Teen Drug Abuse and Addiction Warning Signs and Treatment

Teen Drug Abuse: This thesis anylizes on teenagers’ alcohol addiction and drug abuse signs and treatment. Parents may ask for help or advice for their troubled children. Teen Drug Abuse Issue: What Parents Should Know? Here we shall discuss on Teen Drug Abuse and Addiction Warning Signs and Treatment.

Teen Drug Abuse

Teen Drug Abuse: Girls text messaging in order to gather information on pre-teen alcohol abuse.

Teen Drug Abuse Issue: What Parents Should Know

Teen drug abuse is a big issue for parents nowadays. Troubled teen statistics on teenage drug abuse, illegal and over-the-counter, warning signs of teen drug abuse, the types of drugs used by teens, street names, prevention, and treatment.

Teenager drug abuse is a major concern for society today. If you are the parent of a teenager, than teen drug abuse is one thing you likely worry about with your child. Teen drug use is a common problem for many teenagers. Some teens just want to experience but unfortunately, others use it as a way of solving their problems or trying to forget their problems.

Teenager Years and Drug Abuse: The teenage years are rough and there are many pressures from different directions such as friends, family and school. Some teens fall into drugs as an escape from these pressures. But as the parent of a teenager, there are things you can do to try to prevent this.

Being a teenager and raising a teenager are individually, and collectively, enormous challenges. For many teens, illicit substance use and abuse become part of the landscape of their teenage years. Although most adolescents who use drugs do not progress to become drug abusers, or drug addicts in adulthood, drug use in adolescence is a very risky proposition. Even small degrees of substance abuse (for example, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants) can have negative consequences. Typically, school and relationships, notably family relationships, are among the life areas that are most influenced by drug use and abuse.

One of the most telling signs of a teen’s increasing involvement with drugs is when drug use becomes part of the teen’s daily life. Preoccupation with drugs can crowd out previously important activities, and the manner in which the teen views him or her self may change in unrealistic and inaccurate directions. Friendship groups may change, sometimes dramatically, and relationships with family members can become more distant or conflictual. Further bad signs include more frequent use or use of greater amounts of a certain drug, or use of more dangerous drugs, such as cocaine, amphetamines, or heroin. Persistent patterns of drug use in adolescence are a sign that problems in that teen’s environment exist and need to be addressed immediately.

Drug Abuse among Teenagers: Problems and Phenomena

Teen drug abuse statistics will show that many teens abuse drugs. Some teens start off out of curiosity or peer pressure. But many become addicted and remain on the drugs. It’s not hard for your child to get drugs either no matter where you live so never think that your teen will not have access.

Some teens begin with alcohol and then move into other drugs. If your teen is smoking or drinking, you need to talk to them about drugs and drug abuse. If your teen has started to hang with a bad crowd, become irritable and withdrawn or had a drastic change in personality or grades in school, you might suspect drug use. You should try to catch it as early as possible to get help for your teen.

Teen Drug Abuse Warning Signs and Problems

General Signs of Alcohol or Drug Use. Parents might observe the following behaviors in a child who is using alcohol or drugs. Read the warning signs below to see a specific example of this type of behavior.

School work has declined; grades suddenly slipping or dropping dramatically
Missing school (skipping secretly or too “tired” or “sick” to go)
Mood changes (irritable, crying jags)
Dropping out of usual activities (music, sports, hobbies)
Physical appearance changing (poor hygiene, unusual style changes)
Friends suddenly change; doesn’t introduce new friends
Money or valuables missing from parents’ purse, from home
Furtive or secretive behavior (e.g., bedroom door locked and takes long time to answer)
Hostile, aggressive outbursts
Seems to have “lost” motivation
Forgetfulness
Unusual sleeping habits (changing over time or dramatic change)
Depressed
Anxious
My child just doesn’t seem “right”

Parents: How do you know when to seek help for Teens Drug Abuse?

