Every child is different, and every situation is unique. However, there are some general guidelines that can help parents make the best decision for their child. In this blog post, we will discuss what parents should do if they find drugs in their child’s room. We will also provide some helpful resources for those who need additional support. So, whether you are a parent who is struggling with this issue, or you know someone who is, we hope that this blog post will be of help.

Find An Adequate Treatment Center 

The first step that parents should take if they find drugs in their child’s room is to find an adequate treatment center. This is important, because not all treatment centers are created equal. Some centers may be better equipped to deal with certain types of drugs, while others may have more experience dealing with adolescents. It is important to do your research and find a treatment center that is right for your child.

Many patients deal with anxieties regarding withdrawal or failure when considering a rehab facility as seen at newmethodwellness.com website. Also, some parents may feel like they are giving up on their child if they send them to a treatment center. However, it is important to remember that treatment centers can provide the help that your child needs to overcome their addiction.

Talk To Your Child 

Once you have found an adequate treatment center, the next step is to talk to your child. This can be a difficult conversation, but it is important to have. During this conversation, you will need to explain to your child why drugs are harmful and why they need to get help. It is also important to listen to your child during this conversation.

They may have some valid reasons for why they started using drugs, and it is important to understand their perspective. This understanding can help you better support your child as they go through treatment.

For example, if your child is using drugs to cope with a difficult situation, you can provide them with additional support during treatment. Or, if your child is using drugs because they are bored or have nothing else to do, you can help them find other activities that they enjoy. The most important thing is to have an open and honest conversation with your child about their drug use.

Observe Early Signs of Drug Abuse 

It is also important for parents to be on the lookout for early signs of drug abuse. This can help you intervene before your child’s drug use becomes a full-blown addiction. Some early signs of drug abuse include changes in mood, behavior, and appearance. For example, your child may become withdrawn or isolate themselves from friends and family. They may also start skipping school or engaging in risky behaviors. If you notice any of these signs, it is important to talk to your child and get them help as soon as possible.

Provide Support

The final step that parents should take if they find drugs in their child’s room is to provide support. This includes both emotional and financial support. Addiction is a difficult journey, and it will require the support of loved ones. Parents should be prepared to provide both financial and emotional support during this time. Additionally, there are many resources available to parents who are struggling with a child’s addiction. These resources can provide additional support and guidance during this difficult time.

How Do Drugs Affect The Teen Brain? 

Drugs affect the teen brain in a number of ways. First, drugs can interfere with the development of the brain. This is because the brain is still growing and developing during adolescence. Drugs can also cause changes in the way that the brain functions. For example, drugs can change the way that neurotransmitters work.

This can lead to changes in mood, behavior, and cognition. Additionally, drugs can damage the brain’s structure. This damage can lead to long-term problems with learning and memory. Finally, drugs can increase the risk of developing mental health disorders. For example, teens who use drugs are more likely to develop depression or anxiety.  

Finding drugs in your child’s room can be a difficult and frightening experience. However, it is important to remember that you are not alone. There are many resources available to help you and your child through this difficult time. The most important thing is to seek help as soon as possible. This will give your child the best chance of recovering from their addiction.

Read: 5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools.

Read: 5 Tips to Keep Teens Safe From Online Drugs.

Read: Where Can I Send My Troubled Teenager?

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Do you suspect your teen is doing drugs? Have you exhausted your local resources? Learn more about the benefits of residential treatment for struggling teens. Contact us for a free consultation. 

The post What Should Parents Do If They Find Drugs In A Child’s Room first appeared on Help Your Teens.

Social media is almost exclusively how teens and young adults are getting illicit pills now, and about 90% of these pills contain fentanyl. And with features like encryption and disappearing messages on the most popular apps, their use for selling drugs keeps growing.

Quick Tips to Keep Youth Safe Online

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the face of our country in many ways, particularly in the field of substance abuse treatment. Drug use soared nationwide when social distancing measures crippled a network built on connection and face-to-face interactions.

The recovery community went virtual in response, turning to internet platforms that allow people to stay connected even when they can’t be in the same room. But while this shift proved advantageous for helping people recover from addiction, the power of the internet is accessible to everyone, including drug dealers.

