Parents who are concerned about keeping their child off drugs have a big challenge ahead of them. With all the new names and types of drugs, parents may find all the information overwhelming, but with a little help, parents can eventually navigate through the details they need to know.

Denying a Problem

Ignorance is bliss, according to some people. Many parents take a hands off -”what we don’t know won’t hurt us” – approach to parenting, especially when it comes to teens and drugs. They feel that it is best if they don’t make a big deal of things. They believe all kids are going to experiment with drugs at least once, so the best thing to do is let kids be kids and get it out of their system.

Talk To Your Teen

Studies show, however, that parents who do not talk to their kids about drugs or who are accepting of their child’s drug experimentation end up with kids who do drugs – often in a dangerous way. Parents who talk to their kids, however, about the dangers of drugs are the voice that often influences the child so that they do say no to drugs. Parents need to be the first step in drug prevention for their child, and then continue to be aware and on the lookout for their teen to try drugs so they can get help if necessary.

Be Aware

It is important, therefore, for parents to have some knowledge of the current drug scene. This scares many parents, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Just do a little research. Many parents know about age-old drugs like marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and LSD. They are aware that club drugs like Ecstasy and meth are out there, and that prescription drugs like OxyContin are becoming a huge problem. Parents may need to investigate further, however, to find out about the new synthetic drugs making their way around the country, such as bath salts and synthetic marijuana. These substances are trickier because they can be very misleading and sometimes even legal, yet just as harmful as illicit drugs. “It’s chemistry. They’re able to change the chemical structure just by small amounts to avert the law, even though it would have some of the same common properties and same psychoactive effects”, said Bruce Reeve, of the Division of Criminal Investigations Crime Lab. (1)

Investigate the Topic

Parents can gather a lot of information by doing some quick Internet searches. The Internet provides a host of how-to sites on ways to make drugs, get drugs, and pass drug tests. If parents can access this kind of information, so can their teen, so it is important for parents to look for details about drug abuse in this way.

Parents can talk to local law enforcement or hospitals, or attend seminars that are designed to inform about drug trends. By doing a little investigating and talking to their teens, parents can feel confident in their knowledge of drug dangers that their child faces, in the hopes that they can help their child stay drug-free. Knowledge is power.

Sources

(1) Special Report: Synthetic Drug Use Spreading Fast

Guard Against Synthetic Drugs

Synthetic drug use hard to track

Prescription drug abuse continues to be a problem among the youth of our country. Teens are using the drugs for a variety of reasons, but they fail to see the seriousness of the problem.

Adolescents abuse prescription drugs more than just about any other substance. “For adolescents, prescription drugs are second only to marijuana as the most popular form of illegal drug use,” says Steven Ungerleider, PhD., founding editor of The Prevention Researcher. “With 22% of high school seniors reporting that they have used nonmedical prescription drugs sometime in their lives, abuse of these drugs is a growing concern for parents and many professionals who work with youth.” (1)

Entertainment

There are different reasons why teens abuse different prescription drugs. Some are taken purely for entertainment or to help them enjoy a party more. These prescription pills float around from student to student, sometimes without the user even knowing what they are taking. Pill parties are get-togethers where adolescents bring whatever drugs they could get from home or a relative’s house, and take turns popping the pills and exploring the effects.

Performance Enhancement

Other teens have begun taking prescription drugs to enhance their performance at school. Medications that help people focus or increase energy so a student can stay up all night to study are the most commonly abused. Often with these kinds of drugs, students don’t even see that it is wrong, because they see it helping out for a good purpose.

Meeting a Need

Still other teens take antidepressants, sleep aids, or anti-anxiety medication without a prescription to help with these kinds of mental health issues. While these teens may be in need of a real prescription because they do have a condition that warrants it, taking the drugs without a prescription is illegal and it can be harmful.

Dangerous and Illegal

Prescription drug abuse is a serious problem. Drugs can have fatal side effects, especially if taken in combination with other drugs or alcohol. Other drugs are so addicting that by abusing them when they are young, adolescents are setting themselves up for a life of addiction.

