According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, 20 percent of all teenagers have abuse prescription painkillers, stimulants or tranquilizers. Young people are turning to prescription medication because they wrongly think these substances are safer to abuse than are illicit drugs.

Writing in the Alternative Health Journal, AHJ editor Sylvia Anderson addressed the problems that can result from this misguided mindset:

Using prescriptive drugs for the wrong reasons can lead to very serious health risks especially if taken with other substances like alcohol, antihistamines, and ... depressants.

Moreover, there are many variations of the same medication and the abuser may not be aware of which one they have taken, how long it will remain in the body and the dangers of it interacting with other chemicals. ...

Taking prescriptive drugs in the wrong way can manifest into very dangerous consequences. For example, Ritalin seems harmless for children with ADHD but it is extremely harmful when snorted or injected.

Abusing painkillers to get high is like abusing heroin because both contain opiates. Since many pills look the same, the dosages manifest in varying effects from mild to lethal.

A teenager who is abusing prescription medication will try to hide the abuse. A change in behavior, change in friends, drop in grades or changes in mood could all indicate that a teen is abusing medication.

Labels: prescription drugs, abuse, signs

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In a speech given to parents and teens at the Red Ribbon kick-off, Juvenile Court Judge Kimberly Corsaro stated that most of the teens that appear in her courtroom for drug-related issues have significant family issues which are directly related to the teen's substance abuse.

"She told of a troubled youth who actually told her he preferred to stay in the county juvenile detention center than go home to his parents who seem to always be fighting. The impotence the child felt against the problems his mother and father have was enough to want him to opt for a cell with a concrete floor and no privacy even to go to the bathroom."

Parents should look for warning signs of drug use, and act as soon as they suspect something isn't right. The sooner the problem is discovered, the more quickly a teen can get help.

Worried that your child is headed down the wrong path? Find a private school and other programs for troubled teens at 4TroubledTeens.com.

Labels: influences, signs, involvement

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Ashley Stanley doesn't blame her drug addiction on the fact that she was raised in a high-pressure suburban environment. Nor does she blame the loss of her childhood dream of being a soccer star. She says the reasons for her addiction are much more complex.

"But Ken and Caren readily admit they didn't want to see what was going wrong with their daughter as she struggled toward adulthood. Back then, the signs of trouble were too easy to rationalize, said the Stanleys."

The signs became impossible to ignore when Ashley, on a visit home from New York, broke down and told her father 'I need help.' She's been to rehab twice, admitting that she wasn't really ready to recover the first time. The second time, she agreed to on-going treatment and has since begun speaking publicly about her treatment, in an effort to raise awareness. Read more at MentalHopeNews.blogspot.com.

Learn more about the signs of teenage drug addiction and abuse at Adolescent-Substance-Abuse.com.

Labels: parents, treatment, signs

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Chris Volkmann thought she had a nearly perfect family. Until her youngest son, Toren, called to tell her that he was in an alcohol drug treatment program. His recovery exercises and her responses formed the foundation of the book they wrote together, From Binge to Blackout; a Mother and Son Struggle with Teen Drinking.

"Once Toren's symptoms nearly broke him, both he and his mother faced the issue courageously. Chris takes responsibility for doing what many mothers are doing everywhere: ignoring her intuition and dismissing numerous clues as she holds on to her picture of their perfect life, and Toren takes responsibility for being a manipulative addict trying to keep his secret drinking problem from not just her, but himself."

The book is called "highly informative" because of the depth of information shared by both mother and son. Chris is honest about the "red flags" she saw but ignored, and she shares the wealth of self-taught information she learned after hearing of her son"s struggle. For his part, Toren gives readers an inside look at the life and mind of a teen binge drinker, dispelling many myths and misconceptions. Read more at GilroyDispatch.com.

Labels: treatment, signs, binge_drinking

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Few parents are surprised to hear that drug use is common among teenagers. Anti-drug programs and ad campaigns are prevalent in our society. What parents may not know is that the damage caused by drug use goes beyond the physical, and can also effect a teen's emotional development.

"The collective waste and damage this behavior does to our young people is overwhelming in its scope. Because drinking and drugging impair one's judgment, they lead to accidents, date rape, mental health issues, loss of motivation, and even death. And if a young person is lucky enough to escape all of these, how is he to develop a healthy emotional life full of courage, stamina and joy if so many emotions along the way were never experienced because they were masked?"

It's important for parents to stay informed, and not be afraid to ask their teens hard questions about the people they hang with and the things they do. Read more at StarGazette.com.

Learn to recognize the signs of drug and alcohol abuse in teens so yo can quickly intervene and help your teenager before the problem progress into full-blown addiction. Visit ByParents-forParents.com.

Labels: signs, personal_growth, emotional_development

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Sober College, a private institution in South Carolina, has released a handbook that gives parents signs to watch for which indicate their child may be abusing drugs. The handbook also shares treatment solutions.

"'Everyday I am asked by parents if there is a way to really tell if their child is using and abusing drugs. The answer is a definitive YES!'"

Sober College released the handbook at a 'Bridging the Gap' meeting at Agoura High School. Read more online.

Labels: parents, children, signs

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