Signs Your Teen Is Using Substances To Self-Medicate
Written by Craig Rogers, Posted on , in Section Stress Relief
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SPOT SADNESS, LONELINESS, DEPRESSION, OR HOPELESSNESS... Your teen may seem normal, even happy.
However, numerous teens experience feeling of sadness, loneliness, depression, hopelessness, or other difficult emotions that can lead to them to try to self-medicate. In many cases, these teens don’t understand that there are healthy ways to cope with their problems, so they resort to substances in order to feel better. Unfortunately, this almost always results in the problems become even more serious. Substance abuse is never the answer for anyone, and it can be particularly dangerous for young people because it can disrupt their school work and increase their chances of addiction later in life. For these reasons, it is important that every parent be equipped with the knowledge of certain signs that indicate substance abuse in teenagers.
Signs You Should Watch For In Your Son Or Daughter
1. Unexplained absences for long periods of time – If your son or daughter leaves the house and isn’t able to explain where they’ve been or what they were doing, they might be trying to hide something.
2. Prolonged periods of sadness – If you can tell that your child is acting depressed, it is much safer to talk to them about the issue before they try to self-medicate, or to help them if they’ve already started.
3. A lack of money - Alcohol or marijuana are some of the most common substances that teenagers use, so if your teen is suddenly lacking funds, it could be because they are spending their money on these or other substances.
4. A drop in academic performance – Ditching school and neglecting homework are two common side effects of a teen who is abusing substances.
5. A change in demeanor – If your child suddenly starts having mood swings or is acting especially angry or moody, it could be a side effect of the substance use.
These are several of the most common signs of teens who are self-mediating, and it’s crucial that parents are very aware of them, because catching a self-medicating problem early can be the key to getting the right help. The longer these problems continue, the more deeply ingrained they become. This in turn makes effective treatment more difficult and time consuming. Please don't let this happen to your teen.
