Counselor: Early Addiction Tough To Beat
MOUNT CLEMENS (WWJ) - The verdict is still out on what exactly killed legendary pop singer Whitney Houston. However, her past problems with drugs have brought the topic of addiction back into the limelight
WWJ Newsradio 950 spoke with Dr. Conrad Aumann, a licensed youth counselor for the Macomb County court, who said that it can be hard for addicts to quit when they begin doing drugs as kids, and some can start as early as 9 years old.
He said that the type of addiction varies by person, but marijuana and alcohol are the most common drug of choice for young people.
Those who start an addiction young may also face a much more difficult time getting clean by the time they try to stop as adults -- and not quitting can lead to serious or even fatal consequences, according to Aumann.
He believes it's best to inform kids about the dangers of drugs early in life and advised that it's not a topic that should be taken lightly. "I think that the key is to obviously take things seriously," Aumann said.
Aumann said external environmental factors can get an addict's attention, but don't just have a lasting effect in helping an addict fully break the habit.
"The normal things we see -- the boss says you're going to get fired if you don't get your drinking in order, the wife says she's gonna leave, the doctor says you're gonna die ... you know, the court says you're going to jail," Aumann said."Those are factors that can really motivate people to stop, but they don't motivate them to stay stopped."
Aumann added that it's hard and you usually takes multiple times to quit, but it's never too late to attempt to get a handle on your addiction.
