Is Your Teenager on Drugs? How to Look For The Warning Signs
Brian M. Murray, M.S., IMH
A nightmare scenario for a parent can be the day they
discover their teenager is using drugs. Upon this discovery the parent will
often question themselves as to how this happened and may even begin to
question their parenting skills. One of the best things a parent can do is to
equip themselves with knowledge of what teen drug use looks like.
If a teen is caught using drugs know that there are several
factors involved with them using. Teenage years are often a time of
exploration, hormonal changes and what psychologist Erik Erikson in his
psychosocial stages of development identifies as identity versus role
confusion. They are trying to figure out the world, who they are and their
place in it. Drug use is often best resolved if it is treated like an open wound.
Find out what they are medicating. What kind of life situational issues are
they trying to resolve through the use of drugs? Sometimes it is simply a
choice. Like any adult who suffers from addiction or dependency they often like
the way it makes them feel or they may believe it gives them a favorable
impression among peers.
Teens are often prone to sarcasm and negativity when being
questioned or confronted on their behavior. This behavior is an attempt to
protect what they are doing or to control their environment. It is usually
associated with not wanting to give up what feels good to them, like drugs.
Sometimes it can be hard for a parent to refrain from taking discipline to an
extreme. It takes a little forethought to know that as a parent it is okay to
respond to the teen without giving up ground. When dealing with drug problems,
resistance is common. This isn’t about getting into a power struggle; this is
about getting to the root of the problem.
Below are some warning signs a parent can look out for if
they suspect their teen might be using drugs. This list serves as a guideline
that can warrant further investigation of the teen’s behavior.
Signs of Teen Drug
Use
·
Sudden change of friends. Questionable character
and integrity of new friends. Contacting parents of new friends is always
helpful.
·
School grades dropping off or failing.
·
Isolation or avoidance of family
·
Keeps doors locked and being very secretive
·
Lack of motivation, wants to sleep all the time,
lethargy
·
Quick temper where there wasn’t one before
·
Unexplained nervousness, paranoid ideation
·
Changes hair color. Black or dark dyes are a
common choice. Hair dyes throw off home drug tests that use hair samples.
·
Poor or avoidant eye contact, glassy eyes,
dilated pupils, red and squinted appearance
·
Slurred or slow speech, delayed motor movements
·
Smell of substances, smoke or weird perfumes or
incense smells in hair, auto or clothing
·
Unusual marks on arms, legs or other body parts
referred to as needle tracks or pin sticks
Common Hiding Places
·
Electrical outlets, air vents, musical
instruments & amps, hollowed out tampons
·
Buried in clothing in backs of drawers, socks
etc., taped to backs of drawers
·
Under corners of carpets, mattresses, look for
holes that have been cut out
·
Under the parents nose i.e. the master bedroom
or other common areas such as kitchen
·
Pens or other writing instruments,
lipstick/gloss, behind wall posters/pictures
·
Pet bedding, under the back of toilet tanks,
game consoles, stuffed in candy/gum
·
False bottom containers that have screw bottoms
that look like soda or hairspray/hairbrush
·
Anywhere in their car including under the hood.
Anywhere in the garage.
This list can seem extensive and it is just the beginning.
Watch the teen’s behavior, where they frequent in the house and be vigilant for
certain patterns such as suddenly going in and out of the house through the
garage, back door etc. The bottom line is drugs can be hidden anywhere and
exhausting to look for. On top of this a teenager’s room can be a catastrophic
mess and trying to comb through everything may seem almost impossible. However,
it doesn’t take much to go into a teen’s room and start cleaning up a few
things and at the same time make a few checks around the room.
Almost all teens are protective guardians of their rooms and
may get defensive when the parent walks in, especially with a cleaning motive.
Teens often feel that their room is their only safe place in the house and the
only area they can claim some real estate. A protective teen doesn’t
necessarily indicate drug use. Finding drugs in a stash after suspected
behavior is what indicates drug use. In other words, get the evidence that the
teen is using drugs before calling them out on it.