5 Tips to Keep Your Teen Safe From Online Drug Dealers

1. Manage your child’s expectation of privacy.

During adolescence, kids can become more private and tend not to disclose everything to their parents. While this is a normal part of growing up, certain dangers can go undetected. It is crucial to have oversite to protect young adults, especially when it comes to online activity.

2. Learn the emoji codes for drugs.

When monitoring online activity, it is important to fully understand what you are looking at. The online drug market has become such a problem that it has prompted the DEA to research the subject of emojis and their use in illicit drug transactions.

They have since published a sort of decoder which explains the use of certain emojis in the drug trade. The more educated you are, the better chance you have at spotting possible risks. For example, heroin may symbolize a brown heart or a dragon emoji.

3. Learn to spot dark web activity.

While many of us have heard of the dark web through movies or TV, very few visit it or know how to get there. Unfortunately for parents, with a simple Google search, someone can learn how to access and navigate the dark web.

While not all activity on the dark web is nefarious, it is no place for teens and young adults to visit. Some sites sell many things that could be harmful to your child, including illicit drugs. It may be difficult for those who do not know much about the dark web to know if someone is using it.

Here are some tips to help:

• Search the devices your child has access to TOR software. TOR stands for “The Onion Router” and is the main browser used to access the dark web.
• Monitor your child’s devices for any activity involving digital currency or crypto. Assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum are popular payment methods on the dark web. Interest in crypto could signify that your child is accessing the dark web.
• Pay attention to the mail:
  • If your loved one is receiving packages that they will not open in front of you, it could be something bought online they don’t want you to see.
  • Furthermore, if they seem anxious or have a lot of attention on checking the mail, they may be trying to intercept a package without you seeing that something has arrived.

4. Understand there may be no signs of addiction.

This may seem counterintuitive and concerning, but we’ve entered a new age of drug abuse. We can no longer rely on old adages and our historical understanding of addiction. Today, teens are dying the first or second time they use drugs.

They may not even have time to become addicted or dependent before ingesting a fake pill containing fentanyl. There may be no signs pointing towards drug abuse like slipping grades, isolation, or other classic behaviors. It’s essential to realize that users usually do not know they’re consuming a fentanyl-laced pill. The chart below will put things in perspective.

Fentanyl laced pills are flooding the streets.

5. Don’t wait for “rock bottom.”

As explained above, addiction isn’t necessary anymore for drug deaths to be commonplace. So, if you discover that a loved one is buying or consuming illicit substances, you should intervene. Waiting for them to become addicted and experience negative consequences before deciding to seek help is ill-advised and should be avoided in today’s epidemic. It’s a recipe for disaster.

Review the recent trends:

-Fatal overdose among adolescents raised 94% from 2019 to 2020.
-There was an additional 20% raise from 2020 to 2021.
-77% of all teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl.
-Fentanyl pills seized by law enforcement increased by 3,233% from 2018 to 2021.

If it is discovered that your child is heavily using drugs or alcohol, then a long-term drug rehab program is always recommended to get them the help they need. However, it’s possible that even though your loved one is making poor decisions, they may not be suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Despite no “addiction” yet, they’ve demonstrated a need for change.

Treatment for someone who hasn’t developed a physical dependence may be a much faster process and can often be done on an outpatient basis. The idea is to help the person learn to make better decisions for themselves. Competent treatment programs will help the patient address whatever they were aiming to mask or avoid with substances.

Read: 5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Read: Purpose of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Read: What Causes of Teenage Mental Health Issues?

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Do you suspect your teen is doing drugs? Have you exhausted your local resources? Learn more about the benefits of residential treatment for struggling teens. Contact us for a free consultation. 

Contributor(reprinted with permission by)/Author: Marcel Gemme

The post 5 Tips to Keep Teens Safe From Drugs Online first appeared on Help Your Teens.

Reality is, some (if not most) teens will experiment with drugs or drinking. Many more are starting with vaping today. There are the typical teen years where we will experience defiance, rebellion and even mood swings with disrespect – however today it’s very concerning when substance use is involved.

Substance abuse can impact the brain’s ability to function in the short term as well as prevent proper growth and development in the long term.