Because prescription medications come from a doctor, many adolescents still do not believe that taking them is wrong. Prescription drugs seem like a harmless way to have fun or to solve a little problem, and because of the great number of teens abusing these drugs and the ease with which the pills can be acquired, many don’t see it as wrong or dangerous. We need to get the message out to our young people that prescription drug abuse is dangerous. The researchers at The Prevention Researcher conclude that “it is imperative that service professionals who work with adolescent populations be aware of this emerging and serious issue. Clearly, any substance use prevention programs that target adolescents must include information on nonmedical prescription drug use.” (1)

Sources

(1) New Resources for Prevention of Adolescent Prescription Drug Abuse

The Partnership at Drugfree.org Collaborates With Award-Winning TV Personality and Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern

The Prevention Researcher

We know that parents have great influence over their teen when it comes to experimenting with drugs or alcohol. New research suggests that teenage brains can actually form differently, based on the  drinking behavior of their parents. This helps to explain a little more about why some adolescents are at greater risk for alcohol abuse.

Prevention Talks

Parents today are learning how important it is for them to talk to their teen about substance abuse. Adolescents whose parents have ongoing conversations with them about not trying drugs or alcohol are up to 50% less likely to try these substances. Prevention definitely starts at home, and parents can make a conscious decision to be the first and most important step in prevention.

Role Models

The example parents set also affects an adolescent. Kids who grow up watching their parents abuse alcohol are more likely to abuse alcohol themselves at a younger age. Adolescents learn behaviors from their parents and, good or bad, will start following the example set for them.

The latest study, which is published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, looked at the brain chemistry of teens in order to further understand the impact of parental influence. The small study out of Oregon performed MRI scans on adolescents who had no previous experience with drinking, but who were children of alcoholics. They found differences in the areas of the brain that control decision-making compared to teens with no family history of alcoholism. These young people showed weaker development in the decision-making areas of the brain, possibly putting them at risk for making poor choices with regards to drinking in the future.

Bonnie J. Nagel, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University concluded, “Therefore, differences in brain activity may impact the ability of individuals family history of alcoholism to make good decisions in many contexts, and in particular may facilitate poor decision-making in regards to alcohol use. Taken together with other studies on youth family history of alcoholism, these results suggest that atypical brain structure and function exist prior to any substance use, and may contribute to an increased vulnerability for alcoholism in these individuals.” (1)

This study only helps reiterate the important role parents play in keeping their children away from drugs and alcohol. Parents should first of all talk to their children regularly about the dangers of alcohol abuse. Secondly, parents need to set a good example for their teen by drinking responsibly. If a parent’s drinking is out of control, they should seek help right away in order to provide their child with the best chance at living a sober life.

Sources

(1) Familial alcoholism affects teen brains

Teenagers with alcoholic parents more likely to have impulsive and addictive personalities

Parental Alcoholism Linked to Brain Changes in Kids

We want to thank Dr. James DiReda for offering this excellent guest post for us! Dr. DiReda has over twenty years experience working with individuals, families, and organizations to address alcohol, drug, and mental health issues. He holds a dual Ph.D. in Sociology and Social Work from Boston University. He is currently Director of Counseling and teaches at Clark University in Worcester, MA.

Kids, Drugs, and Parents: What to do?

I recently received a call from a former client saying, “My 15 year old son is out of control, and I don’t know what to do. He’s drinking alcohol and smoking a lot of pot, he’s disrespecting his brother and me, he’s breaking all rules and ignoring any curfews I try to impose, and I’m afraid he could get physically violent because he’s so angry and enraged.” So we spoke about her situation and what was happening, not just with her son but with her family. We spoke about how to address the issues (alcohol/drug abuse, anger, unhealthy family relationships) they were struggling with, and how to change some of the dynamics that were allowing the “out of control” behavior to continue. I sensed my suggestions were not what she was hoping to hear. She was looking for an answer, the solution to fix her son and stop his behavior. It’s a parents’ nightmare when situations with their children are out of control. It can be scary, threatening, and extremely stressful, especially when parents aren’t really sure what their child is using. So, what do we (professionals, experts) tell them? Often it’s not what they hope or expect to hear.

I can’t count the number of calls I have received from parents, loved ones, friends, and even employers regarding someone they know who is in trouble and struggling, but they don’t know what to say or do to help. It’s a difficult position to be in, to watch someone you care about spin out of control and there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do to stop or change it. This position really can make a person feel powerless and helpless; but are we? That depends. There are times and instances where you simply cannot protect or save a person from themselves and their self-destructive actions no matter what you do. That is a very bitter pill to swallow, and often the only option is to keep stay healthy yourself and set clear boundaries in the relationship. There are other times though, which you can do something effective in bringing about change and help get things back under control. This usually entails examining our role in the family drama that is taking place and making changes in places that we do have some ability to control.

