Childhood trauma is not an easy matter, as one remains in conflict with harsh childhood memories, and negative emotions such as fear, depression, and anxiety are possessed by him. And they need to get a rest and escape from these memories that haunt them with negative emotions attached to them. Their comfort is taking drugs that separate them from this troublesome world for a while, so that they can enjoy a little rest and relaxation. They believe that without these substances, they cannot handle these psychological symptoms and painful memories. Thus, we can say that drugs are just a strategy used by those who have been exposed to trauma in different stages of childhood. These drugs represent for them the means of survival in this life.
In one study, it was proven that (70%) of participants who have recovered from drug addiction have experienced childhood trauma, when the study’s authors asked them about their history and childhood.
From all of that, we note that the use of drugs begins as a way to escape from the dire reality, and over time it becomes a habit that must be taken care of, and this requires increasing the amount of the substance that will enter the body regularly to obtain the same effect that the person needs. But the effect of these substances gradually stops, and thus one does not get the desired effect to escape the inevitable pain, and here is the breaking point.
So what is the solution? For those who have indulged in addictions, they should stop and resort to specialized clinics. As for childhood trauma, unfortunately, we cannot prevent humans from causing harm to these children who came to life and found violence around them without any guilt. The result was a shock with undesirable consequences. Therefore, it is important to spread awareness about how to deal with such trauma. And how to take care of children after they are exposed to it. In the end, children are the most innocent creatures, and keeping them safe is the duty of every parent. And if one day you offended him, you will not be happy with his condition when he grows up, at that time your mental maturity will increase and you will regret.
