Call Us to Find Treatment
866.323.5611


Bookmark and Share

Signs Your Teenager May Be Using Drugs

By Jill Gonzalez

As children get older, parents may become concerned that their kids are using drugs. This worry becomes especially pronounced once kids have entered high school, and in many cases it continues through college.

Regardless of whether kids are from wealthy or poor families, or live in cities or rural communities, drug use continues to be on the rise among almost all age groups. By the time children graduate from high school, at least 50 percent of them will have at least tried some type of drug.

So how are parents supposed to know whether their teenagers are addicted to drugs?

Learn the Risk Factors

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are more than 50 factors that have been identified that might put someone at risk for drug use. The risk factors have to do with peer groups, family, community issues and, of course, the individual.

Some of the risk factors include the following:

  • Social pressures
  • Weak family structure
  • Too much free time
  • Peer pressure
  • Lack of communication between parents and their children
  • Emotional problems
  • Family history of drug or alcohol abuse
  • Thrill-seeking behaviors

In addition, children who suffer from some type of learning disability are more likely to start using drugs as they get older.

When considering these risk factors, it is important to keep in mind that just because certain risk factors are present it does not mean that your child will start using drugs. However, if you as a parent know what signs to look for, then you have a much better chance of finding out right away if your child does start using drugs.

Signs and Symptoms of Teen Drug Use

Different drugs have very different effects on the body, both physically and mentally. Once a person starts using drugs on a regular basis, the need for the drug will more than likely grow until it consumes every aspect of that person's life.

Teenagers are no exception. In trying to learn the signs and symptoms of drug use, you must take into consideration the following physical signs:

  • Sudden weight loss or gain
  • Extreme cycles of increased energy, insomnia and restlessness
  • Dental problems that continue to get progressively worse (this is particularly true when methamphetamines are being used)
  • Persistent cough or bronchitis (especially with the use of drugs that are smoked)
  • Excessive sleep
  • Unusually slow response times, speech or movements
  • Confusion or disorientation
  • Sinusitis or nosebleeds (especially with the use of snorted drugs, such as cocaine)

Emotional signs and symptoms include the following:

  • Paranoia and/or delusions
  • Apathy and depression
  • Unusual periods of being very talkative or having a lot of energy
  • A lowered threshold for violence
  • Unresponsiveness or unusual calmness
  • Hallucinations or temporary psychosis

Because teenagers tend to have great emotional fluctuations (highs and lows experienced on a regular basis), it is not always easy for parents to identify the presence of a drug problem. Most teenagers want more privacy, tend to sleep more than usual, and are generally argumentative and uncooperative. These are usually just signs that they are growing and developing into the independent adults that they are supposed to become.

To help you identify the presence of drug use by your teenager, try to focus on looking for marked changes in your child's health, appearance and overall behavior. For example, if your child has always been a good student but suddenly starts getting bad grades or has teachers complaining about inattentiveness, then you need to be concerned because something is more than likely going on.

Also, pay attention to the friends that your child has. If he or she suddenly starts hanging out with an entirely new group of people, or if your child suddenly starts spending more time alone, then the possibility of drug use should not be ignored.
 

Probably the single biggest sign that should alert you to potential drug use is any type of drastic change within your child. Even though kids do change quite a bit as they grow older, these changes are generally subtle and do not suddenly appear overnight. If you start noticing that your child has changed drastically in any way, you need to take the time to investigate. Talk to your child and try to find out what is going on with him or her so that you can obtain the help that is most appropriate for them.