Teens at Risk for Drug Abuse
Teens at risk for drug or alcohol abuse often display behavior that parents fail to recognize as indicators for addiction. Some troubled teenagers are able to mask their use. It is not unusual for a troubled teen to steal or sell family items in order to feed a drug addiction that had spun out of control. Some teenagers develop connections with low level dealers and start supplying their friends at school.
Teens abusing drug , for the most part, have deceived themselves into thinking that they can handle anything that the drug can do to them. They are almost always certain they can walk away from drugs anytime. By the time unaware parents realize that their teen is addicted, much damage has already been done.
Some signs of drug abuse follow:
Relevant Tags:alcohol abuse, drug addiction, emotional instability, signs of drug abuse, teens at risk, troubled teenagers
- Hiding use; lying and covering up
- Sense that the person will “do anything” to use again regardless of consequences
- Loss of control or choice of use (drug-seeking behavior)
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
- Emotional instability
- Hyperactive or hyper-aggressive
- Depression
- Missing school or work
- Failure to fulfill responsibilities at school or work
- Complaints from teachers or co-workers
- Reports of intoxication at school or work
- Furtive or secretive behavior
- Avoiding eye contact
- Locked doors
- Going out every night
- Change in friends or peer group
- Change in clothing or appearance
- Unusual smells on clothing or breath
- Heavy use of over-the-counter preparations to reduce eye reddening, nasal irritation, or bad breath
- Hidden stashes of alcohol
- Alcohol missing from your supply
- Prescription medicine missing
- Money missing
- Valuables missing
- Disappearances for long periods of time
- Running away
- Secretive phone calls
- Unusual containers or wrappers
(Source)
Teen Age Drug Abuse