Teen addiction is a devastating problem, tearing families apart, leaving parents heartbroken, and shattering dreams. The current trend is pill popping–more than half of kids surveyed admit that prescription drugs are very easy to get at school. Over the past decade, prescription drug abuse among American teens has climbed steadily and appears to be continuing.
Is it any wonder that this trend follows the increase in adult prescription abuse? Nearly one in five adults admit to using prescription drugs improperly, according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Not only are parents teaching their children that it is okay to use drugs to numb emotions and run from their problems, they are providing easy access by filling their own medicine cabinets.
Let’s face it. Kids look up to adults. Despite teenage rebellion, kids trust adults and particularly rely on the advice of doctors and professionals. So of course it can be confusing when their parents are using something prescribed by a doctor in a manner that is non-medicinal. If parents and doctors allow it, can it really be that bad?
A large percentage of adults admit to a battle with substance abuse around the age of fifty, which is when most have teenage children.
Signs of Teen Drug Addiction
Look for eight warning signs that your teen may be abusing prescription drugs:
• Decreased or increased energy level, such as acting lethargic or the opposite, spiked up with nervous energy.
• Changes in sleep habits, such as difficulty sleeping or sleeping too deeply.
• Decreased personal hygiene.
• Personality changes, including mood swings.
• Poor academic or athletic performance where there wasn’t a problem before.
• A change in who your child hangs out with, especially if they appear to be abusing drugs.
• Loss of appetite.
• Constricted pupils, especially if they are the size of pinpoints.
The Role of Adults
If you have a problem with substance abuse, it is essential for your child’s well-being that you seek help immediately. There are a number of other things you can do to help prevent drug abuse in your child:
• Keep the communication open with your child. Make a point of spending time with him, asking him about school and friends, and don’t nag, criticize or penalize him for the things he tells you. Offer advice or help, but mostly just listen and let him know that you are there for him.
• Educate your teen in the effects of drugs and alcohol on his body and his future. Studies show that kids whose parents talk to them about substance abuse are far less likely to experiment with drugs. It can even be as simple as mentioning it in the car ride to school or talking about it over dinner–it doesn’t have to be a formal dissertation.
• Help your child stay busy with drug-free activities. Encourage him to try out for athletic teams; sign him up for music lessons, swimming lessons, or whatever he is interested in.
• Make sure your child is getting drug education through schools whether he or she is seeing live presentations or videos.
What To Do If There Is A Problem
It is important that if a drug problem exists that you get your teen immediate help. Countless lives have been lost to prescription abuse. Don’t wait. Contact us today for more information or to find a rehab center.
The Narconon program successfully treats prescription addiction and seven out of ten Narconon graduates stay permanently drug free after treatment.