Nothing can prepare you for the heartache and havoc of the struggle with addiction in your child. One day you wake up, confused, not knowing how you got here or what the future entails. Personally, I was that child. I had fallen into the cracks of addiction and lost who I once was. Luckily, I made my escape and now influence other individuals who continue to struggle with the same situation. But before the preparation begins on how to overcome addiction, you must catch it before it’s too late. I want to give you some key signs & symptoms of what to look for in your child and ways to manage if the occurrence ever happened. Let’s break it down into stages shall we?
Stage I
Change in Behavior: One of the first signs of substance abuse in a child is change in behavior. What use to be normal, such as positive influence, has now taken a U-turn. You find your child being less conservative. They no longer want to engage with you, nor take the time to inform you about their day. You see them locked in their room more often than not. Although this behavior is not always confirmation of addiction, because let’s be honest, teenagers-are-teenager, it can be an initial behavior you acknowledge at the start.
Increased Agitation: You may notice some increased agitation. An explosion of anger directed toward you for no obscene reason. They may appear short. The best way to approach the individual is to keep your composure. Let them know you love them and that you support them regardless of their behavior. This can be a frustrating time for the parent because they are thrown off by the behavior. Breathe through the storm.
Stage II
Loss of Interest: Every child should be involved in some sort of hobby. Whether it be sports, art, or music they should be constantly participating in something that gives them self-worth. When a child begins to lose interest in items they once had compassion for, good chance they may be using. Sit down with them and find the rationale as to why they have lost interest. It could be seasons in their life has changed, but strong possibility they could be struggling with substance abuse.
Isolation: A strong characteristic of addiction is isolation. You begin to notice they spend more time in their room or away from public. Isolation is a dark place. It is a place where depression builds up and thoughts can flood your mind. Much like an incarcerated individual, they go through psychosis and can lose who they are as an individual. You may need to look into counseling at this point and see what options are out there. Make sure to include your child in as much engagement around the household.
Stage III
Clinical Depression: The key symptom to substance abuse is depression. When a child is coming down they have increased depression which influences hopelessness. They become more fatigued, lose all focus on daily activities, and unable to function in society. You find them sleeping long hours throughout the day and have a poor appetite. Counseling or proper placement in an inpatient rehabilitation program may be needed. They can feel abnormal when they don’t use so they resort back to the drug or alcohol to feel “normal” again. You must engage and obtain resources that are available in your community.
Suicidal Ideations: Once you have reached this last stage you need to make sure the safety of your child is most important. Your child has been so consumed on addiction they have lost their own identity. They don’t know who they are anymore or how they got there. They don’t want to live anymore so the only way out is suicide. It is imperative that you get them to the closest emergency department and inform the counselors of the situation. Your child will be angry, but as a parent, it is your duty to make sure they are safe. Placing your child in an involuntary facility is much better than coming home to a child who is no longer there.
Again, these signs & symptoms do not necessarily facilitate your child is using drugs or alcohol. They are red flags so you may identify what to look for. Nobody wants to see their child go through the struggles of addiction so if we can be educated and inform parents on ways to manage addiction before it happens, we can catch it in the process.
No comments:
Post a Comment