IMPACT OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE ON FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AMONG YOUTH

Abstract

As people who are transferred from the innocence of childhood to the adult maturity, youths express a confused and highly energetic life pattern. They are usually vulnerable and get in encounter with many negative factors. It results in the origin and development negative changes in the behavioral patterns, and thereby in the dysfunction of the basic institution of a society, family, and to the dysfunction of other inter connected social institutions and finally of the entire society. Researches make it evident that the use of drugs without proper medical prescription is increasing among youths. Apart from personal adversities, substances abuse may result in family crisis and jeopardize many aspects of family life. Its addiction influences their psychological and cognitive conscience strongly and freezes their real feelings, emotions and logical sense and loses their confidence to face the real life. Substance abuse among youths eventually but directly prevents the stable development of the nation. This research paper discusses the concept of substance abuse, and tries to find out its impact on family relationships among youths within the age limit of 17-22 who consult de addiction centers with special reference to Thrissur district, Kerala along with strategies to tackle down the issue.