The impulse to shield their children from the world’s cruelties leads many parents to delay talks about tough topics like drugs and alcohol. Often, parents don’t know what to say or are at a loss about trends and forms of drugs.
Not knowing much about illicit substances, including the legality, health effects, appearance or how they could affect a person can make it impossible for teenagers to know what to do if they are offered drugs or alcohol.
Talking to your teenagers beforehand, even to children as young as 10 years old, can help them know what to do and how to think about these types of situations. Here are ways to approach these tricky conversations with the young people in your life.
Underage drinking and drug trends
Increasingly, teens are exposed to or offered drugs at school or by their peers; some have already used marijuana by age 12, a national study found.
"By age 15, about 33 percent of teens have had at least one drink. By age 18, about 60 percent of teens have had at least one drink," found another study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse.
Because alcohol is the most used drug by underage people in the United States, and drunk driving or alcohol poisoning claims so many lives each year, underage drinking has been called a major public health challenge.
Increasingly, the abuse of common cold medicines or prescription drugs is becoming common in teenagers. Because parents often leave these substances out, and they are readily available, their abuse is especially concerning.
Speaking to your kids
It's up to every parent to decide the right time to talk about drugs and alcohol. However, because statistics point to early ages as the time when most kids are offered drugs, many experts advise approaching the subject earlier rather than later, or even beginning conversations at a young age to open the topic, and then elaborating in more detail about cigarettes, drugs and alcohol as they get older.
Knowing facts and talking about reactions to scenarios involving drugs and alcohol increases the likelihood teens will make good decisions that will lead them to happy and healthy futures, psychologist Lisa Damour said.
Talking to your kids or even role-playing specific situations they will likely encounter as they age can give them the tools they need to make good decisions in the future.
Resources you can use
Luckily for parents, there are many teaching resources online, with information about drug names and trends, to prepare for these kinds of conversations.
When you have a frank relationship with your kids, they will be more likely to come to you about problems they face in the future.
Addiction is a crushing weight to bear for all involved. With professional help for all parties, relief can come for those that are willing. Professional help can come from treatment centers like Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital.
Substance misuse and dependence has become a significant issue in society today, and it affects individuals from all walks of life. The chemical dependency treatment at Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is designed to help alleviate the physiological effects of detoxifying and cleansing the body from substances. The hospital provides guidance, education, and support during the most intense part of this process.
Patients admitted to the chemical dependency program participate in a medically supervised recovery program designed to assist them through withdrawal from mind-altering chemicals, licit or illicit. Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital believes that chemical dependency is a disease with its own set of progressive symptoms which may be identified and treated.
The hospital also believes that chemical dependency manifests itself uniquely in each individual and family and that recovery is s dynamic process. Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is committed to deliver recovery-based treatment in a therapeutic client-centered environment which respects every individual’s rights, dignity and needs.
Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital works collaboratively with the patient in the recovery process. If you or a loved one is dealing with substance misuse and dependency and need chemical dependency services that accommodate you or your loved one’s addiction, check out Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital’s website or call 877-955-5487.
We don’t just provide chemical dependency treatment, we provide care.
