As a parent, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between typical adolescent changes and concerning behaviors that could signal the use of alcohol or other substances. At Carolina Dunes Behavioral Health in Leland, North Carolina, we treat adolescents who are struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. We know from experience that the sooner a problem is detected and addressed, the easier it is for a person to recover, regardless of age.
Risk Factors for Adolescent Substance Use
Some teens are more likely to try alcohol and other drugs than their peers. Researchers have broken these risk factors into three categories:
- Family risk factors
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- Poor supervision
- Communication issues
- Tension and conflict
- Inconsistent or severe parenting
- History of parental substance abuse
- Single-parent household
- Individual risk factors
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- History of difficult behavior in early childhood
- History of physical or sexual abuse
- Poor impulse control
- Thrill-seeking behaviors
- Low level of concern about the potential consequences of substance use
- Social, emotional, or school challenges
- Miscellaneous risk factors
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- Being from a low-income family
- Living in an area with high crime and drug use
- Easy access to substances
- Pressure from peers to use substances
- History of mental illness
- Low educational attainment
Potential Red Flags for Teen Substance Use
Parents should keep in mind that some of the signs of teen drug use mimic the signs of other issues, such as physical health conditions, mental illness, or struggling with bullying by a peer. The indicators listed below alone aren’t confirmation that a young person is using drugs, but they do signal that attention and support are probably needed:
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- Mood changes – irritable, secretive, defensive, depressed, sullen, withdrawn, uncooperative, uncharacteristically hyperactive or hostile
- School issues – attendance problems, drop in grades, disciplinary actions
- Sudden changes in friend groups – hanging out with completely different people or isolating from everyone, not wanting parents to meet new friends, breaking curfew more, disappearing with new friends for long periods of time
- Loss of interest in previously important things – hobbies and interests, work, relationships with family or friends, hygiene and appearance
- Substances in the teen’s room or belongings, or using gum/mints to cover their breath and eye drops to hide red eyes or nasal irritation
- Changes in functioning – memory and concentration problems, decline in coordination, slurred speech or talking unusually fast, changes in sleep habits, increase in sickness, sudden or dramatic changes in weight
- Strange emojis – pictures are sometimes used as a secret code to discuss substance use with friends over text and messenger apps without raising parental suspicion
Next Steps
Parents who notice concerning changes should take action right away to determine the nature of the problem and decide what help their teen might require.
- Step back and observe.
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- Does your child come home with breath, hair, or clothes that smell like alcohol or smoke?
- Do their eyes seem heavy-lidded and red?
- Are their pupils dilated?
- Do they seem flushed?
- Is their behavior unusual for how they normally act?
- Search for substances and paraphernalia. If you have reason to suspect your child might be using drinking or using other drugs, it’s a good idea to have a look around for confirmation:
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- Under or between other items in drawers
- Wherever they might store jewelry, makeup, writing tools, earbuds, or similar, small items
- Under the bed, other furniture, and loose floorboards
- Buried in the dirt of a potted plant
- Between or inside of books
- Inside containers for other things, such as over-the-counter medications and candy, or in fake containers designed to look like shaving cream, carbonated beverages, or other ordinary objects
- Talk to your child. Even if you don’t find evidence of drug use, if you’re seeing worrisome changes, you should still have a conversation.
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- Focus on your love for them and how the changes you are seeing make you feel concerned.
- Ask questions.
- Avoid accusations or blame.
- Try to listen more than you talk.
- Get them assessed. Based on what information you gather from the conversation with your teen, you might want to:
- Arrange for your child to visit their primary care doctor to look for physical causes of the changes you have noticed.
- Schedule a mental health and/or substance use assessment with their school counselor, a psychologist, or a social worker.
- Get them help. An assessment should give you insight into whether it is necessary for the child to begin mental health or substance use treatment.
At Carolina Dunes Behavioral Health, located near Wilmington, North Carolina, we offer trauma-informed, evidence-based mental health and substance use treatment for adolescents over the age of 12. We recognize the vital role that families play in helping young people recover from mental health and substance use disorders, and we value their involvement in the services we can offer for their children.
