Substance abuse among the youth has been on the rise over the years. It has been
associated with users' mental, social, and physical problems. Substance abuse also has a
heavy impact on families and communities. Some of the causes of substance abuse are
sociocultural views, which include difficult financial circumstances, and cognitive-behavioral
views; this is an example of reducing tension and rewarding the effects of substances.
However, most of those abusing substances are not aware that they have a problem. Some of
those with the problem are also known to seek treatment, while most do not seek formal
treatment services.
According to Russell (2020), those recovering from substance use can use the TikTok
platform to attract and also engage others into the treatment. He gives an example of how TikTok
users in substance use recovery are using the rising platform to spread their recovery support and
give hope to those who are deep into the problem. He further explains that TikTok uses hashtags to
characterize video content by subject, making it easier to search for and share videos.
Russell and his co-authors sampled 82 of the most liked videos on TikTok related to
substance abuse recovery. The views in each video in the sample were more than 2 million,
and each had garnered more than 325,000 likes on average. The most common videos
involved sharing the journey to recovery from substance abuse (40.2%). Those that
celebrated the recovery milestone were second (37.8%), followed by those about the
recurrence of substance abuse (12.2%) (Russell et al., 2021).
Therefore, the TikTok platform can be used to reach millions of people going through
substance use disorders. Since the themes of the videos portray mechanisms similar to those
used during therapy, they can be used to encourage viewers to seek professional help or even
guide them through recovery.
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The development of substance use disorder is a process that involves various areas of
the brain. As scientists continue to expand their knowledge on ways to treat this disorder,
they have discovered that the use of some antidepressants can reduce the time taken to
recover.
Some anti-depression medicines include cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is the second most
abundant component in cannabis. The author recommends more studies into the region with
the research since the training and evidence are limited. According to Tyler, CBD could be an
effective treatment for cannabis and tobacco use disorders. Cannabidiol is known for
antipsychotic, antidepressant, neuroprotective, and anxiolytic properties (Scott Oesterle,
2020). Addiction involves a complicated process involving several brain regions that leads to
an addiction condition. Through biological and medical research, we are improving our grasp
of addiction. Some scientists believe that CBD is generally a safe choice for treating some of
the side effects of drug abuse disorders.
Overall, CBD has been discovered to have an effect on the inebriation as well as
relapse phases of addiction. Data on its impact during the withdrawal phase is inconclusive
and varies depending on whether it is combined with other cannabinoids such as THC
(Tetrahydrocannabinol).
Through various platforms such as TikTok, those suffering from substance abuse can
be reached and encouraged to seek professional help on the problem. They can also receive
encouragement from other people in the process of recovery. Various prescriptions such as
CBD can also be used in the treatment accompanied by therapy.
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References
Russell, A., Bergman, B., Colditz, J., Kelly, J., Milaham, P., & Massey, P. (2021). Using
TikTok in recovery from substance use disorder. ScienceDirect. Retrieved 31 January
2022, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109147.
Scott Oesterle, T. (2020). Cannabidiol as a potential treatment option for substance
disorders. Journal of the American Academy of child and psychiatry. Retrieved 31
January 2022, from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.07.139.