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Abortion linked to drugs, alcohol abuse
Young women who have abortions are more likely to drink heavily and abuse hard drugs, an Australian study has found.
Queensland researchers have told an international conference they have found a clear link, but the jury is still out on whether the abortion could have caused the destructive behaviour.
"This is a very interesting but also very controversial finding and it still remains to be seen what exactly the connection is," said researcher Kaeleen Dingle, from the University of Queensland.
"It might be that women who have abortions are also more likely to live a riskier and more abusive lifestyle but there's also some evidence to suggest the procedure itself could put women on that path."
The study tracked 1,122 young women who were born at the Mater hospital in the early 1980s, finding that 21 years on, about one-third had an abortion.
Those who had an abortion were three times more likely to also abuse hard drugs, like heroin, methamphetamines and glue, than the women who had either had no pregnancy or those who had a child.
They were also twice as likely to be a binge drinker or an alcoholic, and 1.5 times more likely to suffer depression, delegates at the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) conference in Melbourne were told.
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What is Peer Pressure?
It is not uncommon to want to be part of a group and feel like we belong in our community. Peer pressure can happen when we are influenced to do something we usually would not do, or stopped us from doing something we would like to do. This may be because we want to be accepted by our peers. A peer can be anyone you look up to or someone who you would think is an equal in age or ability. A peer could be a friend, someone in the community or even someone on TV. You may experience peer pressure as you live up to either the individual's or group's expectations, or follow a particular fashion or trend.
How Does Peer Pressure Effect Us?
Peer pressure may be a positive influence and help to challenge or motivate us to do our best. Peer pressure may also result in you doing stuff that may not fit with your sense of what is right and wrong.
Peer pressure may influence us in a number of ways, including our:
* Fashion choice
* Alcohol and other drug use
* Decision to have a boyfriend/girlfriend
* Choice of who our friends are
* Academic performance
Where Does Peer Pressure Come From?
Peer pressure may be present in the workplace, at school or within the general community. It can affect people of all ages and backgrounds. It may affect people in different ways. Some of the ways it may affect you include:
Directly - You may experience peer pressure as someone telling you what you should be doing. It may be a good idea to talk to someone you trust if you feel threatened, are being hurt or being pressured into something you do not want to do. This may be a family member, teacher, youth worker or counsellor. Check out the Finding Help Section for more information about how they can help.
Indirectly - Peer pressure may not always be obvious to you. It is not uncommon for a group of friends to have particular habits or activities that they do together. It may be that when you are with a different group of friends you are unlikely to do those things. For example, you may only smoke when you are with certain friends or you may be more likely to study when you are with other friends.
Individual - Sometimes the pressure comes from you. Feeling different from the group may be hard. To avoid this, sometimes we do things to make sure we feel like the rest of the group. Moving to a new area or starting high school may be scary. Often it means having to make new friends and fit into a new environment. When we are feeling unsure about ourselves we may be more likely to feel the effects of peer pressure. |
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Drug Abuse Research
Most people think that it is relatively easy to spot the signs of drug abuse, but the fact is that someone can be abusing drugs for a long period of time and the no one picks up on it. This is particularly true of parents who are often in a state of denial when it comes to their own children. They simply don't want to see the signs of drug abuse. The signs vary with different drugs and become more intense and noticeable as the addiction grows.
There are some signs of drug abuse that are common among most drugs however. From marijuana to the common opiates one of the first signs is a general loss of motivation and concentration. The drug begins to become the center of the user's universe and school work ad jobs begin to suffer. Prolonged use can lead to paranoia and sexual dysfunction. Other signs of drug abuse can include constant drowsiness, mental confusion, insomnia, and agitation. Depression is also a common sign of drug use, especially with some prescription drugs such as Vicodin.
The most important thing to watch for is general changes in behavior patterns, particularly among teenagers. If a young person has been a solid student and suddenly begins bringing home poor grades this can be one of the signs of drug abuse. In addition, this same student may start to skip school, be constantly tardy, and lose interest in extracurricular activities. Some of the same signs occur in the work place with adults. The quality of work and the dedication to the job are some of the first things to be affected
Many of these signs are ignored or even unnoticed by the users so it can be important for friends and family to spot the signs first and if necessary, intervene. |
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