Warning Sign Parents Should be Aware Of

What are the warning signs when you kids are “on drugs?” One of our saddest truisms is that parents often say they want to know everything that is going on in their children's lives.

How we can we be so sure? Unfortunately, the warning signs that that drug use generally began month, or even years, were misread as other insignificant changes in a teens behaviour.

What often happens is that topics such as children's sexual behaviour, underage drinking, and gang violence are so uncomfortable for parents to broach, that when we choose to ignore them, we also ignore the warning signs of drug use.

Even though we recognize the consequences of these issues can be frightening, we as parent silently clinging to the denial and hope that these issues will not be part of their children's lives.

This denial can create an equally devastating consequence. And no topic is any more frightening to a parent than teen substance abuse. But when to look for Teen Help is often an admission of failure.

Understanding the teenage perspective holds important keys. There are many pressures teens deal with on a daily basis. When kids are asked why they began using drugs, they do not look outward to outside influences.

Rather their reasons include those similar to the following responses - they want to fit in, to feel part of the group, they felt the need to rebel against adult authority, it seemed to be an escape from their problems, it helped them hide their feelings of inadequacy and low self esteem, it created the buzz, thrill and excitement of taking a risk and satisfied a wanting to feel grown up.