26/09/2013
As a parent, you want what’s best for your child. The best education, the best lifestyle, the best household, anything & everything that will help them make success out of their lives.
You hope & pray that the way you raised them is good enough but realistically, you can only control so much. What your child does when you’re not around is entirely out of your hands.
One of the biggest fears that many parents have is the possibility that their child could become an addict. It doesn’t matter if your child had everything they needed growing up, addiction has no preference – it can happen to anyone of us, at any time in our lives.
In this article, I’m going to tell how children become addicted to drugs, what the warning signs are & what you should do if your child is an addict.
How Do Children Start Using Drugs?
Young people are naturally inquisitive & curious to find out how things work & this is how they learn to become mature & wiser.
In today’s society, the youth are exposed to drugs at an early age. They see people using it on tv & even listening to it in the lyrics of their music. Adding to the problem is the ease in which drugs can be obtained. There are dealers everywhere, selling it illegally to those who need it.
Even though curiosity is a great tool to have, it can also be abused. Experimenting with drugs is never a good idea because some narcotic substances are so powerful that it really only takes one dose to become hooked.
Peer pressure is another common reason why children start using drugs. Youngsters want to fit in but sometimes the crowd they want to be a part of is not the right one. They might understand that what they’re doing is wrong but because they don’t want to look ‘uncool’, they do it regardless.
Signs That Your Child May Have a Drug Problem
It doesn’t matter if you suspect that your child could be using drugs or not, as a parent you should always be on the lookout for the signs & symptoms that they could be using them. Just because they’re not using drugs now doesn’t mean that they won’t use it later!
Here are some warning signs to look out for:
- Prescription medication that suddenly go missing
- Burn stains on their fingertips
- Using air fresheners or incense in their bedrooms
- Their performance in their academics & extra-mural activities start to decline
- Constantly feeling tired & drained
- Covering up their arms long sleeved clothing despite being in warm weather
- Dropping their old friends for new ones
Some of these signs may seem like normal teenage behaviour but as time goes on, you’ll be able to differentiate between what’s the norm & what’s unusual.
It doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t show all of the signs I mentioned above, seeing just one of them could indicate that your loved one may indeed have a drug problem. However, make sure that you don’t accuse them without having any proof as this can actually cause them to start using drugs.
Your child may want to be alone but they don’t want to disappoint you!
What You Can Do To Help Your Child
If your child is has a drug problem, the best & safest way to overcome it is by getting professional addiction help. Allowing it to continue is extremely dangerous & over time it will only get worse.
We can provide you with immediate admission into the best private drug addiction treatment centres in South Africa, the United Kingdom & Thailand. Call us now & let one of our counsellors provide you with free, expert & confidential advice.