Substance and Process Addiction in Indian Youth: Rewiring Young Brains in a Hyperconnected Era

Walk through the hallways of educational institutions and you’ll spot a swirl of contradictions: students prepping for top exams between swigs of energy drinks, blurry-eyed from late-night gaming marathons or scrolling endlessly through viral reels. Addiction, it turns out, isn’t just about bottles and butts anymore. For India’s youth, the traps now include both substances and screen-time, with both rewiring the developing brain in ways we’re only starting to understand.  As a psychologist closely watching this spiral, I invite you on an eye-opening journey into the brain’s secret world, and the life-changing role of families and classrooms in turning the tide.

It all begins in the brain’s reward hub, the mesolimbic dopamine system sometimes called the “pleasure circuit.” Whether it’s a shot of vodka, a puff of tobacco, or a rush from a viral post, these experiences trigger surges of dopamine, our feel-good chemical. But that’s only the opening act. With repeated exposure, the brain’s delicate circuitry begins to change: it craves bigger, faster, louder hits just to feel “normal.” Over time, two profound things happen:

• The reward system becomes less sensitive to everyday joys (think: hobbies, friendships, genuine achievements).

• The brain’s stress system becomes hyperactive, making users more vulnerable to anxiety, low moods, and emotional volatility.

As addiction takes hold, the prefrontal cortex, the CEO of our thoughts, emotions, and self-control starts losing its grip. This is the reason an otherwise brilliant young mind can risk exams, relationships, or even health for another “hit.” Alarmingly, these changes can persist months or years after quitting, making relapse heartbreakingly common.

It’s not just chemicals… Identical mechanisms light up during process addictions: compulsive gaming, betting, social media binges, the same brain loops, the same dopamine spikes, the same struggle to break free.

Indian youth is at risk. India’s turbocharged digital revolution, easy access to substances, and mushrooming academic stressors form a dangerous cocktail. Family history, peer influence, and socioeconomic challenges pile on the risk.  Crucially, the adolescent brain, still under construction until the mid-twenties is uniquely vulnerable. Early hits can cement addictive patterns far more potently than in mature adults.

Caregiver and teachers are the often forgotten 1st responders. Doctors may prescribe, but it’s parents, teachers, and frontline caregivers who hold the daily keys to prevention and healing.

What can caregivers do?

• Recognize warning signs early, withdrawal, secrecy, wild mood swings, sudden drops in performance.

• Choose curiosity over confrontation. Open, shame-free conversations are more potent than scolding.

• Model healthy coping. When parents or caregivers openly manage their own digital or stress habits, kids absorb powerful lessons.

• If you’re stuck, seek professional help. No stigma, just science, timely psychological support can re-channel young minds before patterns harden.

And what about our schools and colleges? Far from being passive bystanders, educational institutions are change-makers-in-waiting:

• Integrate mindfulness, resilience, and digital hygiene into mainstream lessons, prevention is always better than cure.

• Ban punitive, “zero tolerance” approaches; instead, build trust and a sense of belonging, which lowers the hunger for harmful escapes.

• Equip teachers with basic mental health first-aid skills. A compassionate educator can often spot trouble long before a crisis explodes.

With the right blend of smart policy, compassionate care, and brain-based interventions (from yoga to cognitive-behavioral strategies), recovery is not just possible but probable even for those who feel trapped by the “cycle.” Promising research shows that practices like meditation and yoga can gradually restore balance to the brain’s reward systems, rebuild self-control, and fuel lasting recovery.

Here’s the thought I leave you with: If addiction is a symptom, what unmet need is it signaling in our youth? Every teen reaching for a bottle, a vape, or a screen may actually be in search of meaning, belonging, or relief from silent suffering. So let’s ask not just how we can break cycles of dependence, but how we can co-create lives so rich, connected, and purposeful that the lure of short-term highs simply fades away. In this battle, the brain is only half the story, the heart, the home, and the classroom may be the real antidotes.

About the Author:

Shreya M Jaokar (M.Sc. Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology, UK)