Even though marijuana may seem like a very wide used and harmless drug, it actually can be very harmful for you. Considering that there are more than four-hundred different chemicals found in the plant and the smoke inhaled into the lungs include carcinogens that may cause cancer, it would be a good idea to keep this smoke far from your body. People that smoke marijuana on a regular basis also report feeling very lackadaisical, unfocused, and detached about things that would normally be of the utmost importance to them.

Cocaine is a powerful stimulant that can cause you to feel hyper and more active. The cocaine releases dopamine in the brain which is what makes the body feel pleasure and satisfaction. The more you use cocaine, the less dopamine your brain will produce normally. So even though it will make you feel good temporarily, you will just need more of the drug to feel good like that again. Thus, that is how the addiction gets started and it is a slippery slope to even try it for the first time.

Illegal drugs are not the only drugs that get abused and are addicting and dangerous. Prescription drugs like those that are used to treat pain are becoming quite a problem as well. These prescription drugs also affect the way the brain gives and receives messages through its neurotransmitters. There are several different drugs that get abused. Ones prescribed for anxiety, sleeping disorders, and for pain are most commonly misused and overused. Once the abuser stops using the drug it can cause the body to go through severe withdrawals and even seizures.

For those that are in need of help, there are plenty of drug treatment facilities that have the proper personnel, medical professionals, and counselors to give the addict the best chance to recover fully and live a normal happy and healthy life. The treatments they use will depend upon the specific case of each individual. Some will need 24 hour inpatient treatment while others may be admitted to an outpatient therapy program.

This is particularly common in teenagers who lack the resources gained through life experience to overcome difficult life situations. Teens who reach this point feel that they lack the resources to cope with their problems and try to communicate feelings of hopelessness and the expression of insurmountable stress through suicide. While some teenagers attempt suicide as a desperate act to get help from others without the intention of ending life, there are those who have lost all hope that help is obtainable that the goal to end their life becomes a reality.

Suicide prevention is best achieved by anticipating the precipitating factors for suicidal ideation and being aware of the warning signs of suicidal intent. Even if the teen denies suicidal intent, behavioural clues and thinking patterns can indicate the teenager’s level of suicidality. Depression, hopelessness and anxiety are found to be important factors in suicidal ideation and behaviour. This is often accompanied by feelings of isolation and perceived loss of control over their environment. All-or-nothing thinking emerges in which no options for coping or overcoming problems seem possible.

Suicidal intent refers to how committed the teen is to dying. Suicidal lethality refers to the dangerousness of the teen’s intended method of dying. Warning signs that a teenager is thinking about suicide include:

• Lack of hope for the future: the teen feels that there is no hope for the future, and things will never improve
• Preoccupation with death and dying: the teen imagines the world without their existence, or frequently talks about death or dying. For example they might say things like, “I wish I’d never been born”
• Feelings of worthlessness: the teen expresses self-hatred and self-loathing and perceives him- or her-self as a burden.
• Social withdrawal: withdrawing from family and friends and isolating self from social interaction.
• Self-destructive or self-harming behaviour: purposely taking unnecessary risks and risk-taking behaviour such as drug and alcohol abuse, or engaging in self-injury such as cutting.
• Saying good-bye: unexpected visits to family and friends and talking as though they will never see them again.
• Getting affairs in order: the person appears to be making preparations for after their death such as suddenly giving away prized possessions or making arrangements for pets and family members.
• Seeking out suicide implements: the person has a sudden interest in obtaining lethal objects such as pills, guns, knives, etc.

Sudden sense of calm: this is often the most surprising warning sign as many people remark that the person who committed suicide appeared very happy before the suicide. If there is a sudden change from being depressed and experiencing feelings of hopelessness to displaying a sense of resolve, this could indicate that the teen has made peace with the decision to end their life.