How to Get High Without Drugs: Natural Highs for Teens

Although drug use among teens has been at a historic low since the COVID-19 pandemic, prevention remains essential to continue this positive trend and help more teens overcome substance abuse problems. Many teens still face pressures, mental health challenges, and curiosities that can lead them to seek out drugs or alcohol. 

A helpful way to prevent substance use in teens is to promote healthy, drug-free ways to achieve a sense of euphoria, joy, and increased energy, also known as a “natural high.” 

Why Do Teens Seek Highs in the First Place? 

Drug experimentation during youth is nothing new. While some teens abuse drugs to self-medicate unresolved mental health issues or trauma, many teens seek out drugs or alcohol due to curiosity, peer pressure, and to cope with academic stress.

Other influences may include normalization of substance abuse in the home environment, social media influence, rebellion, and seeking instant gratification due to teenage brain development. 

Curiosity, Stress, and Peer Pressure 

Adolescence is a time when youth are exploring their identity, gaining new responsibilities, and building relationships with peers. All of this can influence their desire to get high.

• Curiosity: Teens see substance use and especially alcohol in media, consumed among adults and family members, and anytime they go out to restaurants. Alcohol and, in some states, now cannabis, have become increasingly normalized among adults, which is naturally going to make teens transitioning to adulthood curious about their effects. 

• Stress: Nearly 46% of teens report experiencing high academic stress, and these teens are nearly three times more likely to use marijuana, and twice as likely to drink alcohol or use nicotine [1]. 

• Peer Pressure: As teens develop and explore their identities, it’s normal for them to want to feel part of social groups. If this group includes drug or alcohol use, there is a higher chance your teen may experiment. 

The Brain’s Reward System and Dopamine

During adolescence, the brain’s reward system is much more active, sensitive, and vulnerable than in adults. Increased dopamine activity heightens reward responses, making teenagers especially prone to sensory-seeking and pleasure-driven behavior. 

At the same time, the prefrontal cortex is still growing. It regulates functions such as impulse control, emotional regulation, and decision-making. These combined, naturally put youth at an increased risk of substance abuse [2].   

Is It Really Possible to Feel Good without Drugs?

To the surprise of many teens, it is entirely possible to achieve a natural high and similar effects of drugs and alcohol without abusing substances. It’s especially helpful for teens to find alternative, natural ways to get high, as it can be harder to do as an adult, the longer substance use continues. 

What Is A Natural High?

A natural high is a state of intense pleasure or euphoria achieved without using drugs or alcohol. Finding activities that stimulate the brain’s natural reward system, such as exercise, music, or dance, can provide similar feelings of joy, euphoria, or relaxation that one would get from drugs. 

How Endorphins, Dopamine, and Serotonin Work 

These activities trigger the release of neurotransmitters, “feel-good chemicals” in the brain, such as endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and GABA, without the addictive properties or harmful effects of substance use [2].  

• Endorphins are referred to as the body’s painkillers, they naturally reduce pain and induce relaxation. Natural ways to increase endorphins include intense exercise, eating spicy food, dancing, making art without perfectionism or fear of making a mess, or having a good laugh. 

• Dopamine is associated with attention, motivation, reward, habit formation, and productivity. Natural ways to increase dopamine include breaking tasks or goals into smaller, achievable steps, delaying gratification, or trying something new.  

• Serotonin is linked to mood regulation, tranquility, increased self-esteem, regular sleep and appetite, and natural antidepressant effects. Natural ways to increase serotonin can include getting regular sunlight, practicing gratitude journaling, engaging in community service, performing a kind deed, or creating a mood board or memory wall of proud and joyful moments. 

• GABA is associated with intense relaxation, anxiety relief, and sedation. Natural hacks to increase feelings of GABA include taking a hot bath, listening to slow, calm music, getting a massage, and using a heated or weighted blanket.  

Healthy Alternatives to Drugs for Teens

One of the failures of many drug prevention programs for youth is that they don’t teach alternatives to drug use; they just tell the kiddos, “hey, don’t do it”. However, more often than not, this only increases curiosity in teens surrounding substance abuse. 

A more helpful approach is to teach teens about what it means to get high on drugs or alcohol, why people do it, and safe, healthy ways to achieve similar effects, without the risks. 

