Teen Drug Addiction
IS MY CHILD AN ADDICT?
Five Signs That Your Teen May Be Abusing Alcohol or Other Drugs.
By Hugh C. McBride, Aspen Education Group.
A moody personality, a loss of interest in “family time,” and a string of excuses for increasingly antisocial behavior. These may simply be signs that your teenager is, well, a teenager – but they also could be indicators that your child is delving into the dangerous world of drug and alcohol abuse.
Adolescence can be a trying time for teens and their parents. The transition out of childhood is a challenging, confusing, and occasionally bewildering period of physical changes and emotional adjustments, and teens’ efforts to define and understand themselves can prompt them to exhibit new (and not always pleasant) behaviors.
Differentiating between actions that are associated with “just being a teen” and evidence of unhealthy and illegal activities can be one of the most demanding aspects of parenting an adolescent. The following are five of the most common signs that should prompt you to take a closer look at the lifestyle your child is leading:
Significant mood swings – Even as infants, children display moods, attitudes, and patterns of personality. Just as no one personality is the “right” one for a child to have, neither is one particular behavior a sure sign that there’s a problem. But dramatic mood swings (euphoric one minute, despondent the next) or significant changes in personality (for example, a previously outgoing adolescent who suddenly becomes introverted and withdrawn) are cause for concern.
As the experts associated with the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base advise, “Many mood changes are normal during adolescence. However, if you think these mood changes are impacting your teen’s ability to function normally, it’s time to look more deeply. [Also,] never ignore violent mood swings. Teens who have undiagnosed clinical depression or other psychiatric illnesses are at risk for self-harm and even suicide.”
- Problems at school – Just as one bad mood doesn’t necessarily indicate that your child is using drugs, failing a math test isn’t a sure sign of unhealthy behaviors, either. But a precipitous drop in performance (a string of C’s and D’s by a formerly solid A/B student) or a sudden series of unexplained absences are symptoms of a child in crisis.
The cause could be a school phobia, a social disorder, or an unresolved interpersonal conflict, or your child’s poor academic performance could be a sign of drug or alcohol abuse. Whatever the reason, a sudden decline in your child’s school work can be the “canary in the coal mine” that indicates a serious problem – and demands your immediate attention.
- Poor hygiene and neglect of personal appearance – From bobby socks to bell bottoms, hip-huggers to droopy drawers, teen fashion has long been loathed by moms and dads. But there’s a distinct difference between following an ill-advised fashion trend and neglecting one’s appearance. As with your child’s personality and school performance, evaluate her appearance and hygiene in the context of her previous behavior patterns.
If you note a dramatic change in your teen’s wardrobe, or if your formerly fastidious child suddenly seems to lose interest in basic behaviors like bathing or brushing his teeth, then you need to intervene. The cause may not necessarily be drugs or alcohol, but you won’t know that until you increase your involvement in your child’s life.
- Furtive friendships and other secretive behaviors – From half of the backseat on long car rides to a room with a foreboding “Keep Out!” sign taped to the door, children and teens can be quite protective of their personal space and their privacy. But when this understandable behavior turns excessive, there might be more at stake than a simple desire for some alone time.
An obsession with secrecy or an unwillingness to divulge the names of new friends, discuss plans for the weekend, or recount even the most innocuous details of the school day could be signs that your child is engaging in behaviors that he knows you wouldn’t approve of.
Searching your child’s room when he’s not there or calling the parents of known friends to ascertain his whereabouts won’t do much to enhance your popularity with your teenager. But as the experts at the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base note, the risks of inaction can far outweigh the perceived benefits of maintaining the status quo:
If you are reasonably suspicious, trust your instincts and take the steps you need to (and have a right to take) in order to intervene. If your teen hides where he goes – lies about where he or she has been – this is another bad sign. Teens who are not doing anything they shouldn’t rarely worry about telling the truth about where they are going or where they have been. Where there is smoke, there’s fire.
- Depression, forgetfulness, irritability, or poor sleep habits – Alcohol and other drugs interact with teen brains in ways that scientists are still striving to fully understand. But just as with adults, substance abuse can have significant emotional, behavioral, and cognitive effects. If your teen seems to be becoming more forgetful and less alert, or if she alternates periods of jumpiness or irritability with extended sessions of lethargy and sleepiness, then you may be seeing the signs of substance use or withdrawal.
As the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base website advises, “If your teen seems to be on the verge of premature senility, look closer at the problem. Be particularly concerned if the child’s energy seems very low – eyes are glassy or they seem ‘out of it.’ Marijuana in particular impacts short-term memory.”
Though you may not know much about the effects of alcohol or other drugs, you are an expert on one crucial topic: your child. By staying engaged with your teenager and involved in her life, you keep the lines of communication open between the two of you. And just as important, you put yourself in the best possible position for observing sudden or subtle signs that could be harbingers of serious problems that may necessitate addiction treatment for your teen.
As with almost every aspect of parenting a teenager, awareness and vigilance are crucial components of the effort to keep your child away from drugs and alcohol. A world of experts and a wealth of resources are available to help you with this challenge, but your understanding of and interaction with your child may be the most important factors of all.
