8 high tide jan. 27, 2023
in-fo
THE CASE ON
DRUGS
RUHS students grapple with the mental and physical consequences of drug abuse and how it has affected different aspects of their lives by Katarina (Haven) Beches
*All student names have been changed to preserve anonymity
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He was my best friend. We both watched each other go til I've learned to just be happy with myself. It's not just about from just mischievous kids to drug dealing and guns. It being sober because what makes somebody not sober? It's usugot really heavy, and we saw each other go through the ally mental health [problems],” Reed said. rise and fall. And then he died, and that kind of saved my life,” Maturing brains of adolescents are “particularly susceptisenior Reed* said, recalling his best friend who died from a ble to substance use disorder because the adolescent brain is drug overdose. learning patterns that persist into adulthood,” per the AmerDrug usage runs rampant in the South Bay and nationwide. ican Medical Association (AMA). Adults who began misusing By eleventh grade, more than 25 percent of Beach Cities stusubstances when they were young can find it “difficult, if not dents report using alcohol or drugs in the past 30 days. Further, impossible” to maintain appropriate social, cognitive and emo50 percent of teenagers across America have misused a drug at tional cues. least once, as reported by the National Center for Drug Abuse Drug misuse and drug abuse, although similar, differ based Statistics. on intent. Misuse refers to those who take inappropriate dosAccording to the American Society of es or combinations, whereas abuse is using Addiction Medicine (ASAM), an addiction drugs recreationally or to feel the “high.” Reis a “treatable, chronic medical disease incalling her aunt, senior Maeve* has felt the volving complex interactions among brain detrimental consequences of drug misuse, circuits, genetics, the environment and an An addiction is a abuse and addiction on addicts themselves individual’s life experiences. People with “treatable, chronic and family members. addiction use substances or engage in beExposed to drugs at the “peak” opporhaviors that become compulsive and often medical disease tunity of addiction, which the AMA cites as continue despite harmful consequences.” between the ages of 15 years old and 21 years involving complex Reed was 12 years old when he started old, Maeve’s aunt took nitrous, acid, mushusing drugs. rooms, weed, pills and “everything under interactions among “From seventh grade to junior year the sun.” The turning point for Maeve’s aunt brain circuits, is when I was getting [messed up] every was a prescription of Vicodin for pain medsingle day on pills, hard drugs, anything. genetics, the ication, which subsequently led her to using Percocet, [cocaine, Xanax] just anything, opiates and benzodiazepines. For Maeve, environment and an everyday.” seeing her aunt in such a state was “jarring” Reed, currently sober from all “hard” individual’s life and “impactful.” drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, “I remember I tried connecting with her. I pills and more, now reflects on the mind- experiences." tried to talk to her and understand what was set of drug addicts and what led him down going on. But it was just so hard to be around such a path. someone when they're in that state. She was “I saw a lot of things that young kids THE AMERICAN SOCIETY just completely doped up on so many things shouldn't see. So that compelled me to do a OF ADDICTION MEDICINE all the time,” Maeve said. “Addiction doesn't lot of stupid [stuff]. One of the main things (ASAM) care if your body is breaking down. AddicI see [in hard drug addicts] or even a drug tion doesn't care if you're overdosing. You addict in general [is] it's almost someone who's trying to kill keep going back to it because your brain is chemically attached themselves without [actually] killing themselves,” Reed said. to it.” Clear Recovery Center serves as a rehabilitation resource for As a child, Maeve was “oblivious” to the severity of her aunt’s those in Beach Cities seeking help. Consisting of professionals, addiction, but later, had a change of heart. clinicians, case managers and facilitators, Clear provides vital “Now looking back, I blamed her for everything. I was like, opportunities for adolescents and adults. According to Basel ‘Oh, it's just her fault. She's an addict.’ But it's very complex and Shadfan, Director of Operations at the center, “trauma” can [there’s always] other stuff at play,” Maeve said. lead to drug use, but there’s always much more going on beSenior Ally* has dealt first-hand with drug abuse in her neath the surface. family, stemming from her two older brothers, both of whom “I feel like I won't ever be truly sober throughout my life unattended institutions for their mental issues that were exacer-
PRINCIPAL BRIDI
bated by drug use. One brother began smoking ma nicotine in ninth grade to deal with his anxiety, bu himself dependent upon it. Ally recognized her b drugs as a “coping mechanism” for his depression “He would have mood swings. If he didn’t have he would be outrageous and would get into fights no reason. Honestly, as a sister, I preferred him then I didn’t have to experience him being verba tally abusive,” Ally said. Reed considers drugs as a coping mechanism, a Maeve. “You can say ‘Oh, you just like to smoke every five seconds because you like to smoke,’ but it's like, are you really happy with yourself? If you’re getting [high] every second of the day every chance you get, you’re trying to Addic escape,” Reed said. The underlying issue with drug us- if you age is accessibility, according to Reed break and Maeve. “It’s insane. I had access to guns, Addic crack, meth, anything I wanted at if you my fingertips,” Reed said. “The big thing with this area is that you’ve got You k so many parents who only care about to it b money and forget about their kids. That’s what happened to me. The com- brain bination of rich parents who don’t care about their kids and easy access to attac drugs and money is not a good spell for anybody.” MAEVE According to Cumberland Heights, ANON an addiction treatment and recovery institution, “[50] years ago, chemical dependency was widely believed to be a moral wea lief that fed the social stigma, preventing “millions ing out for help.” “It can happen to anyone. It doesn't matter yo nomic status, it doesn't matter where you live, wh ing,” Maeve said. “People look at addicts and they junkies. They think they have no chance at life, t beings. That's not true.” Senior Kit*, who has witnessed first-hand drugs on themself and their friend still classifies an addict, but notes that they have gotten “much
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY BRIDI
Q:
How do you approach student drug use and enforce specific regulations at RUHS?
A:
“In order to really assist a student, you have to either catch them or provide access to supports that students can participate in like self-referral. We have that with our Wellness Center and our amazing counseling team. We have access points if people feel that maybe somebody's making those decisions that are unhealthy, and they feel that an individual needs help, or that an individual feels like they need help. I want to make sure [it’s known] that we do have resources for students that may need it. I’d rather have that and students in general having that rational thought of ‘Hey, maybe what I’m doing is unhealthy and not good for me' than a student flirting with our rules until possibly getting caught.”
Q:
For students who may be having difficulty with handling these addictions, what advice would you give?
A:
“As a whole, we have a very active community. We live by the beach, and there’s a lot of fun activities that we can participate in that are healthy. My first piece of advice for any student is to try to find an outlet that is healthy and that you can do with your friends that doesn’t include drugs or alcohol. [Here at RUHS] we have 100+ clubs and almost half of our student population is in some way, shape, or form involved with athletics or theater or something beyond just their academic schedule, and that speaks volumes to who we are as a learning community.”
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