Educating parents about alcohol and drug use is good information to have, and very useful in helping them recognize and label the condition. It helps them see warning signs, identify suspicious behavior, and know the differences among various drugs and their effects. It’s a good start, but it isn’t enough. Remember, if nothing changes, nothing changes. So what will help? What do we tell them? It’s more than what we tell them to do; it’s a change in thinking and behaving on the part of the parent or loved one. It’s a different mind-set in looking at or trying to manage an out of control situation. I’ll share something that I learned from a Family Therapist I worked with early on in my career about working with individuals and families struggling with alcoholism, drug abuse, and dependence. It’s affectionately known as the “3-C’s,” and they were pasted on his office walls to share. He would simply explain to parents and loved ones that 1. You didn’t cause this condition. 2. You can’t control it, and 3. You can’t cure it. This might seem like strange advice in some ways, especially after reading my comments saying you (parents/loved ones) do have some control in this. It probably seems confusing, and it can be. But, using rational and logical thought processes when dealing with irrational and illogical behavior (alcoholics, substance abusers) and out of control situations doesn’t usually work very well. So here’s a different way of looking at it, thinking about it, and managing it.

A common scenario in working with individuals and families around alcohol/drug abuse and dependence looks something like this: The person abusing substances, regardless of which ones, usually ends up in trouble at school, work, legally, in relationships within the family and outside the family. Due to their drinking and drug use, and their out of control behavior they become the focus of attention and labeled as the “problem” or “troublemaker.” In the treatment world they are called the identified patient. To the family and loved ones these individuals need fixing so the family can get back to being “normal.” Much of the energy and attention (and blame) is put on those individuals to change their “crazy” behavior. The problem is that often times they aren’t able to at that point, so you’re asking someone who is out of control to take control. It usually doesn’t work, and continues to worsen until finally the court, police, families have to take control. So if the 3-C’s say “you can’t control it,” what do you control? Well, if enough pressure is exerted upon an individual (jail, job loss, divorce, eviction) they might agree to go into treatment which will, hopefully, begin the process of change. However, entering treatment can be used as an escape from the current situation and once it ends the individual quickly returns to their prior behaviors and lifestyle. Treatment is useful, even vital, but it is limited; it’s a beginning. If all the pre-existing conditions (stressors, relationships, etc) in a persons’ life remain unchanged, returning from treatment and maintaining change can be very difficult. Many families I’ve worked with believe that by sending someone to treatment “cures” them and they should never want to use again. That has not been my experience over the past twenty two years working in this field. What I have seen is that families get sick together, and families recover together; if they change.

In speaking with my former client about her son I couldn’t help but think about the entire family and also ask her, how did he become so “out of control?” It’s unusual that one particular family member would be out of control for no reason. As we spoke, she told me about what had been going on in their family since I saw her last. After hearing her story, it was not surprising that he was acting out, what surprised me (again) is that all the emphasis and focus is on him and his behavior, not the family. Understanding families and family dynamics is difficult enough, but adding alcohol and drugs takes it to an entirely different level. Many families have little or no understanding of alcohol and drug abuse or addiction, and are scared and confused by it. It’s difficult to figure out without help. What do I do? What do I say? And, how do I say it? These are the questions I get asked by parents, spouses, and concerned others who are at their wits end, struggling to make sense of their situation and in fear that a tragic ending is on the horizon.

I find myself returning to the 3-C’s time and again when trying to offer advice, or guide others in this situation. I start by validating for them that they are not the cause of this condition, nor can they control it, or cure it. But, that doesn’t mean they have to sit around and wait until their loved one decides to change, which could be a long wait or something that might never happen. The choice is a hard one to make, but it can be very effective in jump-starting the change process with those who are out of control, or not interested in changing their behavior. I also help them identify and label what changes within their power and control they can make. I emphasize that any changing has to begin with them, and that will vary depending on their relationship with the IP or out of control individual. Often times when we change, those around us change as well if they want to continue in the relationship.  Seeking treatment is often the beginning of this change process which, hopefully, leads the individual and the family into lifelong Recovery.

The state of Indiana is being plagued by an increase in drug abuse, specifically heroin. While this kind of addiction may have been more common in big cities on the coasts of our country in the past, young Hoosiers are now trying their hand at the drug, and it is having a fatal effect.