Exercise and sports involvement are one of the number one ways to reduce substance abuse and achieve natural highs in teens. However, for teens who are less interested in participating in sports, there are a few other ways to do this. 

Music, Dance, and Creative Flow States 

Listening to music, dancing around the house, and getting into a creative flow state can help teens naturally boost their mood and increase feelings of joy, childlike wonder, and a sense of control. Studies have found that “experiencing a sense of flow” can reduce anxiety and depression by 16% and improve self-esteem [3].  

Physically, entering a flow state is associated with increased activity in the nervous system, but it is linked to feelings of excitement and energy, rather than anxiety or nervousness. These can help teens achieve similar physical responses that they would get from stimulants or psychedelics, naturally and safely.

 A few creative ways to encourage teens to enter a flow state include: 

• Write (or type) down what they are feeling or thinking about. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or if it even makes sense. Just let thoughts flow freely. 
• Find a style of dance that they truly enjoy; this doesn’t have to be formal, but something they can do in their own room, such as while watching videos on YouTube or TikTok (e.g., Zumba, line dancing, acrobatics, ballet, salsa, reggaeton). 
• Listen to electronic music or binaural beats (both have tons of playlists available on Spotify), which are associated with sound frequencies that increase energy, focus, and mood. 
• Don’t forget to engage the body and stay moving. Encourage teens to take frequent study breaks, or pauses in video games, to get up and move. 

Nature, Sunlight, and the Outdoors 

Numerous studies and mental health experts agree that sunshine is essential for positive mental health, and getting outside can provide boosts of serotonin and dopamine, similar to what one would achieve on drugs. Here are a few benefits of encouraging your teen to spend more time outdoors and how it can help them achieve a natural high [5]:

• Sunlight boosts serotonin and helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, leading to improved mood.
• Nature and sunlight have been found to release endorphins. 
• UVA rays can trigger nitric oxide production, which is found to reduce inflammation and lower stress and anxiety levels.
• Trees release phytoncides, which have been linked to improved breathing, circulation, stress, and anxiety relief (this is one of the reasons Japanese encourage those with depression and anxiety to forest bathe).
• Lack of sunlight, particularly in Northern US states during the winter, has been associated with higher levels of Seasonal Affective Disorder (“seasonal depression”).

Natural Mood-Boosting Supplements and Diet 

Several supplements have been researched, tested, and proven safe and effective for teens. They show positive effects on brain chemistry, support anxiety and depression relief in teens, and can also be incorporated into a healthy, balanced diet [6].

• Probiotics improve gut health and help regulate serotonin production. It can naturally be found in foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles. 

• Magnesium naturally calms the brain by regulating several neurotransmitters and stress hormones. It can be found in foods such as bananas, tofu, almonds, and peanut butter. 

• B Vitamins support nervous system activity, cognitive functions, and stress management. They can naturally be found in foods such as chicken, eggs, seafood, leafy greens, and dairy products. 

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids support brain health, mood regulation, and functions such as memory and focus. They can be found naturally in foods such as salmon, avocado, and tuna.  

Providing Education and Support for Teens and Their Families in Texas 

Clearfork Academy is a network of behavioral health facilities in Texas committed to helping teens recover from behavioral addictions, substance abuse, and mental health disorders. We understand the importance of addressing the role drugs and alcohol play in the lives of youth.  

If you think your teen is struggling with substance abuse, reach out to our team, and we can support your family.  

Sources 

[1] Arria, A. M. et al. (2019). Substance Use, Academic Performance, and Academic Engagement Among High School Seniors. The Journal of School Health, 89(2), 145–156.

[2] Winters, K. C., and Arria, A. (2011). Adolescent Brain Development and Drugs. The prevention researcher, 18(2), 21–24.

[3] Tops, M. et al. 2021. The Neuroscience of the Flow State: Involvement of the Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrine System. Frontiers in Psychology. 

[4] Bellafiore, M. et al.  (2022). Does Learning Through Movement Improve Academic Performance in Primary Schoolchildren? A Systematic Review. Frontiers in pediatrics, 10, 841582.

[5] Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2013). Sunshine, serotonin, and skin: a partial explanation for seasonal patterns in psychopathology?. Innovations in clinical neuroscience, 10(7-8), 20–24.

[6] Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. 2022. Harvard Health.