Intervening early—before high school—is critical. The data suggest that patterns of substance abuse become worse in the high school years. Individuals who begin using alcohol or tobacco when they are very young are more likely to abuse them later in life, when it becomes much more difficult to quit.

5 Early signs of teenage substance use

1. Changing peer groups. Is your teen hanging out with a new group of friends? Maybe ones that you don’t approve of.  Have they abandoned their old friends?

2. Loss of interest in hobbies. Has your teen quit their favorite sport or activity? Dropped out of a club they used to enjoy?

3. Sleeping more than usual. Have their sleeping patterns changed? Sleeping more than usual or are they having difficulty sleeping?

4. Quick to anger, rage, despondent. Are their mood swings more than a typical teenager? Have they become explosive? Destructive in your home? Breaking house rules. Have they intentionally breaking your curfews, rules – no longer doing chores, rude, defiant attitude?

5. Physical appearance is diminishing. Do you notice weight loss, bloodshot eyes or watery eyes, frequent nose bleeds, do they have the shakes or even tremors?

It’s never too early to start talking about substance abuse prevention. Casual drug use (recreational) can turn into excessive use or drug addiction and cause accidents, legal trouble and health problems. The conversations you have today can help your teen make healthy choices in the future.

If you suspect your teen is abusing drugs or alcohol, have a conversation — now.  Avoid lectures they will only lead to your teen shutting-down. Instead, listen to your teen’s issues and concerns (why are they using drugs or alcohol). Assure your teen that he or she can be honest with you and you are there to help them, not judge them.

If your teen is involved in significant substance use, contact a doctor, counselor or other mental health provider for help. Teen drug addiction is serious and typically cannot be treated alone.

Also read:

Why Therapeutic Boarding Schools Are Effective

Goals of Therapeutic Boarding Schools

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Have you exhausted your local resources and your teen is still abusing drugs or alcohol? Are they refusing therapy or you’ve had them in a short-term program that didn’t work? Learn more about the benefits of residential treatment and quality places to send troubled teens for help. Contact us for a free consultation.

The post 5 Signs of Teenage Substance Abuse first appeared on Help Your Teens.

When safety trumps privacy, it’s time to snoop. Let’s face it, teenagers can be very sleek at concealing what they are doing. Parents have a difficult task of keeping up with their teen’s activities, grades, friends and whereabouts — and today we have the added challenge of technology.

Let’s consider some red flags:

• Is your teen sleeping more than normal?
• Is your teen withdrawn? Bloodshot eyes?
• Is your teen changing peer groups?
• Is your teen becoming secretive?
• Is your teen changing their eating habits?
• Is your teen sneaking out?
• Are their grades dropping – are they failing?
• Is your teen becoming defiant, full of rage, angry – even explosive?
• Overall, is your teen slowly becoming a child you don’t recognize?

I am a firm believer that a parent’s gut can be a good trigger if there is something suspicious going on with your child. In many cases, a parent can sense when their teenager is struggling. But do we act on it or assume it is a phase and will pass?

We hear from many teens that since marijuana is legal in many states that it’s harmless. As parents we know differently, but convincing our child can be a struggle. More and more we are hearing reports of fentanyl laced marijuana. This can be deadly.

Fentanyl  is a leading cause of drug overdoses in the United States, and some people who overdose do not know they are using fentanyl.

You suspect your teen may be using drugs. You have asked them and they deny it. Do you believe them?

Know the Drug Slang

Do you know what they are really saying? Are you familiar with drug-slang that teens are using? Just as important as who your kids are hanging with, parents need to be in touch with the slang-chat that teens using today. Have you reviewed their text messages? Their social media sites? Emails?

Your gut-check has now informed you that the average monitoring is going to cross the boundaries into snooping. But when safety trumps privacy, your child’s health is a priority. If you see or hear your teen talking about the following terms or using them in text messages or on social networking sites, your teen might be involved in some type of drug activity.

