What are the Signs of Teenage Drug Abuse?

Most teenagers experience a change in behavior patterns as they go through adolescence.  Mild symptoms of withdrawal from family activities, expressing the need for privacy and wanting to spend all their time with friends is normal teenage conduct.  The key for parents and family members is to continue communication yet respect the teenager’s individuality and privacy.

Very often if a teenager begins using drugs, they will show an immediate change in their attitude, ability to concentrate and level of energy.  Severe mood swings, irritability and particularly uncontrolled anger may be the first warning signs.  If they stop attending school, their grades drop or they join a new group of friends who never visit the house, drugs may be involved.

The physical signs of teenage drug abuse include red or swollen eyes, excessive fatigue, depression or uncontrolled jittering and hyperactivity.  Other evidence may be rolling papers, plastic baggies or prescription drug containers that do not belong to them.  Cigarette smoking and alcohol use may accompany a teenager who is starting to abuse drugs.

How to Help with Teenage Drug Abuse

The best way to help a teenager with potential drug abuse is to correct the problem as soon as possible.  It is not always easy to approach a teenage family member if they seem distant or belligerent but ignoring the problem is the worst solution.  Finding someone outside of the immediate family to use as a buffer may be helpful.  If the teenager feels comfortable talking with an older cousin, a favorite aunt or uncle or a special teacher it may serve as a mediator.  Threats and angry words or actions seldom solve the problem.  If the teenager is willing to recognize the consequences of their behavior, they may be open to counseling or a drug help program.

According to facts gathered by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), almost 25% of fifteen to twenty year old drivers who were killed in a car accident in 2006 had a blood alcohol level of 0.8 or even higher. In fact, this blood alcohol level makes teens drinking and driving eleven times more likely to die. It seems that teens drinking and driving often forget or ignore the most basic of safety rules and exhibit behaviors that are riskier than normal. Consequently, of drivers ages fifteen to twenty who were killed in a car accident in 2006, 77% of them did not have their seat belts fastened.

Sleep deprivation and speed also played a role in the fatality of teens drinking and driving. Seventy-five percent of those killed in a vehicle accident involving alcohol were driving in the early hours of the morning, between 12:00 AM and 3:00 AM, and most were going at speeds significantly higher than those posted. Law enforcement officers find that alcohol impairs the judgment of these inexperienced drivers, causing poor decisions and risk-taking behaviors.

Parents are often surprised to find that beer, rather than hard liquor, is the number one substance consumed by teens drinking and driving. They are not surprised; however, that alcohol related deaths are several times more likely to occur at night and on weekends when teenage social activities are at their height rather than during a normal weekday. This is the reason many cities have enacted curfews during these times, hoping the increased adult supervision during peak drunk driving hours will save lives.

Because teens are just learning the skill of decision making, adults must step in to rehabilitate those teens drinking and driving. This can be done through education, community programs, and laws enacted for protection. Though costly, if these efforts save the life of one teenager, they will have been worth the price.

The answers below address common concerns of families considering therapeutic boarding schools.

Who should attend a boarding school for troubled teens?

The notion of “troubled” is of course subjective and includes a wide range of behaviors and feelings. Some teens are troubled but merely lack discipline and focus. These students are not appropriate candidates for residential treatment centers; they would be better served by traditional military academies and boarding schools. Programs for troubled youth are targeted at those with more severe acting-out behaviors.

Many troubled students enroll in boarding school during their junior year of high school. Their families aim to improve the student’s academic record and emotional preparedness for college in time for the college application process. Many boarding schools offer customized lessons that fill in the gaps in students’ academic transcripts. They also feature extensive college counseling and standardized test preparation assistance.

How are boarding schools for troubled teens different from military schools?

Boarding schools for troubled teens differ from traditional military schools because they include therapeutic components. Thus teens are able to simultaneously improve their grades and outgrow their problem behaviors. Many therapeutic boarding schools even specialize in learning disabilities such as dyslexia and ADHD. Teens with more severe issues such as substance abuse problems and oppositional defiant disorders can also be treated in specialized boarding schools.

How much does boarding school cost?

A Christian boarding school for troubled teens is not cheap: room, board, schooling, and therapy typically form a combined monthly bill of $3500 to $7500. Although this price tag may be staggering, financial aid may be available. Furthermore, considering that residential schools may profoundly impact a troubled teen’s life, they may be well worth the investment.

When seeking treatment for depression teenagers are often left under-addressed by physicians and other clinicians. Parents often miss the initial warning signs of depression which can lead to more serious consequences, such as eating disorders, self-mutilation, and even depression.

Recognizing the signs

Much of the adolescent and teen years are marked with ups and downs, and mood swings as a result of hormonal fluctuations are common, making the diagnosis of depression problematic in this population.

Warning signs of depression in teenagers include a marked drop in grades or attendance at school; dropping out of sports, clubs, or other activities; avoidance of friends and family; excessive sleeping; a significant change in eating habits; frequent bouts of crying or vomiting; obsession with death and dying; and even substance abuse and criminal behavior can all be indications that your teen is suffering from depression.

