Do Not Use and Abuse
Lets Make Sure That Your Teen is Safe
Substance Abuse?
Substance abuse is the patterned use of a drug in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or methods which are harmful to themselves or others.
REAL LIFE DRUG STORY VIDEOS -- Drug Addiction Experiences/Teenage Drugs Stories
REAL LIFE DRUG STORY VIDEOS -- Drug Addiction Experiences/Teenage Drugs Stories [Video file]. (2011, September 10). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOLb21bii-A
THE MAJOR ONES
Alcohol
Alcohol is commonly used as a stress reliever. Many times it is experimented by teens that are acting in delinquency or teens that experience peer pressure. 63 % of teens have admitted to trying alcohol. 28 % have admitted to engaging in heavy drinking.
Tobacco
Mostly used through cigarettes, this is used as a stress reliever. This drug is legal and can be accessed by people 18 and older. In 2012, 6.7% of middle-schoolers have smoked tobacco, and 23.3% of high-schoolers were using tobacco.
Marijuana
Used as a stress reliever, Marijuana or Cannabis, is used to impair the teen. This is an illegal drug in most of the states. It is used for medical use in the states that it is legal in. Despite beliefs, this drug is addictive.
Others to Look For
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
- Ectasy (MDMA)
- Inhalants
- Heroin
- Sedatives
- OxyCotin
What You Should Look For
- Changes in sleep pattern and appetite-This varies upon which drug that your teen may be abusing. Some drugs increase their appetite and sleep pattern, and some drugs decrease their sleep pattern and appetite.
- Deterioration of physical appearance- They may start to care less about their physical appearance, usually teens are very worried about their appearance.
- Withdrawal from social and important activities- The things that they once enjoyed, they may not enjoy them anymore or they may stop participating in them.
- Unexplained spending habits-They may begin to ask for more money, and when asked they may not tell you what they are using the money for.
- Sudden change in friends-Change of friends or the crowd that they are in. They may find their old friends "lame" now.
- Increased impersonal or legal problems-They may start arguing with family and friends, and may start getting into legal trouble and have no explanation.
- Neglecting responsibility-Your teen that is usually responsible may all of a sudden lack in responsibility
- Usage of drugs despite knowing the dangers-Although they are aware of the consequences, the teens tend to ignore the dangers and still engage in the drug use.
- Change in personality or attitude-Usually this is the hardest to figure out, due to hormones.Their mood swings are untypical and usually it depends on the drug on how bad their mood swings are.
How Can This Hurt Your Teen?
They can become:
- impulsive
- disruptive
- hostile
They start participating in antisocial acts
They fail to learn responsible decision-making skills
They may show:
- serious adjustment problems
- chronic anxiety
- depression
- antisocial behavoir
Get Them Help
- Family and individual therapy
- Academic and vocational training
- Support-group sessions
Prevention Tips
- Reduce family adversity and improve parent skills
- Monitor your teen's activities
- Teach them skills to resist peer pressure
Citations
- Berk, L. E. (2009). Physical and cognitive development in adolescense. In Development through the lifespan (5th ed., pp. 361-399). Pearson.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). CDC - Fact Sheet - Youth and Tobacco Use - Smoking & Tobacco Use. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/tobacco_use/
- Schneider, S., Peters, J., Bromberg, U., Brassen, S., Miedl, S. F., Banaschewski, T., ... & Büchel, C. (2012). Risk taking and the adolescent reward system: a potential common link to substance abuse. American journal of psychiatry, 169(1), 39-46.
- White, D. (2012). Symptoms of Teen Substance Abuse. Psych Central. Retrieved on March 23, 2015, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/symptoms-of-teen-substance-abuse/00012664