So many people make the mistake of having a preconceived notion of what a drug addict looks like and it usually does not look like their teenager. The fact of the matter is though, many more teens are now becoming addicted thanks to the wide availability of drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine, and heroin. Many cities and even small towns all over the country are seeing a record-breaking number of deaths due to drug addiction. Therefore, you want to make sure that you are aware of the signs of addiction in your teen and what you can do should you find that there is a problem. After all, the worst possible thing you can do is to just assume that addiction could never happen to your teen and ignore the warning signs.
Professional Treatment Is Always Needed
When you find that someone you love is affected by a drug addiction, it is important to make sure that you are getting them into a suitable treatment center. This is the only way they will be able to get all of the treatment that they need. Within rehabilitation centers, you will find that there are many different types of professionals that have extensive training and experience working with individuals suffering from a drug addiction.
Even if you think that your teenager’s addiction is “not that bad”, it is imperative to get him or her to a professional clinical setting or the addiction will continue and it will get much worse. Never take the stance of “we will wait and see”, because you are not going to end up liking what you do see if you wait any longer.
Noticing The Warning Signs Of Addiction
It is important for you to learn about the warning signs of addiction. This way, whether it is your teen or anyone else in your life, you will be able to spot trouble before it is too late. Depending on the substance and how much they are using at the moment, your teen may actually act as though life is perfectly normal when they are under the influence. Not every addict will “appear” to be stoned out of their mind when they are on drugs and this is very important to remember.
What you might notice is a major change in his or her behavior when the drugs are not available. When an addict begins to go through detox, they can become moody, depressed, angry, violent, sick, agitated, and they may be on a desperate hunt for some money.
Try talking with your teen about his or her drug use. Make sure that you are explaining that you are not there to judge them, but to simply help them get the help that they need in order for them to feel better again. If that does not work, you can get an at-home drug test that you can administer yourself.
After Treatment
Once you have confirmed that your teen has an addiction and he or she has gone through treatment, it is time to think about after-care. Addiction meetings, talks with sponsors, and a group counseling session would be great. You may also want to have your teen meet with a mental health professional.
The reason is that there may have been some underlying mental health issues that pushed your teen to start using drugs. If not, many recovering addicts often find that they end up developing depression once they are in recovery because of how the drugs altered their minds. Treating both the addiction and any mental health issues will give you the best shot at keeping your teen from returning to a life of drugs.