Young Adult Drug Addiction

The process of identity formation is the overarching theme that encompasses all of the developmental and psychological tasks of young adulthood. Self-acceptance, personal autonomy, value formation, and social reference groups are all central parts of a process that ultimately leads to the formation of an integrated identity or, conversely, role confusion. It is my personal belief that of all the tasks related to identity formation, self-acceptance is the foundation upon which one’s identity, values, and personal autonomy are based. Furthermore, in order for one to develop an internal sense of self-acceptance upon which to build an identity he or she must first be externally accepted-unconditionally and completely.

I work at an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment center for young adults, and the themes of identity formation, role confusion, and self-acceptance are ever-present in the lives of these young adults. Sadly, the majority of the girls that I work with have never experienced the personal affirmation and validation typically supplied by parents, teachers, mentors, and other significant adults. The effects of such deprivation are often devastating.

Like Plato in Rebel Without a Cause, these young adult drug addicts are struggling with role confusion and the task of self-acceptance. Their need to be loved and externally accepted is profound. In an effort to procure the acceptance and validation that they have never known but so deeply crave, these girls have turned to drug use, violent acting out, crime, gang involvement and a wide range of other deviant behaviors. While their “tribe” provides them with a social reference group, without the safe base of a loving parent or mentor the process of self-acceptance is stunted and their value formation is skewed. They constantly seek external validation from their “tribe” by engaging in the prescribed deviant behavior often at the cost of their own self-respect and personal freedom. They follow the messages of the media telling them what is beautiful and acceptable without any internal point of reference. Without a solid foundation, their identities seem sporadic and ever changing based on the various external messages they receive regarding what is acceptable.


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