• Red Devils, Velvet, Drex, Rojo, Candy, Dex, Robo, Skittles, Tussin, Vitamin D: OTC -Cough Medicine (Dextromethorphan) Kids who use cough syrup are often called “syrup heads”
• CCC, Triple C: OTC Cough Syrup with Coricidin
• Snow, Coke, Nose candy, White, Toot, Charlie, Powder: Cocaine
• Green, Trees, Pot, Herb, Grass, Weed, 420, Chronic, Tea, Blunt: Marijuana
• Special K, Vitamin K, Breakfast cereal, K, Ket, Horse Tranquilizer: Ketamine
• Ecstasy, E, Essence, Hug Drug, Molly, X, Stacy, XTC, Adam, Clarity, Lover’s speed: (MDMA)
• Brown sugar, H, Horse, Junk, Smack, Anti-freeze, Poison: (Heroin)
• Speed, Crank, Chalk, Fire, Glass, Ice: Methamphetamine
• Kibbles and Bits, Pineapple: Ritalin
• Roofies, R-2, Roachies: Rohypnol – Date rape drug

Be an educated parent and always take the time to sit down with your teenager and discuss the trends with them. Show your teen you are a concerned parent and you care about their safety and their health. Never stop talking about the risks — especially with the reports of fentanyl laced marijuana since many of our young people believe this can never happen to them.

Read: The 5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Read: The Goals of Residential Treatment for Troubled Teens.

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If your teen is abusing drugs and you’ve exhausted your local resources, contact us to learn more about how residential treatment can help your teen and your family.

(Sources: WedMD, AboveTheInfluence)

The post Do You Suspect Your Teen Is Using Drugs? first appeared on Help Your Teens.

Do you suspect your college teen is doing drugs? Has your teen (young adult) moved back home from college for the summer? Your family is likely thrilled to have them under your roof again, but may be experiencing a bit of tension, fueled by your undergrad’s emotional state.

Perhaps they’re struggling with loss of independence, missing college friends, disappointed that high school friendships aren’t what they used to be, uninspired at their summer job, frustrated to have to follow rules or just really, really bored.

Did you know two-thirds of teens and young adults who report misuse of prescription medicine are getting it from friends, family and acquaintances?

Maybe they were anxious about finals and now possibly apprehensive about coming home for the summer. Teenagers usually go off to college with a sense of excitement about the prospect of being on their own.

It’s often their first taste of freedom from their parents. Your teen has spent a year in a more unstructured and unsupervised environment.

It was a year of growth for them and, in reality, you may not know your child as well as you used to. Now they’re coming home to a family that expects them to be the same person they were when you dropped them off at school almost a year earlier. For all of these reasons, it’s common for them to be a bit anxious about coming home.

Help your teen learn coping skills

Your teen may be struggling to figure out where they belong. Their friends may have changed, and things may not be exactly the way they thought they would be. Having a conversation with a sense of understanding and compassion can let your teen know you are on their side.

Whatever it is they’re facing, help them understand that not everything in life will go the way we want it to. Learning healthy coping skills is an important part of being an adult, and using alcohol or other substances to cope with emotional pain is not a solution.

Show your concern and ask permission to help your teen find healthy alternatives to dealing with difficult feelings rather than turning to substances. Sit down with your teen and have them make a list of positive skills to implement in their day-to-day life while at home. This could be whatever they enjoy, including sports, yoga, listening to music, hiking, dancing or even trying out a new activity. Volunteering is a great way to broaden awareness, meet new people, and give back to others. It also instills self-esteem to help make better choices.

However, it’s important to stay alert to possible mental health issues. Between the ages of 18 and 25, a lot of mental health disorders such as anxiety can develop. There is a strong link between mental and physical health issues and substance use. Be sure to find mental health resources for your teen if needed.

With young adult teenagers struggling with mental health it can be challenging to convince them to seek counseling or outside services. Asking a close friend or relative, someone they admire to step-in and speak with them — in some situations can help convince them to get help. There are also excellent young adult life-skills programs that can help get your teen back on course, offering the emotional needs as well as coping skills that would benefit not only their personal life but their future.

Is your teen using drugs

If your teen has been suffering with anxiety, depression or stress through their first year of college — and is now anxious about coming home for the summer, the use of over-the-counter drugs such as cough syrup medicines, is very popular among young people to self-medicate. It’s time to spring clean your medicine cabinets.

Don’t overlook the prescription drugs in your home, which teens often have easy access to and can use. Be sure your prescription medicines are secured and that expired/unused medicines in your home are properly disposed of.