More Fatal Heroin Overdoses

Heroin is an extremely addicting substance. In Indiana, the purity of heroin has been on the rise, up to 80% in some cases. This fact alone can account for more people becoming addicted to the substance and more people fatally overdosing on it. Counties that in the past have not seen any heroin overdoses are now seeing a number of the fatalities. For every fatality, there are even more people that are using and addicted that haven’t been found out yet.

Easily Accessible

Franklin and Ripley counties are two of those that have had a number of fatal heroin overdoses this year. Reports show that young people in Indiana are getting their heroin from big cities like Cincinnati or Indianapolis, and that the drug is easily accessible. Sheriff Ken Murphy noted, “Nowadays if they’ve got it in Cincinnati or Indianapolis, anybody in Batesville can have anything they want in an hour. We have kids who are regularly driving to Cincinnati buying heroin …. These kids are chipping in money and sending one guy to buy their heroin for them. I know sooner or later one of them is going to end up shot to death. There are so many things that can go wrong with this.” (1)

Supporting a Drug Habit

Because many parents, teachers, and authorities in Indiana aren’t aware of the growing heroin problem in their state, they are not prepared to handle it when it happens to a child they know. Parents have reported valuables being stolen from their home and didn’t realize until later that it was their own child who robbed them to pay for drugs. Vehicle batteries are often stolen in northern counties because they can bring in $8 each to use for drug money.

Heroin addicts and other addicts are willing to commit crimes to sustain their habit, and it is no different in Indiana, authorities have found. Sheriff Murphy maintained, “We’ve got … a monumental drug problem that is driving the criminal market … we call them hunters and gatherers. These guys have to go out every morning to steal something to sell to buy more drugs. Probably a good 75- 80 percent of burglaries and thefts are being driven by drug problems.” (1)

The effects of heroin addiction are devastating in any area. For Indiana, which has not typically been a hot spot for drug activity, residents are now feeling the pain. Young people are throwing their futures away because of their drug use, businesses are being burglarized, and people are dying of overdose because of this addicting drug.

Authorities have been working to inform people of the growing problem. Parents in the state need to especially be aware that this is happening and get help for their child as soon as they suspect a problem. Heroin addiction can be treated. This addiction does not have to be fatal; with the right kind of help, people do recover.

Sources

(1) Heroin: Drug contributes to deaths and crimes in the area

U.S. Drug Trends

Deadly, ultra-pure heroin arrives in United States

Imagine that something takes hold of your child’s mind so forcefully that you can’t get through to them any more. Some kids suffer from addiction so severe they don’t want to do anything else all day. Many parents go through this with their child who is a drug addict, but it’s not just drugs that pull kids in so tightly. Today we are talking about computers and kids who are addicted to video games and the Internet.

Losing Control because of a Video Game

The stories may surprise us. Parents seem to lose all control over their child who is addicted to the Internet. The kids will skip school, stay up all night to play, and become violent when their parents try to turn off the computer. While these parents would benefit from learning some parenting techniques to keep from getting to that point, the fact is that the Internet and, in particular, online games are so addicting many people find it hard to stop.

It does not just affect kids and young adults; parents themselves and others have been known to neglect their duties because of Internet addiction. “The Internet and its functions have proved to be overwhelmingly positive, empowering and enjoyable allowing millions to connect, be informed, and entertained like no other technology before,” psychiatrist Philip Tam said. “However, for a small but significant minority this … can lead to social, educational and behavioral difficulties. This particularly seems to appear in young people and in those with predisposing mental/behavioral vulnerabilities.” (1)

Help from the Mental Health Community

Researchers will soon launch an online mental health education program that will help parents wean their child off of their addiction. Other parents have chosen to take their child to a psychiatrist for help.

So many parents are seeking help for their children – inpatient treatment in some extreme cases – that the mental health community is ready to do something about this growing problem. They have named this kind of addiction “pathological Internet misuse”. Now a group of psychiatrists plan to include “video game addiction and Internet addiction” in the next international Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. By labeling the disorder and making it an official condition, the hope is that more people will be aware of it and more studies will be done to determine what to do about this kind of addiction.

Get Help Early

The addiction is real, and just like drug addiction or alcoholism, some people are powerless to overcome it. To prevent this problem, parents should set limits on the amount of time a child can be on the Internet or playing these games. By enforcing the limits and taking away privileges if they are misused, parents can limit the exposure to the sites. Most importantly, if a parent sees that their child is unable to stop, they need to take action or get help quickly to prevent a lasting problem.

