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How to Proceed if You Suspect an Addiction with Your Teenager

February 6, 2011 by

An addiction can become an extremely difficult struggle in someone’s life. Certainly this rings true for teenagers, as they are indeed in a tough time developmentally and can be exposed to negative influences. As these can involve alcohol, smoking, and dangerous drugs, an addiction in a teenager can occur within any family.

Avoiding these influences is of course desirable. As a parent, having an open and honest relationship is a great start, where you can hopefully set a good example and be there should they need help. Within the context of a family these dangers may be undermined; however, it doesn’t always occur, unfortunately.

If you suspect that your teenager may be dealing with some type of addiction, taking action is essential. It doesn’t matter which stage the addiction—if there is an addiction—is in; getting help is a must for the well-being of your child.

Talking to your child is one step. This can have varying levels of success and you might need to be a judge regarding how your child reacts, in terms of telling the truth or speaking about it at all. Taking your child to a mental health professional, or even seeing one yourself in the beginning to talk about your concerns, is also a good idea. If you have contact to individuals that are close to your child, then take advantage of them; do what you can to get to the root of the situation.

In some situations action may need to be taken. There are valuable rehabilitation centers that can help treat your child before it is too late. You could consult one, such as MichaelsHouse.com, for instance. Whether or not your child actually has an addiction, take whatever steps necessary to help you teenager through his or her difficulties. Consult professional help immediately if needed.

Filed Under: Parenting, Teenage Tagged With: , ,

Substance Abuse Help

January 25, 2011 by

It is absolutely heart wrenching to see someone you love fight with an addiction. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, or any other type of addiction, it’s hard to know when to step in and help your loved ones. Here’s a few tips to help you and those you love along your journey to clean living.

Look for Signs

There are certain signs and signals that you can look for in yourself and your loved ones that will let you know they have a substance abuse problem. First, substance abuse starts with simple curiosity. You try a drug or a drink a couple of times, but you aren’t completely dependent on it. If you are able to recognize the disease in this stage, you may only need an intervention to stop the progression of the addiction. If it progresses on to abuse, you will start to notice relationship problems, a change in personality, or neglecting responsibilities that you normally had no problem with. After that, the disease progresses into full-fledged addiction. Here, you will notice you or your loved ones lives revolving around using the drug, you will use to relieve withdrawal symptoms, and do anything to get your hands on your next fix. At this point, the best thing you could do is to check into a rehab facility.

What’s Available

One of the best things you can do for an addict is to take them to a drug abuse rehab facility. There, they will be pulled away from all chances of using again. Plus, they will also be able to safely come down off their drug and alcohol addictions. The body will go through not only mental, but physical withdrawals as well. It’s best that this be done in the care of a medical professional that specializes in substance abuse. Whatever step you take to try and stop an addiction is a step in the right direction.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , ,

Dealing with Child Addicts

December 21, 2010 by
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Children who are addicted to drugs or alcohol can be found in any home, no matter how affluent or impoverished. There are few things more difficult for parents to deal with than a child who may have an addiction. Fear, panic and guilt are all emotions associated with parents of children with addictions, but before you succumb to a confrontation with your child, there are a few things to consider.

Be sure there is an addiction problem before committing to decisions! When children are at school for most of the day, it can become very easy for parents to lose track of their kids and who they’re hanging out with. Being wary of potential addiction warning signs, such as a sudden drop in grades, cagey behavior, unwilling to discuss activities, lack of appetite and unexplained behavior, can all be indicators of a drug or alcohol addiction.

Before you confront your child about the possibility of an addiction, consider seeking professional help to learn how to approach your child. By directly confronting children you may just push them away and deeper into their addiction. Ignoring the problem won’t help either; an addiction won’t go away on its own.

Be wary of your child making advances to you for help. Wanting to linger over dinner, looking like she wants to say something but doesn’t, or engaging in spontaneous topics of discussion can all be signs that he’s reaching out for help. If you notice this kind of behavior suggest that you go with them to talk to a therapist. Websites such as TheCyn.com can also offer great advice on how to deal with children who are suspected of having addiction issues.

Children with addictions cannot be fully healed without professional help. Always consult the school therapist, family doctor or a therapist specializing in childhood addictions.

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Filed Under: Children, General Tagged With: , , ,