Resources for Youth & Young Adults
Under 19 Alcohol & Substance Use Self-check
Substances and Choices Scale
This self-check tool is for people under the age of 19. If you are 19 or older click here.
This self-check will help identify problems with alcohol and substance use. The tool does not consider all possible problems connected with alcohol and substance use. The self-check cannot provide a diagnosis. Only a professional can make a diagnosis.
This self-check includes questions about both alcohol and substance use over the past month.
After you take the questionnaire, you'll get an immediate response from the Foundry website telling you where you stand but if you'd like to discuss those responses please contact our office.
Drug Self-assessment
This questionnaire will check for: hazardous substance use patterns, harms due to substance use and symptoms of dependence on substances. The effects of alcohol vary according to many factors including age, sex and ethnicity. This
Substance Information
Substance use is part of the human condition; people have used tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and other drugs for various “human reasons”, in various countries for thousands of years. Like all things involving humans, substance use is complex and not just “good” or “bad”) and has the potential to both help and harm. What’s more, the effects of using substances are not uniform but unique to each individual.
Drugs and their categories
A drug is any substance that causes a change in how people feel mentally, emotionally or physically. Mood and other brain processes such as perception, attention, learning, memory, concentration and abstract thought can be impacted.
Drug and their effects depend on many factors, including dose, types of drugs used and their interaction, how the drug is taken and the body’s response to drugs that develop over time (tolerance, dependence, etc).
Drugs include both legal drugs (such as alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs such as anti-depressants and painkillers) and illegal drugs such as cocaine, speed and LSD. When discussing drugs it can be helpful to categorize drugs according to the effect they have on one’s mind and body.
Hallucinogens
Hallucinogens are drugs that distort perceptions, mental processes and emotions. Hallucinogens can act as either or both dissociatives or psychedelics. Examples include magic mushrooms, LSD/acid, peyote, PCP, Ketamine, GHB
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Stimulants
Stimulants are drugs that produce a quick temporary increase of energy by speeding up the central nervous system. Breathing, heart rate and creating an alerted state.
Stimulant drugs include, tobacco, caffeine, cocaine/crack, amphetamines and drugs to treat ADHD.
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Opioids
Opioids are a group of drugs that resemble morphine and its effects. These include opiates which are derived from the poppy plant. Opioids are among the world's oldest known drugs with its beginnings in the therapeutic use of opium. Opioids act as painkillers with effects such as decreased perception of pain, decreased reaction to pain as well as increased pain tolerance. The side effects of opioids include sedation, constipation, slowing of respiration and a strong sense of euphoria.Examples include, morphine, codeine, opium, heroin, methadone, Demerol and Percodan.
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Depressants
Depressants are substances that slow down how our central nervous system operates. They slow down our heart rate and breathing and bring a more relaxed and calm feeling. Because our central nervous system is slowed, in small amounts, alcohol can slow our inhabitations as well as make us feel more sociable and talkative. In larger quantities our balance, vision, coordination and ability to make important decisions also become confused.
Depressants drugs include alcohol, solvents/inhalants, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, antihistamines and general anesthetics.
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Cannabis
Cannabis originates from the Cannabis Sativa plant. Its psychoactive ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and can be consumed as marijuana, hash or hash oil. The effects of cannabis can include relaxation, heightened mood, mild euphoria, while side-effects include a decrease in short term memory, coordination and concentration, dry mouth, increased appetite, lowered blood pressure.
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Cannabis and psychosis information
Could my parent have an addiction?
Having a parent with an Addiction can be frightening, frustrating, and stressful. When someone you care about has a mental illness, you can feel helpless and wonder if it’s your fault. You are not to blame. There is nothing you could have done to cause your parent’s Addiction. Although it may feel like everything is out of your control, try not to lose hope. Addiction is treatable and there are people who can help you and your parent recover. You are not alone.
Teen Mental Health.org - Could my parent have an Addiction?