10 Signs That Your Teen Is Using Drugs
10 Signs That Your Teen Is Using Drugs
Did you know that over 75% of teens aged 16-17 report that obtaining marijuana is "easy or fairly easy?" Or that 25% of youths between 12 and 17 say the same of crack?
When children start using drugs they usually exhibit many different signs that parents need to watch out for. Unfortunately, many parents often write-off these signs as normal adolescent behavior and as a result they don't realize that their child is into drugs until it is too late.
How can you as a parent know for sure whether or not your child is in danger of falling into drugs?
Know that every child is in danger of this. Parents who fail to recognize this will stay in this state of denial till their son or daughter is arrested or overdoses -- and by then it is too late. So what should you as parents be looking for as signs that your child is experimenting with drugs or alcohol?
* Dramatic changes in attitude or personality.
* New friends who may exert peer pressure on your child.
* Problems at school, such as falling grades or increased tardiness.
* Increased withdrawal, depression, or secretiveness.
* Changes in sleep patterns.
* Increased or decreased appetite.
* Dilated, red, or glossy eyes.
* Escalating verbal or physical abuse.
* Dramatic mood swings.
* Need for additional money.
Drug use can lead to a host of significant health, social, learning and behavioral problems at a crucial time in a young person's development. Getting high also impairs judgment, leading to risky decision making on issues like sex, criminal activity or riding with someone who is driving high.
Uncommon Useful Drugs That Are Abused by the Society - Drug Abuse
A drug is a naturally occurring or a chemically synthesized substance that produces physiological effects on humans and other animals. They can be categorized as:
1) Pharmaceutical Drugs
Over-the-counter (OTC)
Behind-the-counter (BTC)
Prescription-only-medicines (POM)
2) Recreational Drugs (mainly alcohol)
3) Entheogens (drugs having religious and spiritual importance)
Drug Abuse
Drug abuse means using psychoactive substances in a way that may cause physical, psychological, economic, legal, or social harm to users themselves or to people directly or indirectly associated with them.
Abused Drugs include:
Amphetamines (useful in Narcolepsy and Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity-ADHD)
Anabolic steroids (a modification of testosterone molecule-used to augment or limit certain characteristics of testosterone.)
Club drugs (also called Rave drugs- mainly used for hallucination; example: Ecstasy, LSD)
Cocaine (used as a topical anesthetic by health care professionals)
Heroin (=diamorphine; used as a strong analgesic)
Inhalants (used to expand blood vessels to lower blood pressure)
Marijuana (used to reduce nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy)
Prescription-only-Medicines
Besides these, alcohol is the most widely abused substance that needs a strong fight-back in most of the societies of the world countries. Harmful use of alcohol results in 3.3 m deaths each year. Around 15.3 million people have drug use disorders, 13.5 million people in the world take opiods, 9.2 million people use heroin.
Why do people abuse drugs?
Sometimes, people turn to drugs to get rid of responsibilities of their life. People suffering from anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression or mental illness use them to ease their sufferings.
Peer pressure, family members, role models also excite some to start using these drugs and gradually they result in addiction.
How to fight back drug abuse?
It is possible to fight back against drug abuse. It starts with understanding the drug and how people get addicted to it which often people don't understand or are unaware.
We need to know what happens to those who are progressing towards addiction and what withdrawal could be like for the person who's already addicted. It is also crucial to understand what kind of treatment works best for a particular type of drug addiction.
A number of books and web sites provide a thorough knowledge on this cause. There are several organisations and rehabilitation centers who help out the affected ones. Parents have to be more educated in this regard and discuss the subject with children because teenagers are the most vulnerable ones who easily get used to these drugs.
Remember, dealing with drug abuse is the need of time. We can fight back this stigma only by strong determination, by developing unconditional love for people and society and understanding the value of human life.
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