Lifelong or prolonged depression that extends into the adult years often begins during the adolescent and teen years. Teen girls are almost twice as likely as teen boys to develop depression, and a family history of the condition can significantly increase the risk in both girls and boys.

Getting help

Parents or caregivers are often the ones most qualified to determine if their teen is displaying any of the signs or symptoms of depression. As soon as these symptoms become evident, parents are advised to seek the aid of the child’s pediatrician or primary care physician. Additional resources include school counselors, as well as a host of psychological counseling agencies that may be available privately or through the public health system. In all cases, getting help quickly is the most effective key in helping a teenager deal effectively with depression. Faced with mounting pressure from peers, school, and other activities as they reach the adult years, teens are often left feeling lack of control over their own lives. Guidance by qualified professionals can help teens identify areas in their lives where they can feel in control, and regain a sense of belonging in society during a tumultuous period of their lives.

There are many different types of schools for teens with behavioral problems. For kids that have had difficulty paying attention in class or picking the right friends, some public schools will have correctional programs. However, if the student has been suspended, expelled or in trouble with the law, outsourcing schooling to an alternative school may be necessary. Most alternative schools have credit recovery programs that allow students to graduate on time in a positively reinforced environment.

For students who require a more intense level of correction, boarding school for troubled teens may be a good option. A boarding school for troubled teens can be located all over the world, and are usually segregated by sexes. Students live on campus and are monitored twenty-four hours a day, eating all of their meals together and going to school together. Students are usually allowed to come home on holidays and special occasions.

Some parents prefer military school for troubled teens or for particularly unruly kids. While it is a harsh environment for the teenagers to live in, it is often the very measure that turns a troubled teen around and puts them on the right track. In military school, students do go to school, though there is much physical interaction and strenuous activity that is mixed in to everyday life. Military officers often wake students up in the wee hours of the morning to go run in the rain, make them hike long distances, and give them a limited amount of time to eat their meals. While it may seem like a difficult environment to live in, military school has a high success rate of giving teens a second chance to start living their life with discipline and morals.

Many parents have troubled teens. It is not always necessarily the fault of the parents or anyone else that a student is having behavioral issues. However, there are steps that a parent can take to avoid a more unruly future with the teen. While boarding school for troubled teens, military school, or correctional programs may not be right for every parent, they are certainly a viable source of correction and discipline for those with troubled teens.

While providing a comprehensive scholastic curriculum, the focus of the therapeutic boarding high schools is on healing and correcting emotional behaviors. However, while previous poor scholastic performance is not a deterrent to admissions, students are strongly encouraged to possess a basic functionality in a classroom setting and a desire to accomplish the tasks presented. Because of the specialized environment, most therapeutic schools operate on a year-round basis with rolling admissions to best accommodate the needs of new and continuing students.

Therapeutic boarding schools are located across the country in a variety of urban and rural settings, including Utah, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Oregon. However, as with any search to do with a child’s education, nothing replaces either an informed telephone call or in-person meeting when deciding if the needs of one’s child match what a particular therapeutic boarding school has to offer. Most reputable schools will have a website with a basic overview of the programs and curriculum the school offers.

The Aspen Education group is an excellent resource in beginning one’s search. The Aspen Education group’s website has access and information about numerous facilities in different geographical locations, providing a quick and efficient way to familiarize oneself with available options. Their webpage is http://www.aspeneducation.com/Res-schools.html.

Additionally, NATSAP, or the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, offer an excellent overview of the current state of therapeutic boarding schools, and have a comprehensive page of links and referrals, not only to schools themselves, but also to support groups and research centers. To take full advantage of NATSAP’s resources, one should be a member of the organization. Visit their website http://www.natsap.org/ for more details on how to join.

As with any major life decision, finding and choosing the appropriate therapeutic boarding school for one’s child is a decision that should be handled with care. Ultimately, one’s child will benefit from the specialized therapeutic healing, and become a better student and a happier person.

Temporary Types of Programs for Troubled Teens

Many teenagers have difficulty adjusting to new responsibilities and perceived expectations.  They may turn to drug abuse or become unproductive and fail at school from lack of confidence.  Finding a program that helps renew their self esteem could make the difference.  Getting involved in community service, helping the elderly or handicapped or caring for younger children or animals renews a sense of self worth.  For teenagers with an interest in music or the arts, a program that enhances their talents could change their focus and give them a new goal. Other young people may find comfort in the outdoors and will grow into responsible adulthood after attending wilderness camps.

For young teenagers, spending a week or two at a summer camp may break the pattern of bad behavior.  Maybe just being away from Mom and Dad and other family members will help the teenager mature and gain a sense of responsibility and accomplishment. Summer camps provide plenty of both physical and cultural activities and a chance to interact with other young people.