It is important to note that car crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is the deadliest for drivers aged 15-20.  Driving under the influence and texting while driving are incredibly dangerous. Make it clear to your teen that this behavior is unacceptable, and that if they need a ride or help getting out of a situation, you are there for them.

Lastly, remind your teen that you love them, care about them, and are there to talk about these – or any other – issues that they’re dealing with. It’s not all about the topic of drinking, drug use and safety – it’s about maintaining a generally healthy, supportive relationship. Your teen needs to know that if any problem or difficult situation arises, they can always turn to you for help – whether they’re away at college or back at home.

Safeguard your home

Safety tips from Drugfree.org

Approach securing your prescriptions the same way you would other valuables in your home, like jewelry or cash. There’s no shame in helping protect those items, and the same holds true for your medicine.

Safely disposing of expired or unused medicine is critical to helping protect your kids, family and home. And it decreases the opportunity for visitors in your home, like your kids’ friends, to misuse medicine as well.

Read: How Short Talks Can Build Strong Relationships.

Read: 5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Read: Purpose of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Read: What Causes of Teenage Mental Health Issues?

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If your young adult is still struggling and you’ve exhausted your local resources, contact us to learn more about how life skills programs for 18-21 year-olds could possibly motivate and help your son or daughter.

Image provided by Pexels.

The post How to Handle My College Teen Using Drugs first appeared on Help Your Teens.

Years ago when a teenager wanted to score drugs they didn’t have look far, it was to their friends (negative peer group), classmates in school, at parties or even from our home medicine cabinet. Fast forward today and you’ll find young people are now getting drugs online, perhaps now more than ever.

Good teens, bad choices.

Some recent cases were the following:

• Two Utah 8th graders overdosed and died after taking U-47700, a potent synthetic opioid also known as “pink,” they got from other teens who bought it online.
• A Minnesota teen overdosed and died after taking the synthetic psychedelic drug DPT (dipropyltryptamine) he bought online.
• The 16-year old son of famous television therapist Dr. Laura Berman died after overdosing on fentanyl. Berman believes her son bought the drug from a dealer on Snapchat.

According to NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) one of the top reasons young people turn to drug use is to fit in with their peers. It may start by only smoking marijuana or they feel like they need to drink to have a good time with others at a party — but this peer pressure can have a major impact on their actions.  This is crucial to understand because it’s where you can start with your prevention, by preparing your teen to handle peer pressure in a healthy manner.

Signs Your Teen Could Be Buying Drugs Online:

Is your teen acting unreasonably anxious or aggressive when you try to monitor their social media use, search their history, or receive their packages? If your teen is acting suspicious regarding his or her online behaviors, there are additional signs to watch for that may indicate your teen is buying drugs online.

Here are more red flags to be aware of:

• Spending an increased amount of time online or on their phone in privacy
• Lying about the time spent online or on their phone
• Creating multiple accounts on the same platform, making secret accounts, or making accounts under an alias
• Increased spending habits
• Using encrypted messaging apps that are password locked like Signal or Telegram
• Receiving mysterious packages at strange hours
• Hiding or deleting browsing history
• Other signs of drug use like mood swings and behavior changes

5 Ways to Protect and Prevent the from Buying Drugs Online:

1. Keep the communication lines open. Make sure to always have an open line of communication with your young loved ones. Let them keep you in the know about their friends, what’s happening in their school, their interests, and more. Being close to him or her also helps you to notice changes in behavior that could point to drug use.

2. Make sure they know the consequences. Because the drugs can be so readily available online, kids may believe that they aren’t really that dangerous. But many times, dealers will lace pills with other substances (like fentanyl) that will increase the drug’s potency and make its consumption even more dangerous. In addition to possible overdose, using and buying drugs can lead to other consequences. There have been cases where someone has been sentenced to prison for giving a pill to someone who later overdosed.

3. Check out their “searches” (if you suspect drug use). Look through their browser or Google searches (on their computer or cell phones). Keep an eye out for any “How to buy ____ online” -type searches. Bring up anything that causes strong suspicion. This may be an uncomfortable conversation and you may also be accused of spying (which you are technically doing).  But be sure to let him or her know that you are worried and only want to keep them safe. Make sure you point out recent cases in the news about young people overdosing on drugs.

