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Drug Use 34 Warning Signs of Teen Drug Use Nothing is more destructive to a teen and/or family than the use of drugs. Consequently, the earlier the intervention the better. The problem is that in most cases teens are using drugs for several months or years before parents become aware. Even when parents do become aware, they often underestimate their own child's involvement. Don't ignore the warning signs. Teens seldom grasp the concept of addiction. Most view themselves as impervious to peril. For some, the stress of adolescence and peer pressure is overwhelming and drugs become an enticing escape from reality. Neglected Appearance/Hygiene Poor self image Grades declining Violent outbursts Frequent use of eye wash or Visine Unexplained weight loss Drug paraphernalia Slurred speech Curfew violations Running away Skin abrasions Chemical breath Glassy eyes Valuables missing Hostility towards family Red eyes Stealing/borrowing money Valuables suddenly appear in child's possession Change in friends Depression Withdrawal Apathy Reckless Behavior No concern for the future Defies Family Values Disrespect of parents Lying and deception Sneaky Behavior Disregard for consequences Loss of interest in healthy activities Verbally abusive Manipulative/self-centered Lack of motivation Truancy WHY DO KIDS USE DRUGS? The tendency of parents is to blame outside influences for the use of drugs by their kids. Although things like peer influence, lack of school supervision, media, television, music, etc., can be powerful contributing factors, the choice factor on the part of your teen cannot be ignored. They are more than victims of circumstance and must at least partly be held accountable. Your kids describe the following reasons that they make a choice to use drugs: They want to fit in and be part of the group To rebel against adult authority To escape their problems To hide their feelings of inadequacy or low self-esteem The thrill and excitement of taking a risk Wanting to feel all grown up (Can you believe this one?) THE GATEWAY TO DRUGS Most teens don't begin with hard drugs like cocaine crystal meth or heroin. Most usage begins with drugs that are easily accessible in the adult population and are legal like nicotine and alcohol. Frequently, this begins with easy access in their home or homes of a friend or family member. Tobacco and alcohol are blamed by many experts to be the gateway or path to more serious drug abuse. Teens recognize the general health hazards of smoking, yet often their willingness to take that risk becomes and easy link to trying alcohol. After demonstrating they are risk takers, the natural next step is marijuana. From there it becomes a deadly downward spiral toward other drugs and the destructive behaviors that accompany them. ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR No matter what drug is involved, the disease of addiction appears to follow a predictable course. Typically, the user begins out of some kind of level of curiosity. If the initial experience produces pleasurable results, the individual will more than likely move on to recreational use with friends at parties or on weekends. They generally come to enjoy the drug more and more which lead to an inevitable increase in usage often during the week and on a regular basis. Soon their lives become centered around getting the drug and finding more opportunities to use it. This begins to interfere with relationships, school, work, and other formerly productive areas of their lives. By now the drug dependency/addiction are in control and the individual is unable to function without the drug. If there is not yet a physical addiction, there is most certainly a psychological dependency upon their drug of choice. If for some reason, the drug become inaccessible, they will then resort to whatever it takes to obtain the drug. e.g sexual favors, stealing, drug-pushing, etc.    Content Copyrighted © 2023 by Teenpaths.org    All Rights Reserved. FAMILY IN CRISIS If you feel you need to speak to someone right away, we recommend you contact Dina Dalton, our Family Crisis Intervention Counselor by calling 1-800-429-5922. Say you were referred by TeenPaths and your call will be handled immediately. If you'd like to talk to other parents who finally found solutions to similar concerns, please email us at Caring Parent True re-enactment about a teen who succumbs to the pressures of girl culture, desires to be popular, and ends up a drug user. She then finds the help and support necessary to change her path, regain her self esteem and make working choices in her life. The script for this movie was actually written by the teen who was lost and found her way back. -- To top it all off, she portrays one of the teens in the movie. Mission || Testimonials || Video || Helpful Tips || Teen Sex Addiction Difficult Teen Test || Self-Esteem Test || Drug Use || Drug Review Financial Aid || Contact Us || Privacy Statement All Schools || Red River School || Old West Academy      Implementations Copyrighted © 2023 by hav.Software    Page Modified Mon Aug 13 13:13:40 MDT 2001