Underage drinking: Helping teens cope with stress can reduce binge drinking
As we roll into high school graduation season and the long months of vacation, it's no surprise that underage drinking peaks in the summer.
Posted — UpdatedAs we roll into high school graduation season and the long months of vacation, it's no surprise that underage drinking peaks in the summer.
"Childhood behaviors such as restlessness, distractibility, and impulsivity increase the likelihood of heavy drinking in adolescence," writes Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler, a senior health educator at the Raleigh-based center. "Stress not only may fuel adolescent binge drinking, but heavy drinking during these pivotal years impacts how the brain handles stress in the future."
According to research, Wheeler shares, as we age and learn to cope with stress, less cortisol, a hormone, is released. But, she writes, when teens binge drink, their brains don't learn to handle stress and that cortisol release doesn't drop over time when compared to peers who aren't drinking.
"Eventually the brain and body becomes unable to distinguish between a small stressor and something life threatening," she writes. "The brain reacts as if everything is life-threatening, thus increasing the reactive binge behavior."
But, Wheeler writes, "to understand what factors might prompt an adolescent to a binge drink, we must look beyond the notion of simply wanting a taste of 'forbidden fruit.'"
Indeed, stress, according to the American Psychological Association, may make teens more likely to use illegal drugs or drink alcohol, especially when they are not monitored. Stress, according to a survey of teens in 2013, is extremely common among teenagers, who ranked school, getting into a good college and deciding what to do after high school as top stressors.
The Poe Center notes another promising way that teens can manage stress and alter binge drinking: practicing mindfulness.
"Practicing mindfulness involves being purposely aware of the present moment," Wheeler writes. "The person becomes more aware of their environment and how he or she reacts to changes in the environment."
One study found that college students' alcohol cravings decreased within two months after mindfulness intervention, Wheeler writes. The mindfulness training reduced the student's association with heavy alcohol use and stress reduction. They also felt more in control of their choices.
"When we provide young people the opportunity to practice stress management skills," Wheeler writes, "we, in turn, fortify them with protective factors to prevent risky substance use."
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