The bonding experience
Most people, especially contemporary youths, struggle to relate to peers. The stress of socializing is one of the primary reason why most people turn to intoxicants like alcohol and marijuana to curb social anxiety.
Alcohol the famous “Social lubricant” is often available in social gathering places. Being under the influence makes peer interaction simpler- individuals feel more confident, speak up, quicker to crack jokes, worry less about rejection, and feel less self-conscious.
But just like any other drug, alcohol can make people socially uninhibited. Intoxicated individuals can become aggressive, offensive, obnoxious, and sometimes very difficult to hand.
Marijuana abusers, on the other hand, might feel relaxed and mellow in social gatherings, but they also stand a risk of increased paranoia, the tendency of getting lost in their own thoughts, and pronounced lethargy.
Bullying
All the individuals who take part in bullying- whether they’re the perpetrator, the victim, or a combination of roles- have been positively associated with increased alcohol use.
Victimization is also positively associated with other forms of substance abuse, including inhalant, hard drug use, and marijuana, that’s why it’s more likely for victims of bullying to engage in substance use than uninvolved youth.
The allure of rebelling
The abuse of drugs, by nature, builds the sense that one is rebelling against the expectations of society and norms. Most youths turn to substance abuse as a way to go against the authorities and the limitations imposed upon them at various institutions and homes.
According to studies, substance abuse can be the platform from which adolescent youth derive a sense of identity. The most common treatment to satisfy the desire to rebel is called Dialectical Behavior Therapy(DBT). Here individuals curate a list of the things they like doing for fun; then they select activities that satisfy their urge to be naughty without being harmful.