If your teen exhibits any of the following, do whatever you can to get him or her the help that they so desperately need:

 

* Loss of interest in family or school activities

 

* Withdrawal from responsibilities

 

* Lying about activities

 

* Defiance of authority

 

* Poor school performance

 

* Reduced memory or attention span

 

* Disappearance of valuable items/money

 

* Verbal or physical abuse

 

With the more than 190 million illegal drug users in the world today, parents have to be proactive in keeping their kids safe from the dangerous affects of teen drug use. First of all, they have to be good examples to their kids. If your teen sees you reaching for a drink every time you get stressed, they'll get the message that external stimulants/depressants are the answer to life's problems.

 

You can't lecture your kids on the harmful affects of drugs when you're half-sloshed! You're the adult - act responsibly! This seems too obvious to state, but if you see the following paraphernalia lying about in your kid's room, in the car or in a book bag or purse, there's a problem that you need to deal with:

 

* Small glass vials

* Cigarette rolling papers

* Pipes

* "Roach" clips

* Small plastic baggies

* Small seeds or other evidences of drugs

 

Teen drug use is a major problem in the beginning of the 21st century. Don�t complacently sit back and expect that your teen won�t be part of the problem. Love your kids enough to make a difference!

 

Hana C.

Pittsburgh, PA

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Teen Drug Use              Reply to this Comment Not Sure were to begin. My 15 year old son and his friend decided to get into my prescription medication of 1mg xanax one afternoon. Something that totally blew me away. Not knowing how many he took, he was not aware of what his actions were. He had taking a knife and stabbed a wall. Talked about sucide. Cried until he couldn't cry any longer. My husband who knows so much more about drugs than myself was here and assured myself that he was okay. I called the doctor and he said to let him fall asleep and sleep it off. Needless to say it has torn my apart. His grandmother says he needs help because he is mental. I myself believe he made a mistake and gave into peer pressure. I am wrong for thinking this way or should I seek help. All I know is that I have to be there for my son and is younger brothers. If anyone has any comments please send them my way. Thanks!                By:  snuggle30        Posted: Aug 28 2009 Teen Drug Testing              Reply to this Comment Snuggle30, It is very important that you teen know that drug use and experimentation will not be tolerated in your home. I recommended using an in home drug testing program like the Drug Test Club. They provide all the support, information and testing devices to know when your teen uses. If you teen keeps on using, you need to seek professional help. Good luck.                By:  peach49        Posted: Oct 13 2009 Drug Testing Kits              Reply to this Comment Our business is to provide Drug Testing Kits at a very reasonable cost. http://drugtestingkits.printersbest.com                By:  screeningdude        Posted: Dec 15 2010 drug test              Reply to this Comment peach49 wrote: "Snuggle30, It is very important that you teen know that drug use and experimentation will not be tolerated in your home. I recommended using an in home drug testing program like the Drug Test Club. They provide all the support, information and testing devices to know when your teen uses. If you teen keeps on using, you need to seek professional help. Good luck. " where to buy a drug test and whats is the cost                By:  gloria medina        Posted: Mar 09 2011 Not Dealing with Discomfort in Children causes Drug Abuse              Reply to this Comment There are significant differences and undeniable consequences of an emotionally reactive, inconsistent parenting style and a responsive and consistent parenting style. In this post I will explain those differences and discuss the outcomes of each style’s distinct relationship to potential drug abuse and/or poor emotional regulation skills in adolescents. Typically parents will transition between both styles of parenting. The degree of vacillation between the styles determines the degree of inconsistency. The emotionally reactive parent is acting from fear. These parents tend to be permissive, often attempting to set limits and consequences then allowing the child to negotiate a lesser consequence and therefore allowing them to get their way. This creates an unpredictable environment for the child, encouraging the development of manipulation skills to maintain control over the parents to get their needs met and to avoid emotional discomfort that has resulted from their behavior. Control for the child is simply getting what they want or avoiding what they don’t want. This dynamic plays out as follows. The parent tolerates a specific unwanted or concerning behavior for a period of time until emotional overload is reached. Once in overload, the parent emotionally reacts to the unwanted behavior by setting a limit or consequence. The child will most likely protest by acting out for the following reasons: 1.) The child has learned that a limit or a consequence is negotiable. 