The earlier one seeks help for their teen’s behavioral or drug problems, the better. How is a parent to know if their teen is experimenting with or moving more deeply into the drug culture? Above all, a parent must be a good and careful observer, particularly of the little details that make up a teen’s life. Overall signs of dramatic change in appearance, friends, or physical health may be signs of trouble. If a parent believes his or her child may be drinking or using drugs, here are some things to watch for:

Physical evidence of drugs and drug paraphernalia
Behavior problems and poor grades in school
Emotional distancing, isolation, depression, or fatigue
Change in friendships or extreme influence by peers
Hostility, irritability, or change in level of cooperation around the house
Lying or increased evasiveness about after school or weekend whereabouts
Decrease in interest in personal appearance
Physical changes such as bloodshot eyes, runny nose, frequent sore throats, rapid weight loss
Changes in mood, eating, or sleeping patterns
Dizziness and memory problems

Parents who notice a shift from their child’s normal patterns and behavior that cannot be attributed to the ordinary stresses of adolescence and changing level of independence should pay particular attention to their child’s appearance, speech, and behavior. Their independence should not simply be allowed regardless of behavior, but should be dependent upon living up to certain basic expectations. If your teen now refuses to do chores, misses curfew regularly, creates a chaotic and hostile environment in the home, and frequently appears to be depressed, agitated, or “sleepy,” you should investigate further, maintain clear channels of communication, and set clear boundaries and rules.

Troubled Parents: How to Help your Teen for Drug Abuse or Alcohol Addiction

The best way to help your teen is to try to prevent drug use to begin with. There are different ways of preventing drug use. You need to try to give your teen alternatives. You need to give them activities to do and places to go so as to be bored and you need to give them an escape if they have problems.

Teen drug use is a very real problem. While some drugs like marijuana (which is on the rise) may not lead to an immediate death, they can still disrupt a teenager’s future prospects. Keeping tabs on your teen so that you can help nip teen drug use in the bud is important. There are warning signs associated with teen drug use that you should be aware of. Drug use warnings do not have to be obvious, such as drug paraphernalia in the bedroom. If your teenager exhibits the following drug use warning signs, it may mean that it is time to get help.

Drug Addiction Action: Pronounced changes in your teenager could mean drug use

Many teens exhibit dramatic changes when they begin using drugs. One of the biggest changes may be a choice of different friends. If you notice that your teenager is hanging with a new crowd, one that is different in values and behavior from what he or she is used to, that could be a sign of drug use. Other changes in teens who are using drugs might include a loss of interest in activities that are healthy (including dramatic weight loss), a loss of interest in schoolwork and declining grades, erratic changes in behavior, including a tendency toward violence and apathy toward activities and interests that were once important to the teen.

Violent behavior is a sign of teen drug use

Violent behavior is one of the main heralds of teen drug use. If your teenager has violent mood swings and outbursts, this could be a sign of drug use. Hostility directed at family members, especially toward parents could signal teen drug use. Other signs include verbally abusing friends and relatives and disrespect for parents and authority figures that could result in violence.

Drug Abuse Manipulation and sneaking around

Some teens become more secretive when they begin using drugs. This is because they do not want you to find out about their behavior. They may be sneaky or engage in deceptive behaviors. Many of teens that use drugs repeatedly break curfew or sneak out of the house after curfew. Some teenagers begin lying outright when they use drugs. They may try to fund their drug habit by stealing money or valuables from the house. Carefully watch your teenager for manipulative behavior as well, especially behavior meant to manipulate you into feeling guilt. Teens may also become defensive when you question their whereabouts and activities.

Reckless behavior is a sign of teen drug use

Many teens that use drugs engage in risky behaviors. Your teenager may show a blatant disregard for the natural consequences of his or her actions. Additionally, their behavior may become reckless, endangering themselves and family members. This reckless behavior goes beyond what might be considered normal thrill seeking and moves into the territory of deliberate disregard for health, safety or wellbeing.

Other less obvious signs of teen drug use to look for include frequent use of eye drops to counteract red eyes, slurred speech, less interest in hygiene, depression and skin abrasions. These are all effects and behaviors associated with teen drug use.

OK now, here we have read this article titled Teen Drug Abuse and Addiction Warning Signs and Treatment. What do you think about it? Do you have drug abuse and how do you fix it?