Warning Signs of Teen Substance Abuse

Drugs & Teen Substance Abuse

Drugs That Teens Abuse  -  Drug Treatment & Recovery

Help Your Addicted Teen  -  Self-Help & Support Groups

The following behaviors can be warning signs of problems related to alcohol or other drug use.

Physical

• Fatigue

• Repeated health complaints

• Frequent flu-like episodes, chest pains, "allergy" symptoms, chronic cough

• Red and glazed eyes

• Impaired ability to fight off common infections and fatigue

• Impaired short-term memory

• Change in health or grooming

Emotional

• Personality change

• Sudden mood changes

• Irritability, anger, hostility

• Irresponsible behavior

• Low self-esteem

• Poor judgment

• Feelings of loneliness, paranoia, or depression

• Apathy or general lack of interest

• Change in personal priorities

Family Relationships

• Decreased interest in the family and family activities

• Starting arguments

• Negative attitude

• Verbal (or physical) mistreatment of younger siblings

• Breaking rules

• Withdrawing from family

• Secretiveness

• Failure to provide specific answers to questions about activities

• Personal time that is unaccounted for

• Lying and dishonesty

• Unexplained disappearance of possessions in the home

• Increased money or poor justification of how money was spent

School Activities

• Decreased interest

• Negative attitude

• Unexplained drop in grades

• Irregular school attendance

• Truancy

• Discipline problems

• Not returning home after school

Peer Relationships

• Dropping old friends

• New group of friends

• Not bringing friends home

• New friends who make poor decisions and are not interested in school or family activities

• Changes to a different style in dress and music

• Attending parties with no parental supervision

Some of the warning signs listed above can also be signs of other problems.  Parents may recognize signs of trouble but should not be expected to make the diagnosis.

Consulting a physician to rule out physical causes of the warning signs is a good first step.  This should often be followed or accompanied by a comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional.

NEXT:  Treatment & Recovery

More Information

An Addict's Story:  What's at the Root of Addictions?  ~ The factors that lead a person into addiction are rooted in childhood. They are: feelings of unworthiness and shame, anticipation of being rejected, the belief that no one will come through for them so they must rely on themselves, and the addictive agent is their greatest need for pleasure, relief, and/or distraction from pain.  These factors feed off each other.

Consequences of Youth Substance Abuse ~ Young people who persistently abuse substances often experience an array of problems, including academic difficulties, health-related problems (including mental health), poor peer relationships, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. Additionally, there are consequences for family members, the community, and the entire society.

Drinking or using drugs before 15 triples risk of becoming addict or criminal ~ Even children who had shown no signs of problem behavior while they were young were more likely to go on to become addicted to drink or drugs, contract sexually transmitted diseases, and have a criminal record, if they took drugs or drank on 'multiple occasions' in their early teens.

Family Factors Contributing to Risk and Resiliency ~ Substance abuse is the result of a complex interaction of individual, family, peer, community, and societal factors.  A consistent global finding is that substance abuse runs in families.  A family history of drug abuse and dependence substantially increases the risk for such problems among members.

Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders ~ Copies of this guide can be obtained free of charge from the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686.  Also in Spanish.

Relationships Matter:  Impact of Parental, Peer Factors on Teen, Young Adult Substance Abuse ~ The influence of family and peers on adolescent substance abuse has been well documented in the scientific literature.  Generally, positive family influences, such as family bonding and consistent rules, appear to reduce the risk of tobacco, marijuana, and other drug abuse among teens, while negative family influences tend to increase risk.  The same is true of positive and negative peer factors.  Little research, however, has been conducted to see how parental and peer factors interact to influence adolescents' initiation to and young adults' use of drugs.

Short-Term Memory Loss Linked to Poor Academic Performance, Short-Term Memory Loss in Teens ~ Researchers aren't sure how much academic performance improves after students stop drinking and using other drugs.  There is indirect evidence in the form of improvements in scores on tests of attention and memory after teens stop using.  But for the heaviest users deficits in brain development may be permanent.

Solitary Drug, Alcohol and Cigarette Use Puts Adolescents At Higher Risk ~ Solitary alcohol, cigarette and marijuana users are less likely to graduate from college, more likely to have substance use problems as young adults, and tend to report poorer physical health by age 23 than their peers who were social substance users.