Teen drug abuse is a significant issue in the United States, and it’s important not to sweep the problem aside. Currently, more and more young people are developing addictions to drugs and alcohol and in effect, ruining their future. This is why it’s important to understand what addiction is and how your teen can get the help they need. Your teen is in a great position to seek treatment and fulfill the incredible life that he or she truly deserves.
How Teen Drug Abuse Happens
While it’s relatively normal for young people to experiment with drugs or alcohol, there’s a high chance of addiction. For many years, when teens were using drugs, it was typically drugs like marijuana. That’s changed in recent years. Today, more and more teens are beginning to use much harder, more dangerous drugs at a far younger age. Some of the primary drugs that teens are starting to use include the following substances:
- Prescription pain medications
- Prescription anxiety medications
- Meth
- Cocaine
- Heroin
Teens are far more prone to developing an addiction due to the way the brain develops and matures. During the teenage years, the brain is mapping out various ways to cope with the stresses of everyday life. When a teen begins to turn to drugs as ways to deal with stress, anxiety, loneliness, depression and more, it rewires their brain. Eventually, the brain believes that the only way to deal with these everyday emotional issues is by turning to drugs and alcohol. This is how abuse turns into a dependence, which then turns into addiction.
Signs of Teen Drug Abuse
To be able to have an early intervention for your child, you need to know what the signs of teen drug abuse are. One of the most common signals is that the teen begins to become more withdrawn socially, as well as emotionally. Some parents ignore this sign because they believe that teens are going through hormonal changes and that this is normal. However, when a person begins abusing drugs, their primary relationship is with the substance and not with loved ones.
Another primary sign to look for is extreme changes in moods. For example, your teen may go from being extremely happy and outgoing to depressed or angry at the drop of a hat. More obvious signs that you should look for are any traces of drug paraphernalia. This can include pipes, needles, and tin foil because drugs can be smoked and injected as well as snorted. There are also some physical signs you can look for like track marks, weight loss or gain as well as nostril irritation.
Getting Help for Your Teen
Drug addiction treatment is the best way for your teen to recover before it’s too late, and Memphis Recovery Centers is here to help. Memphis Recovery is a drug and alcohol treatment center for teens that’s located in Memphis, Tennessee. Some of the addiction treatment methods we use include the following:
If you’d like to learn more about getting your child help for their teen drug abuse, call us today at 901-272-7751.
