Growing up while looking after someone can make things a bit difficult and sometimes it might feel like you can’t cope very well.
Because of this, you might be tempted to try alcohol or drugs as a way of making yourself feel a bit better, or because your friends are trying them or others at school. But what actually can alcohol or drugs do to your body? And where can you get information and help?
All About Alcohol
It might seem like experimenting with alcohol is a way to make your life a bit easier or just a bit of fun with your friends but alcohol can be quite dangerous. It’s true that some adults drink alcohol every now and then with no major problems (other than a hangover if they’ve drunk too much!) But when it comes to children and young people, alcohol can have all sort of effects on the body.
Some people think that alcohol just might make you a bit wobbly on your feet, but it can also affect the way you see, hear, and feel, and because you are young, your body might react a lot quicker to even a small amount of alcohol. Did you know you can actually be poisoned by alcohol if you drink too much in a short space of time? And alcohol can also affect your brain function so it might make remembering things a bit harder even if you haven’t been drinking that day.
What About Drugs?
All drugs, even legal drugs that you can get in shops or at the chemist for pain relief, can be dangerous if you use them wrong or take too much of them. But many of us are curious about them and what they really do to your body, and if your friends are using drugs it might be tempting to want to use them yourself.
There are three main categories of drugs based on the main effects they have on the body, they are stimulants, depressants or hallucinogens, but some drugs can do a mix of these categories. A stimulant is a drug that increases your heart rate and can make you feel alert. These are drugs like cocaine or ecstasy. A depressant is a drug that slows your heart rate and can make you feel low, these are drugs like alcohol and cannabis or ‘weed’. And hallucinogens are drugs that can make you see reality in a strange and distorted way, these are drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms.
To find out more about the different sort of drugs and the effects they can have on your body, look at the website Talk to FRANK.
Who Can I Talk To?
If you think you might have a problem with drinking or drugs or are thinking about experimenting or trying alcohol or drugs, don’t be afraid to tell someone you trust like a teacher or a doctor. They can get you the help and information you need, not only to stop drinking or using drugs but help with your caring role and other struggles you might be having in your life.
There are also some great online resources you can use to find out more, get advice and information, and even talk to support online.
The NSCCP has a dedicated section on their website all about drugs and alcohol.
Drinkaware has some great tools like a drinks tracker and a self-assessment along with advice for children and young people.
TheMix is a website for young people and teenagers and covers a wide range of topics including drugs and alcohol, and blogs from real people on addiction and more.