Long Term Program for Troubled Teens

For teens that seem to be continually falling in the wrong direction, it may be necessary to enroll them in a six month or year long program away from home.  Boarding schools that specialize in helping troubled teens provide a 24 hour method of both supervision and constructive programs.  Some teenagers respond well to military schools or private academies and graduate with goals and career objectives.

Across the U.S. and abroad, a variety programs for troubled teenagers offer parents an opportunity to regroup and restore family harmony.  It may be a difficult decision to enforce a program for a troubled teen, particularly on a long term basis.  But troubled behavior including drug abuse, gang activities and unmanaged anger may ruin the teenager’s chance for a bright future.

When your child enters their teenage years, the most trying times of your parental experience is about to begin. As your child is exposed to a wide variety of different opinions and ideas in middle and high school, and meet new and interesting people, they become more and more apt to challenge authority and begin a period of rebelliousness. If your teen has fallen in with a bad crowd, or has begun experimenting with drugs and/or alcohol, this can be an especially rough time for your family, and the new rebellious streak in your teen might have them doing things contrary to your wishes and flat out refusing to listen to or even obey you. Boot camp for juvenile delinquents will teach your teen to respect authority figures, including you, their parents. The boot camp is often the wakeup call that your teen will need to realize that you have far more experience in life than they, and have had to deal with the same experience of being a teenager as they have. Though you still may differ on life philosophies, they will respect your opinions and listen to your advice after they have been through their first juvenile boot camp.

A boot camp for juvenile offenders will subject your teen to a strict daily regimen of drills, physical and mental exercises, and training that will instill your teenager with respect and an understanding of responsibility. Many teenagers are lacking in these qualities, and with the way American culture has evolved they are required for any modicum of success in this great country. Remember, teenagers are on the cusp of entering the world of adulthood, and if you allow your teen to set out on their own without being properly prepared, then they are almost doomed from the outset.

As with other aspects of their lives, teens can be adept at hiding their use of or relationships with drugs, and often it is the outwardly well-behaved teens whose struggles with illegal, recreational drugs go unnoticed.

In recent years, more emphasis has begun to be placed on the use of pharmaceuticals by teens who obtains medications meant for relatives or even other teens, and use these drugs for recreational purposes. Valium and adderoll are two medications which offer teens recreational enjoyment.

Although there is a perception among adults that many teens view drugs and the drug subculture as “cool,” more and more young adults are becoming aware if the risks drugs pose to their health and their plans for their futures. It is not until later on, most likely during college, that most teens finally have the desire and opportunity to really investigate what have most likely been latent interests up to this point.

Parents can play a role on their children’s attitudes towards teens and drug use. By enabling their kids to feel comfortable discussing their experiences and encounters with drug subcultures, parents make it more likely that their teen will open up to them about their desires to explore drug culture. This then gives parents the opportunity to counter their teen’s perceptions and create an open, nonjudgmental atmosphere – an excellent way to be sure they stay in the loop as regards their children and their children’s issues with alcohol and drugs in teens.

Because teens do not have the same life experience as older individuals, they can make harmful choices when they decide to involve themselves in the use of drugs. While they may not realize the harm that can come from experimenting with drugs, they often need someone to reach out to them and explain, in an understanding and non-judgmental way, why using drugs irresponsibly can have an impact on the life they want to lead as they grow up and grow older.

One important issue to consider is the cause of the incarceration, which is often drug abuse.

Each case is different.  In extreme cases, judges may have to choose between sending a young man to jail or boot camp.  Even though the relapse rate is high (over 90%), it’s far better for most young men and women to attend a mandatory boot camp than having to face the horrors of jail.

The personnel that run the boot camps are of utmost importance; if the men or women in charge aren’t dedicated professionals, the chances of long-term behavioral improvement are not encouraging.

Being outside and undergoing rigorous physical exercise on a regular basis is far preferable for most youngsters compared to sitting in a jail cell with inmates who are dangerous and beyond help.  And boot camps combine the exercise with schooling, which is beneficial.

Boot camps differ dramatically in personnel and goals for the teenage boys and girls who are having serious problems adjusting to adulthood.  The basic concept of uncompromising discipline isn’t perfect, but it’s preferable to sending kids to jail when there is still a chance to turn them into productive citizens.

Boot camps aren’t going to work for all teens.  In some cases, young people will become more opposed to discipline and authority and come out worse than they go in.  But some of them will improve dramatically; when they hook up with a disciplinarian who has their best interests at heart, major progress can be made.

In extreme cases, it’s close to the end of the line.  When a judge has to choose between sending a young man or woman to jail or boot camp, the latter is far preferable in most cases.

Usually it’s the incarcerated youngsters who will determine whether the boot camp is a success or not.  If drugs are the problem, the kids will be off them while they are going through the equivalent of basic training.  It gives them a chance to consider their alternatives.  Some will choose the high road and others will take the low road that leads to an unhappy life at best and prison at worst.

Boot camps may be a last chance, but that’s better than no chance at all.