How to Not Overlook Teen Drug Abuse

About Drug Abuse

Ten drug abuse is a problem that is increasing at an alarming rate. The abuse or addiction of drugs put the health as well as safety of a teenager at risk. There are a lot of factors that play a contributing role in pushing a teen to drug abuse and these can range from a desire for social acceptance to insecurity. The major contributing factors of drug abuse include:

• A history of drug or alcohol abuse in the family
• Show of unusually aggressive or impulsive behaviour from an early age
• Presence of a mental health disorder like anxiety, depression or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Being a victim of traumatic events like loss of a parent in early childhood or suffer from sexual abuse at an early age
• Bad relationship with parents and lack of nurturing family environment

Signs Your Teen is Abusing Drugs

There are certain signs and symptoms that can work as possible red flags for you that your teen may have a drug problem. These are:

• Extreme changes in behaviour, eating habits, social circle
• Falling performance at school
• Sudden messy physical appearance
• Show of hostile attitude
• Sudden secretive behaviour about possessions or actions
• Unexplained need for money
• Sudden disappearance of prescription or over the counter medications from your cabinet
• Unusual medicine or chemical smell on your teen or in your teen’s room

Don’t Ignore the Signs

Remember that drug abuse is a serious problem and can destroy the life of your teenager. This is why it is extremely important that you do not ignore the warning signs and take appropriate action to prevent drug abuse:

• Discuss ways to resist peer pressure
• Be ready to discuss your own drug use
• Know your teen’s activities
• Establish rules and consequences
• Know your teen’s friends
• Keep an eye on prescription drugs
• Provide support
• Set a good example