TEEN DRUG ABUSE
Teen Drug Abuse
208-324-4357 150 W . Frontage Road N • Jerome , ID
We are proud to grow an ABUSE free future for our youth !
Performance Plus
314 South 500 East Jerome , ID
208-736-0064
Proud to give our youth the POWER to remain ABUSE FREE !
Buhl
Police Department
201 Broadway Ave . N . - Buhl , ID 208-543-4200
Chief Foster & Staff are proud to support Bullying preventative education in our Jr . High Schools . We care & get involved !
400 Main Street - Filer , ID 208-326-4331
“ Proudly supporting all of our youth in their efforts to remain ABUSE free !”
For many parents , the idea of teen drug abuse seems about as foreign and far off as Jupiter . That is , until the issue is sitting across the table from you thumbing through text messages while wearing an iPod and sporting a surly attitude . Then , it gets realvery real . But don ’ t hit the panic button just that . Adolescent drug abuse and addiction can seem terrifying to deal with , but there is help and hope for your teen .
Signs Your Teen May Be Abusing Drugs
The problem with identifying drug abuse among teenagers is that the common symptoms of drug abuse that most people are aware of are the norm for teen behavior . Another problem is that this is something no parent really wants to see in their teen . Aside from the general moodiness and secretive nature of most teens , there are other symptoms you should keep a watchful eye out for in order to identify signs that your teen may , in fact , be abusing drugs .
Here are a few of the more common symptoms that are fairly easy to recognize no matter how hard teens try to hide them :
• Runny nose
• Sudden weight loss
• Loss of interest in favorite activities and / or pastimes
• Chronic coughing
• Inappropriate clothing ( this is most common among teens attempting to hide needle marks with long sleeves )
• Sudden drop in grades
• Uncommon behavior problems at home and school
• Skipping school
• Skipping class
• Change in friends
• Stealing
• Excessive hunger
• Loss of appetite
None of these are a sure sign that your teen is abusing drugs . However , if you can see many of these changes in your teen , it could be a sign of trouble . We have a great deal of experience helping teens recovery and detox from drug use and abuse . Give us a call at ( 800 ) 943-0566 today to see what we can do to help your teen and your family through this critical time .
How Should Parents Respond ?
Don ’ t panic . Now is not the time for that . It ’ s the time for taking action . The most important thing to remember once you discover that your teen is abusing drugs is that there is help available . There are support groups in many major cities to help parents cope with their teens , and they also educate parents on adolescent drug abuse and what you can do to help .
Get help . That ’ s the first thing you should do . You know that teenage drug abuse isn ’ t something that ’ s just going to stop on its own . Consider turning to a drug addiction rehabilitation facility that offers specialized treatment programs for youth drug abuse . The more experience they have dealing with teens , the better it will be for your teen .
Don ’ t play the blame game . It ’ s easy to point fingers and assign blame . It ’ s even easier to accept the weight of the entire problem on your shoulders . Guilt can rip you and your family apart just as fast as drugs . Don ’ t let that happen .
Talk to your teen and really listen to what your teen has to say about life , drugs and anything at all your teen wants to discuss . You need to do this even if what your teen is telling you is painful to hear . Not only does this let your teen know that you ’ ll be there no matter what , but it also helps your teen feel a little less alone in the fight to overcome addiction .
Join support groups like Narcotics Anonymous . These groups exist to help individuals , teens and families struggling with addiction . Most communities have them and everyone in your family can benefit from attending .
Illicit Drug Use and Today ’ s Teens Beginning in the 1990s , illicit drug use
34 | Idaho Spring / Summer 2014 | abusemagazine . org
Source : http :// drugabuse . com / library / teen-drug-abuse /