Sources

(1) Families Turning to Psychiatrists to Help Kids Hooked on Computer Games

Distressed Families Flood Psychiatrists

Web And Game Addictions Might Become Official Disorders

A growing number of students in schools across the country are a concern to teachers and staff. These students may be disruptive in class, may perform poorly, and may have conflicts with teachers or other students. While some people may write them off as being “bad kids”, we are realizing more and more how much mental health affects students.

Behavior Problems and Bad Grades May Be a Sign of Mental Illness

Kids who are disruptive or perform poorly in school are too often shuffled around from school to school, not getting the help they need to do better. Often times, the bad behavior is the direct result of poor parenting or lack of effective discipline at home.

Other times, however, the behavior is because of mental illness, stemming from a variety of causes. Kids in rough neighborhoods may experience violence and witness drug abuse, or they may be victims of abuse or neglect. These experiences can lead to mental illness which makes it very difficult for the child to focus on things like schoolwork. Pamela Cantor, founder of Turnaround for Children, a nonprofit that focuses on troubled children, says, “A teacher who works in a community like this and thinks that these children can leave their issues at the door and come in and perform is dreaming.” (1) Depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety disorders are mental health issues that can affect a child in any area of the country and can hinder a child’s ability to get an education.

Providing Treatment for Mental Health Issues Among Students

School counselors have been around for years, but few schools really use counselors or therapists to get to the heart of their students’ problems. In over-filled, under-funded, and under-staffed school districts it sometimes seems easier to send these children packing and let them be a problem for another school. Unfortunately, without help, many of these children continue the downward spiral until, finally, they end up on the streets, or addicted to drugs, or in jail.

Helping Students and Helping Teachers

There are organizations that work to provide counseling services to students in schools to deal with their mental health issues. Other groups are working to educate teachers about how to manage students with these challenges, as well as recognize the warning signs of depression and mental illness among students.

Our society needs to have a better appreciation for the challenges of mental illness. People need to know that we are not excusing anyone’s behavior, but rather finding out why a student does what they do, in the hopes of helping them overcome these issues and do better. Kids need a good, basic education to succeed in life, and mental illness often hinders children from getting that education.

Sources

(1) A Program to Turn Around Troubled Students

Schools address mental health

TPD trains on advanced mental health response 

African American and Asian teens have a lower rate of substance abuse than other races, according to a new study. The study was published in this week’s Archives of General Psychiatry, and the results can help prevention and treatment programs determine which areas to target.

Statistics of Teen Substance Abuse

The study analyzed information from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2005 to 2008, which is the most comprehensive ongoing study about substance abuse trends in the country. The data show that 48 percent of American Indian youth abused drugs or alcohol, putting them at the highest risk. They were followed by Caucasian teens whose rate of substance abuse was 39 percent, and Hispanics with a rate of 37 percent. African American teens (32 percent) and Asian teens (24 percent) were the least likely to abuse drugs or alcohol. (1)

The results are not what most people would expect. “What surprised us the most was the relatively lower rate of use among African Americans,” said study author Dan Blazer, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. “The public perception is that that’s not the case,” (1)

This tells us that some inaccurate stereotypes have been made, especially about African American teens, and we would be more accurate to create programs that reach American Indian or Caucasian youth. “This study is an alert. We would like for people to be aware of the issue and the problem and be ready, hopefully, and willing to look at ways in which we can try to turn this around,” said Blazer. “These data should suggest to any policy-making individual that we have a real problem and that problem doesn’t manifest itself equally across all groups.” (2)

Prevention for All Ethnicities

This does not mean we neglect the other teens. The numbers are high for all teens, and adolescents of every ethnicity can benefit from prevention programs. One in 12 teens reported having a substance abuse disorder, meaning their drug or alcohol use led to increased problems in the rest of their lives. These are the kids whose substance abuse interfered with school work, relationships, jobs, or finances.

Teen substance abuse is a problem that needs to be addressed. It is not simply a stage of rebellion that kids go through that will pass. 90 percent of adults who have a drug or alcohol problem started using before the age of 18. (1) “If you really want to reverse the abuse and dependence on these drugs,” Blazer said, “what you need to do is start early, and focus on trying to get these young people into treatment, or catch them earlier and stop them from even starting.” (3)

Sources

(1) Teen drug survey: Who abuses most?

