Addiction is not just a disease that affects adults. It can strike teens, too. With the pressures of academics, peers, and relationships, the teenage years are more stressful than many parents realize. Surprisingly, many young people turn to self-medicating to help relieve the pressures of being a teen in the 21st century. If you suspect your teenager may be drinking or using drugs to cope, there are places you can turn to for help. In the South Florida area, Atlantic Recovery Center may provide the addiction recovery solutions your family needs.
How Do I Know If My Teen Is Using Drugs or Alcohol?
There are always signs and symptoms of substance abuse, though many are subtle. If your teen is someone who’s quiet and who keeps a lot of their feelings private, the signs may be more difficult to detect. Regardless, common indicators of drug use in teens include:
- Major changes within their friend groups
- Unusual secretiveness
- Excessive need for sleep
- Unexplained irritability
- Aggression
- Mood swings
These could be signs your teen is using drugs, or they could be normal responses to hormonal changes and the pressures of adolescence. Because many of the symptoms of drug and alcohol addiction in teenagers mimic normal teenage crankiness, parents may not realize what’s happening until the situation escalates.
What Are the Physical Signs of Drug or Alcohol Addiction in Teenagers?
Less subtle signs of addiction in teenagers include ones that parents are more likely to see and wonder about. These are the physical signs of illness that usually accompany substance use disorder, for instance:
- Tremors or shakiness
- Confusion or memory loss
- Staring
- Stumbling
- Red bloodshot eyes
- Sudden weight loss or gain
Again, these could be normal signs of teen stress, tiredness, or the flu. Then again, they could be symptoms of something more sinister. If you’re worried about changes in the appearance or behavior of your adolescent child, find a time to sit down with them for a heart-to-heart chat about addiction recovery.
What Do I Do If I Find Out My Child Is Using Drugs?
Using drugs and being addicted to drugs are two separate issues, but both lead to problems at school and in life. If your child admits they have a problem, it’s important to get them into addiction recovery right away. However, just as important is the way you handle the revelation. For most parents, anger is the first emotion that surfaces when they find out their child has been drinking or using drugs. Fear is a close second. But if you allow these emotions to guide what you say to your child and how you say it, you risk causing a rift that could make recovery more difficult.
Blaming your child for their addiction does not differ from blaming them for developing cancer or diabetes. Your teen has a chronic disease that needs treatment, so what’s the next step? As a parent, it’s your responsibility to get them the medical attention they need. When dealing with addiction, this comes in the form of a drug and alcohol addiction recovery program.
Treating Addiction in Teenagers at Atlantic Recovery Center
Atlantic Recovery Center is a drug and alcohol addiction treatment center in South Florida. Our programs are gender-specific, allowing us to treat men and women in specially designed programs. This permits us to focus more intently on the issues affecting your teen. When you’re ready to address addiction in teenagers, our experienced care team will welcome you in.
We offer a full range of therapeutic programs designed to help your young person achieve recovery. In addition, we bring resort-level accommodations and excellence in behavioral healthcare to the table. Clients who choose Atlantic Recovery Center have the support of a solid aftercare program to help them transition back into a regular routine after treatment, as well. Contact Atlantic Recovery Center today at 1-866-824-5193 to discuss all the benefits of treatment for your loved one in need.