Advanced Essay #3: Identity Takes its Own Role

Introduction: The goal of the essay was to show how drugs can affect identity in two ways: to a person as themself and a person to society. Peer pressure can be make a person fall and take the wrong path to life but it's about "fitting into society". On the other hand, there are some ways that drugs makes a person feel safe and letting them fit into their our body.

Autumn Lor

Block

English 3

9 March 2018

Identity Takes its Own Role

Growing up, the brain starts to develop differently, what a person thinks and how they react. Most people can develop skills that will help them in the long term, but what difference does that make? According to National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens, it says that more than 46,000 teens (8th to 12th graders) have done drugs in 2012. Most people, by the age of 25, have jobs and families to worry about. Others could be living in their parent’s basement; there are so many reasons as to why. Kids, as young as 13 or even younger, are walking around with weed in their bag, looking for a good time or just to loosen up. Marijuana is illegal in the United States, so individuals, for that matter do not want to get caught. Some kids do it because of peer pressure and others for pleasure. High does not always mean messing around just for fun, it’s about not wanting to feel a certain way, in other words, to help individuals grief the pain and sorrow they are going through. When a person is sad and wants to hurt themselves, they do it to feel relax and it helps them lose track of what they were planning to do.

Each drugs has its own purpose. Some makes people happy, forgetful, more thoughtful, and feel like they are in a whole new dimension. The idea of belonging does not always have to be included with a group. Sometimes it’s about fitting into their own body and feeling comfortable. A line that stood out in a story called Medicine stated “You let it beat you down, deciding you deserved it. Deserved it for not doing more for your guardian. Deserving it for letting adrien down. Deserved it for just breathing,” (Woozy). When the story first starts, Woozy was just starting to go under peer pressure but soon, started to do it for himself. This was when his life started to change and lead to a new path. He kept doing it to the point where the skills that he learned is not just simply getting high, but as a guardian and a helper to help his brain see a better point of view.  

Often times, people say that high school is the time to “identify themselves.” Students has a subconscious choice of picking two paths in high school: staying focused and interacting with other students, or doing things like skipping school and inputting unknown substance into their body. Every choice has an ongoing effect. Doing one thing leads to 10 other things. With that one event it will change your identity as a person.  

When a person first starts to do drugs, the person’s mind has full control. Over time, the scale of who has controls, shifts. Drugs starts to have more control; the body system grows stronger and takes over causing the brain to lose function. An online journal called The Untold Side of Me, said “I haven’t smoked weed in almost 2 weeks now, it’s weirded when you start smoking and that just cause you to have insomnia. There’s a door that has a bright hallway that is extremely far yet so close” (Daniel). Daniel is going through withdrawal and looking at the affects, his brain is telling himself that he can’t do anything. This little path has changed his whole identity. It’s not pushing himself to the fullest potential.

Despite all the bad, there are good things that come in with drugs. An anonymous teen posted a memory about how it help him. “I was really curious to see what it was all about. I had a few hits, but didn't really get stoned. Later, I smoked some more until it got to the point I didn't even know what’s going on. The next chance I got to get high, I jumped on it. The more I did it, the more I liked it. I loved the way pot played with my head,” (Anonymous Teen). People who doesn’t smoke often, use drugs as an escape. Being able to get away from life and feelings are great ways to relax the brain. It also allows a person to speak their own mind without others giving them boundaries. Identity is about fitting in to your own skin, but people believe that they should try to fit in with society or group of individuals. Identity is more about the self and being selfless. Identity is when you are able to look in the mirror and accept you for who you are. Individuals are able to form different type of personality, however, they just need to accept them for who they are in reality.

Bibilogy:

Stories by Teens - Marijuana Anonymous, www.marijuana-anonymous.org/literature/pamphlets/stories-by-teens March 4, 2018.

“Real Teens Ask: How Many Teens Use Drugs?” NIDA for Teens, teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/real-teens-ask-how-many-teens-use-drugs, March 5, 2018.

Quotev.com, www.quotev.com/story/3083262/Drugs-Deppression-The-untold-side-of-me/4, March 4, 2018.