What Signs Might Tell Me My Kid Is On Drugs?

Adolescence, as with any transition period of life, can be a time of bewilderment and conflict. The desire for the freedom to try every possible experience, coupled with the innate curiosity and enthusiasm of youth, can be a thrilling stage for kids but a time of anxiety and frustration for parents.

Parents who are suspicious that their teens are into drugs, often start to scrutinize their children more closely, fearing that the media reports about the horrors of drug addiction might be enacted in their own walls. For a variety of reasons, many parents do not feel that they can talk to their child about their suspicions, and might be tempted to enlist the help of a friend, relative, for advice and reassurance.

The book “Hard Drugs Can Ruin You” published a list of signs that might indicate involvement with substances :

1. School grades suddenly go down.

The teenager may offer many different excuses but their may be another reason – drugs. Another closely related sign is the absence of report cards : They are no longer being shown to you. Check into it.

2. Suddenly different friends.

Notice a strange narrowing of the circle of friends that your adolescent is chumming around it. Keep track of who their friends are. Ask about it some evening and see what the reaction is. Friends reveal our values and interests. When our values and actions change, friendships will change also.

3. Suddenly older friends.

If their friends suddenly change from their own age to four or five years older, this is significant. Why the new acquaintances?

4. A major change in attitudes and feelings.

Temper tantrums, extreme irritability, or no feelings at all. What has made the change?

5. Suddenly money coming in.

Does your son or daughter act as if he or she has inherited wealth?

6. Suddenly money going out.

This is the opposite of the previous possibility : Does your son or daughter suddenly have no money, when he used to have enough for his simple needs?

7. Phone calls at odd hours.

Phone calls late at night after your known bedtime are a cause for concern. Listen in and confront him, if what your have heard is the awful truth you have suspected.

8. The bedroom

What does his or her bedroom look like? Has it recently changed from neatness to sloppiness? Are there unusual equipment in the bedroom such as rolling papers, tubes of glue, pipes, baggies, bottles of alcohol?

9. Living in an unreal world

Does your teenager dream and live in a totally different world? Living in a fantasy world can be an early step into the drug culture.

10 Concerned neighbors and friends.

If some of your friends and neighbors begin warning you about some strange behavior your teenager, you had better sit up and listen. Pay attention and do something about it.