Having a teen addicted to drugs or alcohol can a very trying time for parents, as well as for family and friends. With teen drug abuse rates rising every year due to peer pressure, depression, family problems, and an over glamorization of drugs and alcohol in today’s culture, many parents are left with no easy answers on how to stop their children from abusing drugs and alcohol. But with the right parental guidance, and by utilizing the right methods of communication between you and your teen, all hope is not lost in your battle to prevent your child of using drugs and alcohol.
Teen Alcohol Abuse Rates
About 35% of teens throughout the U.S and Canada have abused one form of drug or another before their 18th birthday, according to a startling report by a well-know teen treatment center in Florida. This means that before many teens have even gotten to college or started their first real jobs, almost one-third of teens have already abused drugs or alcohol at some point. And these figures only rise exponentially as teens become young adults and enter into college and the real world. The report also concludes that in cases of long term destructive drug addictions, over 50% of addictions started before they had even reached 18 years of age.
Behavioral Signs of Drug or Alcohol Abuse
Before you can start helping your troubled teen, you must first be familiar with many of the common behavioral signs that are associated with drug and alcohol use. In dealing with identifying drug behavioral signs in teens, it is important to remember that some behavioral signs may be contradictory to the set of personality traits shown by that individual. These signs may include, but not be limited to:
- Excessive Lying
- Staying along in his or her own room for hours
- Becoming physically or verbally abusive
- Frequent anger or mood swings
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Droopy eyes
- Paranoia
Helping Your Child
First and foremost, the most important thing you can do to help your youth with their teenage addiction to drugs or alcohol is to surround them with as much love and support as possible. As a parent you must understand that your child has a problem, and just like any other problem, there is a right way of solving it and a wrong way. Many parents immediately get angry when they find out their child is abusing drugs or alcohol, and feel personally responsible. What is important to remember is that drug and alcohol abuse are serious matters that anger and punishment alone cannot solve. Your child needs professional help, but he also needs supportive parents that will see them through their difficult times.
The best thing you can do as a parent with a teen who is suffering from drug or alcohol abuse is to find the best professional help possible that can help your teen deal with these complicated and serious issues. There are many drug prevention and drug rehab centers that specialize in addicted teens, and have the expertise and resources to help the teen to deal with his or her substance abuse issues, and help them resolve it the right way.