4. Monitor their delivered packages (if you suspect drug use). Drugs are often delivered in unmarked and discreet packages. If you find your loved one getting such mail, or packages that you don’t expect, ask them about it. You may want to stick around when they are opening the package.

5. Using parental control features can help you block inappropriate content or influencers. It may also be time to install an outside service for parental controls.

6. Medicine cabinet check-up. Teens sometimes will leave their drugs accidentally in the most obvious places. Don’t hesitate to go through their medicine cabinet or bedroom especially if you suspect they are using substances.

With drugs being more accessible than ever, the most important things you can do are to educate yourself on the potential danger while maintaining a good relationship with your teen.

Read: 5 Benefits of Boarding Schools for Troubled Teens.

Read: Goals of Behavior Modification Programs for Teens.

Read: Why Residential Therapy Works.

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Are you struggling with a teen that is doing drugs? Have you exhausted your local resources? Learn more about how residential treatment may be able to help. Contact us for a free consultation to help you find the right therapeutic boarding school.

The post How Are Teens Buying Drugs Online first appeared on Help Your Teens.

It’s time to stop the mentality of your teen is only smoking pot, you did it and survived — today is a new world.

This is the poignant life-and-death story of Johnny Stack, whose young and vibrant life ended by suicide after his descent into addiction to high-potency marijuana and cannabis-induced psychosis. 

You’ll laugh and cry with his mother, Laura Stack, as she retells the story of Johnny’s joyful childhood and then takes you through the unthinkable tragedy of his loss. It’s every parent’s nightmare. But this book is much more than Johnny’s story.

Today Laura, who is a nationally recognized speaker and best-selling author, leads a national effort of parents, impacted family members, healthcare professionals, coalitions, teachers, and youth who are concerned about the harmful effects of marijuana on our children, teenagers, and emerging adults.

This book is a clarion call for parents across America to educate themselves about the risks of today’s high-THC marijuana products and to better understand the potentially devastating effects on youth mental health. Laura’s real-life story is backed by recent scientific-based research on how today’s potent THC products lead to mental illnesses in adolescents, such as anxiety, depression, paranoia, psychosis, and sadly, suicidal ideation.

This book is her vision to dramatically decrease adolescent marijuana usage, the false perception of safety, mental illness, and suicide, to allow our youth to live productive, happy lives.

Order today on Amazon.

Learn more about Johnny’s Ambassadors, Saving Our Youths from the Harms of Marijuana.

Johnny’s Story

Johnny Stack was born on February 7, 2000 and died by suicide on November 20, 2019 at the age of 19. He was an incredibly intelligent, funny, charming, handsome young man, which you can see in his tribute video. We are a normal suburban family and did normal family things. He had a happy life, a 4.0 GPA with a scholarship to college, and a family who loved him very much. Unfortunately, we live in Colorado, which was the first state to legalize marijuana in 2014, when Johnny was 14 years old.

Three days before he passed, he came over for dinner. He lived in our condo a couple miles down the street and would often pop in for a home-cooked meal. “I need to tell you that you were right,” he said to me. “Right about what?” I ask. “Right about the marijuana. You told me weed would hurt my brain, and it’s ruined my mind and my life. You were right all along. I’m sorry, and I love you.” He died by suicide three days later.

Johnny dabbed for years, starting at age 14 as a freshman in high school at a party. When I said “dabbed” just now, did you know what I meant? Not everyone does. Do you understand the difference between smoking cannabis flower and dabbing high-THC concentrates, such as wax, oil, shatter, or budder (not a typo)? Most of my friends look at me blankly when I say these words and say, “I’ve never even heard about this” or “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” If you don’t know what cannabis concentrates are, and you have children, grandchildren, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews between the ages of 14 and 24, you are in the right place.

Continue reading.

Read: What is the Goal of Residential Treatment?

Read: Why Short Talks With Your Teen Build Strong Relationships?

Read: 5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools.

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Are you struggling with a teen that is smoking marijuana regularly? Have you exhausted your local resources? Learn more about how residential treatment may be able to help. Contact us.

The post The Dangerous Truth About Today’s Marijuana first appeared on Help Your Teens.

