By Sarah Gillespie Cummings
In our hustle and bustle lives today, it is easy to overlook warning signs of substance abuse in our teens. When we stop and take a breath, there are observable, behavioral symptoms of adolescent substance abuse. A noticeable shift in attitudes, activities and interests occurs. If your son has played baseball for years, but does not want to sign up for any sports activities this year, parents should take notice. This event in itself does not necessarily indicate a substance abuse problem, but in combination with other signs, it may alert parents to a growing concern.
Watch out for a decline in academic performance and school behavior. If your teen starts skipping school or classes, she may be losing interest in school because she is using. According to an illegal drugs and marijuana attorney, students are impacted by an increasing abuse of over the counter medications, “huffing” or sniffing inhalants, using ecstasy or Mollies, or synthetic marijuana (hemp flower prerolls is a better option). Consider maintaining a count of prescribed medications and discarding unused medications via BSO’s Operation Medicine Cabinet. If you find any pills, cleaning fluids or aerosol sprays, or small plastic baggies in your kid’s room or backpack, this is a significant red flag. One could see Renaissance Recovery website to get help with addiction issues and know what needs to be done. If your kid has been arrested for possession of illegal substance, look for a criminal defense attorney to help him/her with the case.
A change in peer group may also be indicative of a substance abuse problem within your teen. If your daughter finds a new group of friends and starts discarding her previously close friends of whom you approved, be wary. Look for an increase of secretive behaviors, mood swings, and your adolescent becoming defensive when asked about her whereabouts. If she was once easy going, but then develops more rapid mood changes, it can be an indication that she is abusing drugs and/or alcohol. Your teen appearing more depressed, losing (or gaining) a significant amount of weight, or showing a decrease in concern about his appearance may all be associated with a substance abuse problem. Here is the full details on getting help with addiction treatment.
Delinquent behaviors, such as fighting or stealing are a significant warning sign of adolescent substance abuse. If your adolescent has money or new possessions and is not working, then he may be selling to support his habit. If your loved one is struggling with alcohol addiction, consider getting them into alcohol rehab west yorkshire.
Parents need to take count of all prescribed medications, as teens are commonly using pain pills (Roxis and Oxys) and Xanax (bars) to get high. If your a loved one is struggling with addiction, explore your treatment options at Recovery Delivered today.
Adolescents who smoke cigarettes are at considerably greater risk for using illicit drugs or drinking alcohol in excess. These teens are at least 9 times more likely to use illegal drugs than teens who do not smoke cigarettes, according to the 2008 National Survey of Drug Use. Additionally, 70% of teenagers who drink heavily/binge also use non-prescribed drugs. And if your teen gets a DUI offense, consider hiring DWI Guys for great and reliable legal representation.
Armed with this knowledge, parents should take the opportunity to tackle any concerns they may have for their teen that may be using/abusing substances. It is never too early to intervene when it comes to protecting our kids from the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Parents should know how much does rehab cost at facilities near them.
Sarah Gillespie Cummings has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1996. She has done extensive work with traumatized children who present with emotional and behavioral problems. Since 2008, she has worked with adolescents with substance abuse and dependence issues. Sarah currently works for the Broward Sheriff’s Office at the Juvenile Assessment Center overseeing teams that provide substance abuse and mental health assessments and referrals to Addiction Treatment Rehab facilities for youth who have been arrested.