Drug abuse in teens isn’t a new thing and it is worse than many parents think. It isn’t difficult for teenagers to become interested in experimenting and drugs are always out there just waiting to be tried. Even small towns are seeing a rise in drug use.
The only way to keep your teen safe is to talk to them and be honest with them about drug use and what it can do to them. The teenage years are pretty stressful as children grow into young adults. That stress, anxiety, and depression they feel can lead to drug abuse and addiction.
Share Your Feelings With Them
Many people don’t think that their kids really listen to them, but you’d be amazed at how much of what you say actually sticks with them. Tell them, honestly, about how you feel about drugs and what they can do to people.
Let your children know about lives that have been ruined by drugs. You’re likely to hear the good old sayings of how it won’t happen to them, and their life is different. A ruined marriage, a broken family, and even death can happen to anyone that does drugs. Even the first time is dangerous.
Give Them Something To Do
There are many reasons why kids start doing drugs, one of them being merely boredom. If you ensure that your child has fun things they are interested in to participate in your will maybe be helping keep them off drugs. Sports, hobbies, and even quality family time can be great ways to help keep your children off of drugs.
If your child is already suffering from drug addiction you want to do more than just get them help. Once they are home you need to make sure that they have interesting things to keep them busy so that they aren’t spending all of their time thinking about going back to the drugs.
Get Them Help
Whether or not your teen is already experimenting with drugs or not, you should get them some kind of help just as a precaution. Bring someone in that has dealt with drug addiction to talk to them, talk to their school about doing this, or simply show them videos online that let them know exactly why drugs are bad.
Kids tend to learn hands on, but if you give them a visual aid that shows them the scary facts of drug addiction they may be less likely to try. For teens that have a drug problem, getting them into a program like Sagebrush offers can help. They integrate things like yoga and art therapy that teach teens new ways to beat anxiety and drug abuse.
Don’t assume all is lost if your teen gets into drugs. There is hope. You just need to be willing to stand by them as they beat their addiction.
Originally posted on August 6, 2015 @ 2:07 am