The teen years are often a time to explore and learn more about themselves as they approach adulthood. Often, this involves experimenting and testing their boundaries. The desire to do something new or risky is a normal part of teen development.

It’s important to take any substance use seriously, but before acting on impulse, take a breath and review strategies for communicating effectively and encouraging positive behavior change.

First let’s examine why teens use drugs.

Teens who perceive little risk in using drugs are more likely to use drugs.

Teens may also use drugs or alcohol to:

• Relieve boredom
• Feel good
• Forget their troubles and relax
• Satisfy their curiosity
• Ease their pain
• Feel grown up
• Show their independence
• Belong to a specific group (peer pressure)

What are the Risk Factors and Protective Factors for Drug Use?

Many factors influence a teen’s likelihood to use illegal substances or develop a substance abuse disorder. Effective drug prevention focuses on reducing the risk factors and strengthening the protective factors that are most closely related to substance abuse.

Risk factors are circumstances or events that increase a child’s use and abuse of drugs. The more risk factors present, the more likely a child may be to use drugs and develop problems.

Risk factors for drug use include:

• Low grades or failure in school
• Victim of bullying or cyberbullying
• Low self esteem
• Permissive parenting
• Parent or older sibling drug/alcohol use
• Living in a community with a high tolerance for smoking, drinking, or drug use among youth
• Attending a school without strict rules for tobacco, alcohol, or drugs and inconsistent enforcement for breaking those rules
• Belief that there is little risk in using a drug.

Protective Factors

Protective factors are those characteristics that can reduce a person’s risk for substance abuse or addiction.

Protective factors that may decrease the risk of drug use include:

• Strong bond with a parent or guardian
• High self esteem or self-worth
• Parent or guardian who talks regularly with their child about drugs
• Active in faith-based organizations, school, athletic, or community activities
• Spending time around positive role models
• Living in a community that offers youths activities where drugs and alcohol are not tolerated
• Attending a school with an effective alcohol and drug education program and a non-tolerance policy for alcohol and drugs
• Belief that using drugs may be harmful or risky

As a parent you can control many of the risk and protective factors in your home. Remember that parents and guardians are the most important role models in children’s lives.

Read: 5 Tips to Keep Teens Safe From Drugs Online?

Read: How Cyberbullying Effects Teenage Mental Health.

Read: 5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools.

Source: GetSmartAboutDrugs.gov

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If you have exhausted your local resources with your troubled teen that is using drugs, contact us to learn the benefits of residential treatment to help young people start making better choices with their life.

The post Why Do Teens Use Drugs first appeared on Help Your Teens.

We are regularly contacted by parents when they hit their wit’s end — not only because of behavioral issues of their teenager, but they find out they have been smoking pot (marijuana).

Are you facing:

-Your teen is smoking vaping or smoking pot?
-Was he caught with marijuana at school or otherwise?
-Does he smoke marijuana in your home?
-Does he tell you s/he only does it once in awhile?
-Does s/he tell you it’s now legal, so why not? Everyone does!
-Does s/he tell you it’s good for him? Self-medicating?

You’re not alone.

Whether it’s on a regular basis or for recreational purposes, the fact is, since marijuana has become legal in some states, many teens assume this means it’s a safe drug for them too. Some parents are confused to how serious it can be. Not only for their health, but it’s having ramifications on their future too.

Is your teen being scouted for an athletic scholarship? Or are they considered for an academic one? Maybe applying for a job where drug testing is done.

Today the majority of colleges that are handing out scholarships are hiring third parties to monitor up to 4 years of social media background on their potential student. How will your teen stand-up to a Google rinse cycle? Are there any images or content of them at parties with substances? Remember, it’s not only about your GPA or athletic ability anymore — it’s about your online reputation. It’s equal to your offline character.

If you find your teen is actively using marijuana, you have won half the battle because you know what’s going on. This is a great benefit as many parents are in the dark. But what are the next steps to immediately take?

Some teens may use marijuana at home or return home before the effects have fully worn away.

Side effects of teen marijuana use:

The post Does My Teen Smoking Pot Need Teen Help first appeared on Help Your Teens.

