Electronic Health Reporter

Children are a source of worry for every parent. You spend several years raising them and hope they turn out alright. There are thousands of books and articles on how to raise children properly. However, they don’t always work out, and it’s generally down to trial and error. Imagining that your teen is abusing drugs is frightening. Needless to say, if your child is caught abusing drugs, they may end up facing trials for their errors.

Teens deal with several physical and emotional changes. This makes it difficult to pinpoint whether some symptoms are drug-related or just mood swings as a result of hormonal changes. Below are red signs that your teen is abusing drugs.

Possession of the drugs

This is a glaring red sign. Some drugs such as marijuana are distinctive, but they may be abusing prescription pills, which may be hard to discover. The Internet has it all, though. Search for the symbol of the pill and see what comes up. You may as well ask the kid.

Odd smells

Another dead giveaway. It could be the smell of marijuana or a new interest in deodorant or perfume. If you can’t tell the smell of marijuana, it’s probably time you educate yourself. Well, it’s not necessary that you smoke marijuana yourself, but you can ask a cop to show you a sample.

Behavioral changes

A change in your teen’s behavior is probably the first thing you’ll notice. Are they acting differently to a point where it’s affecting their relationships with other family members? That could be a sign of drug abuse. Watch out for the following behavioral changes.

• Arguing with family members and displaying extreme moodiness and anger
• Staying out past curfew hours: While this may be a classic teen behavior, if your child is abusing drugs, it may coincide with staying out all night or disappearing for long periods.
• Changing their friends – mainly when they aren’t hanging out with the people they used to hang out with
• Deteriorating grades
• Increased appetite and new cravings
• Complaints from fellow students and teachers about change in behavior

Also, watch out for the following secretive behaviors:

• Stealing
• Missing class, work, or other activities
• Avoiding eye contact
• Locking themselves in their room

Change in physical appearance

Changes in physical appearance are hard to spot. They differ depending on what drug the person is abusing. Look out for:

• Unusual breath smell
• Tremors or shaking
• Constantly licking lips
• A runny nose or nosebleeds without a cold
• Soot on lips or fingers
• Unexplained bruises, marks, or wounds
• Flushed cheeks

What do you do if you’re convinced that your kid is abusing drugs? Instead of rushing to make accusations, ask them directly to give them a chance to explain themselves. Whichever way they answer, don’t be carried by emotions and believe they are clean. Take them for drug screening. You may need to get help if your kid is addicted. A doctor will help with detoxification. After detox, the doctor will come up with a treatment program to help them retake charge of their life.

Check out https://www.baylesshealthcare.com/locations/integrated-health-center/ for remarkable addiction treatment.