Adolescence is considered as the most critical period of time to smoke, drink and use other drugs also. Also, it is a critical time to reinforce the importance of giving knowledge to your child about how to make healthy choices. As we know that the brain of the teenager is still in the development mode, so it is much more vulnerable to the harmful effects of drugs. Parents should be more careful during the high school years of their teens, as they will have more opportunities to drink alcohol or smoke marijuana. If your child shows signs of a serious problem that could lead to an addiction, then it is important for you to know about the various facts that can help you and your child.
Warning Signs of Substance Abuse
As a parent, it’s always good for you to be informed about the various signs of addiction start appearing in your teenagers. Here, we have listed some of the warning signs for teen drug abuse:-
- Severe Mood Swings
- Changes in the Sleeping Habits
- Sometimes some lead to Self-harm
- Some Physical indications like Weight Loss, Extreme Anxiety, and Panic Attacks
- Loss of Patience in Activities
What Do I Do if My Child is Using Drugs?
One of the most biggest and powerful ways to have a connection with your child is to have honest conversations with them and guide them in developing them into healthy adults. It’s not about having a one-time “drug talk”, but rather tackling the subject through more frequent and organic conversations that evolve as your child gets older. Keep lines of communication open and handle all the situations with love and compassion even if you’re having tough conversations. Positive encouragement can balance any consequences. It’s important to understand why your child might experiment with drugs and the harms and risks associated with the most commonly used illegal substances. If you will properly understand the facts about drugs and alcohol will help you to communicate with your addicted son or daughter to inform them about the various risks of taking drugs and help them to stay safe. It will also help in keeping a cool head in the crisis.
We can understand how frightening or jarring time for a parent if they found their child using drugs or alcohol. But the most important thing is to stay strong and confront all the situations. Take a deep breath and plan out all the discussion points and think a bit about the “why” behind their use. To clearly understand the damage that can be caused by any illegal substance used by a teen or a young adult, we need to look at the structure of a brain and the way in which it develops.
As a parent, it is crucial to educate yourself on the different types of drugs, alcohol, etc. Educate yourselves on spotting the signs and do not be afraid of asking any difficult questions when you need to know!
Landmark Recovery 