Drug Abuse
Children are driven by pressure. Pressure from teachers, mentors, parents, siblings and peers. Peers are one of the strongest influences in your child’s life. Drug abuse is one problem that peer pressure can encourage. How do you know if your child is a victim of drug abuse? Can you really tell? There are many signs of drug abuse, many of which are just behavioral changes.
Drug abuse can cause your child to become withdrawn and depressed. He may not seem to care about personal grooming or will seem very tired. She may become short tempered and will resist curfews and other everyday rules. Watch for a sudden change in friends and deteriorating relationships with family members, this is a very good sign something is not right. A sudden drop in academic grades and attendance along with loss of interest in hobbies and sports are also all telltale signs of drug abuse. A few other things to watch for are the child having a hard time concentrating and a change in eating and sleeping patterns.
Although all of these are signs of drug abuse they can also be signs of emotional distress or a physical ailment. If you are concerned that drug abuse is a problem in your child’s life then you should discuss it with your family physician or the school guidance counselor. Take your child in for a physical exam to rule out any physical problems or illnesses. If physical illness is ruled out as the cause of your concern then you may want to discuss your options with a mental health care provider. A drug test should also be performed and your family physician could have this done for you. If drug abuse is the cause then the first step to recovery is talking to your child and setting up professional help.
Disclaimer: Cliff Schaffer does not personally endorse or support any of the comments made within the writings of this article.
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