How Do I Confront My Teen About Drugs?

Rules surrounding drug use should be clear and consistent to encourage your teen to follow them.

Parenting can be tricky, especially when handling a teen. One common hurdle is teen drug abuse. By talking openly with your teen about drugs, you can strengthen your relationship and improve communication. An open conversation can allow you to gain insight into your teen’s reasoning while making your expectations of them clear.

As a parent, you may be using vague phrases like “make good choices” and “be smart” when advising your teen on substance abuse. These terms have different meanings to different people, and they’re easy to misunderstand, especially for teenagers. To avoid any confusion, be as clear as possible about what you mean by “making good choices.” Sometimes, a simple change in word choice can help prevent miscommunication with your teen.

Rules surrounding drug use should be clear and consistent to encourage your teen to follow them. Discipline is most effective when it is moderate and enforces defined family rules. Use positive reinforcement like praise for appropriate behavior to strengthen family bonds and help them avoid drug abuse.

When setting rules, you may also want to encourage your teen to provide their own input. Including your teenager in rule-making increases the likeliness of an effective outcome.

When advising your teen to avoid drug abuse, make sure you also talk about the health effects different drugs can have on the body. Understanding these risks can make your teen feel more comfortable and confident that they’re making the right decisions regarding drug use.

The teenage years are important to healthy cognitive development. Teen drug abuse can impair the brain’s proper development. Drug use during the teenage years:

• Interferes with brain chemicals
• Impairs memory
• Reduces the ability to experience pleasure
• Inhibits the development of reasoning skills

Other effects of teen substance abuse include:

• Liver injury
• Cardiovascular disease
• Sleep disorders
• Hormonal imbalances
• Reduced bone mineral density

Adolescent drug users may also experience academic problems, poor peer relationships, and increased encounters with the legal system.

When explaining the risks of drug use to your teen, be honest with them and avoid coming off as too extreme. Taking a calm yet firm tone often helps teenagers better accept what you’re trying to communicate.

When talking to your teen about drug use, you may be surprised about how much they already know. They may have gotten their knowledge from school anti-drug programs, or they may have personal experience from friends or themselves. Once you’ve gotten your teen talking about what they know, it will be easier to ask if they have encountered drugs or been offered some.

Engaging your teen by asking questions and allowing them to talk may have a stronger impact on their decision-making. You can fill in any knowledge gaps or correct false information with input of your own.

If your teen admits to using drugs while talking to you, avoid overreacting. Stay calm and try to find out why your adolescent made the choice to use drugs. Teens may abuse substances to:

• Manage anxiety
• Satisfy their curiosity
• Relieve stress
• Connect socially with peers
• Deal with other mental health issues such as depression

Having a conversation about these issues may reveal the underlying issues your teen faces, allowing you to focus on relieving them. Some teens may find it hard to explain why they use drugs, however, so try to be patient and keep an open dialogue going.

If you suspect your teen may be abusing substances without telling you, be on the lookout for the signs of drug abuse. These can include:

• Shifts in mood and personality such as decreased motivation and increased hostility
• Behavioral changes such as increased excuse-making, cash flow problems, and loss of interest in school work
• Changes in appearance and hygiene such as unusual smells on clothes and breath

As a caregiver, it may be hard to admit that you see the signs of drug addiction in your teen. Though no parent wants to see their child with a substance use disorder, it’s important to act fast when it’s spotted. No single treatment plan for drug abuse works for all teens, but there are a few standard treatments that often prove effective.

Behavioral therapy like counseling is the most commonly used form of teen substance abuse treatment. Doctors may also give medications depending on the type of drug abuse. Disulfiram and naltrexone help discourage alcohol abuse, while methadone helps treat opioid addiction. Getting in touch with a specialist on teen drug abuse can help you as a parent come up with the ideal management plan for your teen’s substance use disorder.