Sign: Depression
"Steve doesn't seem to enjoy anything. He's not rude or hostile, he just doesn't react. His favorite word these days is 'whatever.' He sleeps too much. And he turns his friends down for parties all the time. I'm worried how much time he spends alone these days."
If your child is using drugs that suppress serotonin or other neurotransmitters, depression can often result. First rule out clinical depression due to other causes. If your child's doctor can find no endogenous cause for the depression, look closer at your teen's behavior and activities and note if there are other signs pointing to drug use.
"Adolescents are particularly at risk of adverse reactions from hallucinogen use as they enter puberty, a time of rapid physical and emotional changes. Hallucinogens are particularly dangerous because the effects are so unpredictable. They can cause violent behavior in some and suicidal tendencies in others. As memory, perception, and judgment are clouded under the influence, users are at risk of severe injuries, overdose, and death from drowning, burns, falls, and car accidents. Sometimes, hallucinogen use can uncover severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia or severe depression." Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