(2) Black and Asian Teens Have Lowest Rates of Drug and Alcohol Use

(3) Teen drug use highest among Native Americans; Asians lowest 

Autism is a disorder that we are still trying to find out more about, with no real cure in sight. Parents are still learning how to manage this disorder, and should be aware that someone with autism will encounter greater challenges related to drugs and alcohol.

Occurrence of Autism

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 3.4 out of every 1,000 children ages 3 to 10 have autism. (1) Even with years of study, we still don’t know what causes this disorder or how to cure it. Instead, parents of autistic children are left devoting their entire lives to managing the syndrome through things like diet, therapy, and sensory training.

Autism is now diagnosed along a spectrum, depending on how well the person can function in society. The lowest autistic patients live locked in their own world, unable to communicate effectively with society. Some may be nonverbal, others can only communicate basic needs.

As we move along the autism spectrum, some people can function rather well in society. They speak easily and may have a high IQ, but even these autistic individuals lack the ability to fully relate to other people. They may be obsessive about certain topics, or cannot feel empathy for another person, or just can’t seem to find the right words to connect with peers. Someone who is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum may seem just like everyone else at first, may go to school or hold a job like other people, but they never really feel like other people do.

Self-Medicating

Kids with high-functioning autism spend their entire childhood trying to fit in. Other kids usually notice something is a little different and may tease or simply ignore the person. This leaves the autistic child feeling depressed or socially inept. Sometimes they self-medicate with drugs or alcohol, just like many other people do. Someone who is on the autism spectrum may feel that drinking or doing drugs will take their pain away, much like someone whose relationship with a spouse is deteriorating may use drugs or alcohol to take their troubles away.

Dangers of Substance Abuse

Substance abuse is dangerous for anyone, but someone with autism may face more risks when they try drugs or alcohol. According to autismhelp.org, “Autism Spectrum Disorder often affects the skills that are needed to use drugs and alcohol sensibly and safely – social skills, insight, organization and understanding what is appropriate behavior in a given context.” (2) Drugs may also have a different effect on autistic brains, making them more dangerous to the user. Parents of autistic young adults should be especially aware of what their child is doing. If they suspect their child is abusing drugs or alcohol, they should consult a professional who is knowledgeable about autism for help.

Sources

(1) Child and Adolescent Mental Illness and Drug Abuse Statistics

(2) DRUGS, YOUR CHILD & THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

Autism Gene Linked to Alcoholism

Today’s questions deal with the uncertainty a parent faces when they suspect their child is abusing drugs or alcohol. (Part 1) (Part 2)

Should I give my teen a drug test once a month or trust their word that they are clean? Neither. Parents should never rely on a drug test or their child’s word for assurance that their child is not using drugs. As depressing as this might sound, you never really know if your child is telling the truth, and you certainly should never let your guard down. Parents who rely on a regular drug test often get too comfortable that they’ve done all that they need to do in order to keep their kids drug-free. Teens are good about finding ways around the drug tests – there are countless websites that assist them with that – and these teens often become addicted before their parent finds out that they are using.

Instead of giving regular drug tests or assuming your child is telling you the truth, have conversations with your child about the dangers of drugs. This would be a good time to ask questions of your teen to find out what kinds of things other kids their age are doing, and what temptations they have had to face. By talking openly and regularly with your teen, you can find out a lot of information you wouldn’t otherwise get.

Should I look through my teen’s room or respect their privacy? In general, a parent that is respectful of their teen’s privacy will develop a better trust between their child and themselves. However, a parent should not be afraid to walk into their teen’s room unannounced to see what they are up to. Parents need to remain alert and look for signs of drug abuse whenever they talk to their teen. Even though a teen on drugs tries to be careful to not get caught, an attentive parent can often see the signs by just paying attention without even having to snoop. However, when it is a matter of life or death, as drug abuse often is, privacy takes a back seat to finding out the hard truth.

Is it necessary to get my teen professional help for a drug problem? One of the most dangerous mistakes parents make is to try to handle a child’s drug or alcohol problem on their own. Parents may be ashamed that their child has a problem, and they will keep from telling people as long as possible. Meanwhile, the teen sinks deeper and deeper into their drug abuse and addiction, and pretty soon it will be hard for even professionals to help. Parents need to understand that getting help early offers the best chance at success. It is often necessary for parents to turn to the experts to help their family get back on track. In the long run, it will make for a healthier, happier family, and will actually save them from some embarrassment in the long run.

Sources

(1) The Anti Drug

Time to Talk

Talking to Kids About Your Past Drug Use