Parents, do you know the signs of substance abuse in teens?
As the parent of a teen, you’re naturally concerned about the widespread use of alcohol and other drugs among young people. You know your son or daughter is a good kid, but with peer pressure so strong among adolescents, you worry.
Shawn Stepp, director of Mercy’s Sedlacek Treatment Center, said, "Drug abuse knows no economic or social boundaries. The best way for parents to fight this problem is to be informed about drugs, and aware of the symptoms of abuse."
He added, "Parents should set a good example for their children, love them unconditionally, and use discipline reasonably and consistently."
Stepp continued, "If you discover that your teen is experimenting with drugs, immediately confront him or her, and do whatever you need to do to stop the drug abuse."
Sedlacek staff members will meet with parents to discuss possible drug or alcohol abuse. They will also meet with parents and their child to provide a clinical assessment. Both services are free and completely confidential. Call 319-398-6226 for more information.
Following are behavioral and physical symptoms of substance abuse that parents should know.
Behavioral symptoms
- Avoiding family activities: Refusing to eat meals with family, participate in holidays or other celebrations, or make any adjustment to family life.
- Problems with school: Frequent tardiness or unexcused absence, drop in grades, failure to complete assignments and tests, and suspensions or expulsion.
- Lack of interest in clubs, hobbies, sports, or other extracurricular activities.
- Sudden mood swings, ranging from euphoria to anger to depression
- Personality changes. A usually energetic and sociable young person may become constantly depressed and uncommunicative.
- Defensiveness: blaming other people for problem, or claiming to be persecuted or victimized.
- Inappropriate expression of emotions such as happiness, sadness, or anger.
- Extreme self-centeredness: insisting on their own way and using any means to get it.
- Manipulating others to handle the teen’s problems and to "take the rap" for bad behavior.
- Anxious behavior: being fearful, compulsive and unusually talkative; having constant jittery, jerky, uneven movements.
- Different apparel, unsavory friends: imitating the "drug culture" look in clothing, jewelry and hair styles; suspicious friends who refuse to meet parents, or won’t look them in the eye or talk to them.
- Difficult communication: being unwilling or unable to discuss important subjects and concerns with parents.
Physical symptoms
- Change in appearance
- Fatigue, being chronically rundown
- Dizziness, stumbling, shakiness
- Sudden weight gain or loss
- Bloodshot eyes
- Consistently dilated pupils
- Frequent colds, sore throat, coughing
- Constantly inflamed nostrils, running nose
