Drug abuse among teens is a common topic amongst TV shows, movies, and the general pop cultural depiction of teenagers. It can be easy to scoff at this stereotype and think that your teen will never develop an addiction problem.
However, teen drug addiction is no laughing matter. Almost twenty percent of teens reported abusing prescription drugs by the end of high school.
Without proper guidance, teens can easily make bad decisions that haunt them for the rest of their lives. Understand the signs of teen drug abuse, so you can get your teen the help they need.
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1. Change in Physical Appearance
One of the quickest ways to determine if someone’s suffering from a drug addiction is to look at their physical appearance.
Has your teen suddenly lost a significant amount of weight? — certain drugs cause a loss of appetite. Has your teen developed bags under their eyes? — and other drugs cause a loss of sleep.
You might also notice unusual smells coming from them, damage to their teeth, and unexplained marks/ bruises on their bodies.
2. Home Changes
If certain chemicals have gone missing from your home, you might want to look into your teen’s behavior. Your teen also might rearrange their room to hide certain behavior.
If your teen used to be a good driver but suddenly starts getting into accidents and denting the car, they might have a problem.
3. Change in Behavior
If your teen suddenly starts staying out later than before, experiences a dip in grades starts hanging out with new friends, quits sports, loses interest in their hobbies, etc., they might just be falling into the world of drugs.
This isn’t a surefire way to tell if someone is addicted, however. The teenage years are noted for the development of new behaviors and attitudes on life.
However, if you notice behavioral changes in tandem with the other items on this list, you might have a problem on your hands.
4. Asking For Money
A teen suffering from a new addiction to drugs is going to need money to feed their habit. Sure they might have gotten hooked by falling in with a bad crowd, but sustaining their addiction means providing a drug dealer with money.
Whether they have a job or not, teens aren’t pulling in nearly as much money as adults are. Because of this, they’ll likely ask you for extra cash. A sudden uptick in the amount of money they need could just mean there’s something fishy going on.
If stealing of money occurs, you should make sure you investigate this right away. Your teen shouldn’t need any money that they couldn’t ask for.
If you’re concerned that your teen is suffering from a drug problem, you should consider sending them to rehab for teenagers. Rehabs specifically designed for teenagers will help your teens learn to understand their problems in relation to those of their peers.
Understand Teen Drug Abuse
Teen drug abuse is a problem that plagues America. It can lead to teenagers never getting the opportunities they deserve throughout their lives.
It’s a tough issue to deal with since it means you’ll be resisting their urge to rebel. However, understanding teen drug abuse and recognizing the warning signs can save lives.
For more articles like this, check out our “health” section.
