Pubdate: Wed, 01 Dec 2004
Source: Today (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004 Today
Contact:  http://www.today.net.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3458
Author: Bob Garon
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

ROOTS OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

There are parents who do not take the use of marijuana very seriously. They 
know it isn't addicting, even if it is habit forming and is surely a 
gateway to other drugs. When they learn that their teenager has tried it, 
they will tell me that it isn't as serious as shabu. They say he only tried 
it a few times, although they usually have failed to conduct an in depth 
investigation to verify if, indeed, he has not gotten into it more deeply. 
They simply take this word for it.

Parents don't like to accept drug taking in the family. Not only is it 
socially seen as shameful and against the law, they inevitably see it as a 
failure in parenting. In short, they are not good parents.

Perhaps, but the truth is that many drug users come from wonderful and 
caring parents who take their responsibilities very seriously indeed. 
Despite their best efforts, their child got into the wrong bunch and 
succumbed to peer pressure.

Other parents have themselves used or experimented with drugs in the past 
and tell me "I used and got over it." They assume their teenager will, too. 
That is, I think, taking chances on the life of a child because the fact is 
the vast majority of shabu addicts I have treated started out with marijuana.

Now, the prestigious US government agency, the National Institute on Drug 
Abuse, has come out with new research findings that conclude that "early 
use of drugs (tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and other illicit drugs) 
increases the likelihood of developing psychiatric disorders in the late 
twenties."

Studies by Dr. Judith Brook and Dr. David Brook of New York's Mt. Sinai 
School of Medicine and Dr. Patricia Cohen of Columbia University "provide 
evidence that substance abuse significantly predicts the later occurrence 
of psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD), 
alcohol dependence and substance use disorders (SUDS)."

Says Dr. Brook, "Overall, alcohol and substance abuse during the early 
years was significantly related to later psychiatric disorders. The 
cumulative frequency of substance abuse from childhood through early 
adulthood is strongly associated with episodes of MDD, alcohol dependence 
and SUDS in the late twenties."

In addition, the researchers found that "earlier marijuana and tobacco use 
were each more strongly related to participants' development of MDD in 
their late twenties than more recent use of these substances."

Dr. Brook cites results related to marijuana use as a particularly key 
finding. "Earlier marijuana use showed substantial effect on later 
incidence of MDD, alcohol dependence and SUDS..."

And a final strong warning to those who don't take marijuana use seriously. 
Dr. Brook says that "use of marijuana during childhood and adolescence 
should not be treated as benign, but rather may signal the later 
development of MDD, alcohol dependence and SUDS."
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