Parents wondering how to best prevent drug use may only need to look in the mirror for their best answer. How parents approach their duties to their teenagers makes a major difference in whether their young teens will experiment, abuse, or become addicted to drugs.

Thomas Dishion in his article “Prevention of Early Adolescent Substance Abuse Among High-Risk Youth” [University of Hawaii, 1998] identifies certain patterns which prove problematic in increasing the risk of teens becoming drug users. Parent interventions and parenting styles have major impacts on these risks.

Parents need to focus on three primary areas. These include setting appropriate rules and guidelines for teen behavior outside of the family, expressing and enforcing appropriate rules with their adolescent in regards to school achievement, and setting strong boundaries by conveying education and limits about drug and alcohol use.

Drugs That Teenagers Commonly Use

Commonly used drugs by teenagers include marijuana, alcohol, ecstasy, cocaine, mushrooms, acid, and amphetamines. Some teenagers are exposed to drugs such as heroin, crack, and ketamine. These drugs all have different effects on the body, but each one can lead to dependency and a complete change in the teen’s behavior.

The Effects of Drugs on the Body

Drugs can have various effects on the body of teenagers. Some serious health effects come from using and abusing drugs. These include severe depression, mood swings, violence, heart problems, seizures, organ damage, anorexia, obesity, and brain damage. Drugs can also lead to overdoses, causing comas or death.

Signs That Your Teen is on Drugs

Signs that a teenager is on drugs vary depending on the drug being used. Signs that a teen is using marijuana include uncontrollable laughter, red or glossy eyes, slow and loud talking, eating large amounts of food, and sleeping a lot.

Signs of alcohol or downers – such as heroin and ketamine – abuse include slurred speech, difficulty standing or walking, anger, uncontrollable crying, vomiting, and passing out. Signs that a teen is on stimulants such as ecstasy, cocaine, and amphetamines include fast-talking, high energy levels, lack of appetite, weight loss, poor sleep habits, mood swings, anger, and euphoria. Upon signs of drug use in teens, parents should do their research to best help their teenagers get help for the problem.

Establishing Influence on the Behavior of Your Teen Outside the Family

Parents need to remember their teens will likely carry social skills learned within the family into their lives outside the family.

This means parents need to adopt a priority in helping teens learn to interact with others.

These skills include:

• The ability to express their opinion clearly.
• The ability to stand up to peers while feeling good about themselves.
• The ability to ask for help with questions and situations which confuse the teenager.
• The ability to find friends with supportive values.

These skills are communicated through everyday activities within the family. Parents may wish to consider specific exercises to increase these skills. Parents must also keep the channels of communication open, responding with empathy and information when a teenager seeks advice.

Encouraging School Achievement

Students’ performance in comparison to their peers seems to have a relation with drug behavior according to Dishion. Parents need to make homework and other school objectives a paramount concern.

Some ideas to focus on homework success include:

• Setting up specific times for homework and being available to teens during this time.
• Rewarding successful completion of homework projects.
• Providing discipline for failing to complete homework or projects.
• Contacting teachers and principals to clarify and verify assignments.

Setting Clear Limits about Drugs

Parents need to be very clear about their non-tolerance of drug and alcohol use by their teens. Discipline and punishments should be made clear to the teenager. Education about drug effects and dangers should also be reiterated. Many experts agree that education does not increase drug use, but rather may serve to provide teenagers more reasons to say no.

Parents should:

• Have a no-drug policy at home.
• Address drug dangers and effects with their teens.
• Reflect sober living to their teens.
• React immediately and seriously to any violations of the home’s no drug policy.
• Provide ongoing education to the teenager about drugs, especially those drugs receiving social or media attention.

Parents hold an incredible ability to influence their teens away from drug and alcohol abuse. By teaching teens to hold onto their values in the face of peer pressure, establishing good classroom habits, and providing clear boundaries on drug use, parents play an essential role in preventing drug abuse.

Read: 5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools.

Read: Why Therapeutic Boarding Schools are Effective.

About the author: Nicholas H. Parker

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If you are struggling with your teenager that’s using or experimenting with drugs and you have exhausted your local resources, learn more about how residential treatment can help your troubled teen and your family. Contact us today for  a free consultation.

The post Preventing Teen Drug Use first appeared on Help Your Teens.