2.) The unwanted behavior has gone unchecked historically and any consequence now seems unfair to the child. From the parent’s perspective there is possible guilt and discomfort associated with enforcing consequences towards the child for these reasons. 1.) The parent issued the consequence from an emotional head-space of anger and feels guilty. 2.) The parent just wants everything to be okay and has difficulty witnessing their child being uncomfortable due to a decision they made in anger. The result is that the child is now able hold the parent hostage by either acting out or punishing the parent with the cold shoulder. The emotionally reactive parent will then scramble to make things right by compromising their boundaries so everything can be “okay” again. This can be seen in the justifying of a lesser consequence, or the all together giving in to the child’s manipulation. The major problem with this style of parenting is that the child is the one controlling the situation. This creates an unsafe feeling for both the child and the parent. Although the child has gotten what he/she wants in that moment, they have not gotten what they unconsciously need for healthy emotional development. They do not learn the clear and safe consequences for harmful or unacceptable behavior. Ultimately there are no boundaries for the child because no doesn’t mean “no”. “No” is the beginning of a process which more times than not results in a “yes”. As much as children will fight for their way and protest when they don’t get it, they want limits and boundaries. They want structure and predictability. When a parent says no and is willing to stick with it, they are communicating love to the child. They are communicating that they are willing to experience discomfort and expend energy because they care. It is the child’s job to push for more freedom and to get what they want when they want it. It is the parents’ job to create a safe environment of solid leadership and guidance. With a responsive, more consistent parenting style, the child knows what to expect and will therefore become less reactive when they hear the word “no”. The parent will have a greater sense of control because they are addressing behaviors in the moment rather than avoiding conflict until they become angry. By responding from a calm and assertive energy space, the parent will experience little or no guilt because their interaction with the child is more a matter of fact than a result of heated emotions. When the parent becomes heated, they act out of fear and frustration. A parent that has established clear and firm boundaries and consistent consequences can act in confidence with their child. Even though it is the parent enforcing the consequence, the child understands the parent is not responsible for it. The child then understands the consequences of leaving his room a mess or telling a lie. The responsibility falls on them. They are operating in a well-defined system, which is being enforced out of love. Discomfort is a reality of life. We all experience it now and again. The tendency for parents to shelter their children from discomfort is natural. However, parents need to choose carefully what they shelter their child from. If an abusive or inappropriate coach or bus driver is creating the discomfort, than by all means protect them. If the discomfort is a result of a natural consequence of their behavior, they need to learn how to get through it. The ability to tolerate emotional discomfort is crucial to becoming a healthy functional adult. So many children have been taught to immediately seek an external solution upon feeling uncomfortable. They want to “just make it go away”, regardless of the cost. This unhealthy attitude is learned behavior; as is the healthy alternative of taking responsibility for their actions, realizing that they have a part in what they created, and most importantly, that they have the power to change it. Even though it’s mom and/or dad enforcing the consequences, it is not mom or dad’s fault nor is it their responsibility to “make it go away”. The child may get upset and storm off to his room, but they will learn to cope with the disappointment safely and how to take responsibility for their actions. It is my belief that drug abuse is common among children because they have not properly learned how to take responsibility for their behavior or how to deal with their discomfort. They have learned to seek an immediate reprieve from bad feelings. Due to parents functioning primarily out of guilt and a desire to “make it go away”, children are not given the opportunity to develop internal emotional regulation skills, integrity, or the confidence that comes from dealing with the reality of their choices. Drug and alcohol abuse takes the place of these behavioral coping skills. The good news is that these skills can be learned and adapted at any time in one’s life, providing the individual has even the slightest degree of willingness. Thus giving those who saw “no way out” a true path to new behavior and a new way of life. -Michael Harmann, MSW                By:  MichaelHarmann        Posted: Sep 23 2011

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