Teen Drug Addiction

One of the more troubling problems that can face many families is that of having a teen or a young adult that is struggling with a drug addiction. There are few things that can scare or worry a parent more than having a child who has entered into an abusive relationship with drugs. At such a critical stage in their lives it can be very frightening to learn that a teen has decided to experiment with drugs and, even worse, had developed an addiction to them. Sometimes the hardest part is understanding why a teen has chosen to go down that path.

For many teens the cycle of addiction to drugs can begin when they’re at home from examples or influential behaviors of their parents. This can stem from either witnessing parents or family members abuse drugs or alcohol or some other form of disturbance in the home such as abuse, violence or the like which can cause many teens to turn to drugs and alcohol as a form of escapism. Situations such as these can often lead to low self-esteem, depression, lack of control, rust issue, intimacy issues, and many more and these types of feelings are often a cause of drug abuse for teens that haven’t learned how to properly handle life's challenges.

It’s also common to see some aggressive behaviors come out when these addictions begin to take hold. Teenagers will become more emotionally unstable, controlling, and dominating with their friends and family. They may also shows signs of depression, irritability, and weak self control. If you begin recognizing these signs it’s also a good idea to look at some of their other behaviors, such as gambling, appetite changes, staying out all night, and the people they’re spending time with, to see if any other shifts have taken place that might indicate a new habit of abusing drugs or alcohol.

One of the best things that a parent can do upon recognizing a drug problem with their teen to prevent it from becoming an addiction is to simply sit the teen down and have an honest discussion with them. Explain to them why you’re worried and what you suspect is going on and then just let them talk to you. Listen to what’s going on with them. Don’t spend the conversation yelling or reprimanding them because this often makes teenagers more rebellious and encourages them to act out even more. It’s far better to try to understand what’s happening in their lives that’s causing them to make these choices and to see if there’s a way that you can help them handle it in a way that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol.

It can also help to get a third party involved, whether that be a therapist or a counselor or a specialist that works with teens abusing drugs - sometimes it’s easier for a teen to hear things if they’re coming from an outside source other than their parents. There are lots of different resources available for parents looking for someone to help them intervene with a teenager who is experimenting or abusing drugs.