Today’s teens are growing up in an environment with pressures, stress and priorities vastly different from when we were their age. If you’re concerned that your son or daughter might be using drugs or alcohol — or if you know they are — it’s important that we, as parents, consider why. Some teens turn to drugs and alcohol for a variety of reasons, like fitting in, socializing, experiencing life transitions or dealing with emotional and psychological pain. Here’s why it’s important for you to recognize why kids might be drawn to substances and what you can do about it.
Keep in Mind:
FITTING IN Many teens feel like an outsider and long to be included and liked by their peers. This need can be so strong that they engage in drinking or drug use to help make friends, fit in, be accepted or get in with a desired crowd. Drugs might provide an instant “in” with what may seem like a desirable social group. If the kids your teen wants to hang out with are drinking or doing drugs, he or she may feel the need to participate as well, or risk being left out. What Parents Can Do:
SOCIALIZING Many teens use drugs and alcohol to overcome insecurities, let their guard down and feel socially confident with others. Some see “partying” as a way to instantly bond with a group of kids, uniting with them in opposition to the “rules” of school, work — and parents. Drugs may make teens feel that they are really open and relating to each other. Kids may come to believe that drugs are necessary to achieve close interaction with one another. Some teens use drugs or alcohol because they’re curious or bored and see it as something to do or experiment with. What Parents Can Do:
LIFE TRANSITIONS Periods of transition in teens’ lives — like moving, divorce, puberty, changing schools, an illness or death in the family — can often be a time of upheaval, leading many teens to attempt to find solace in alcohol or drugs. What Parents Can Do: Pay even closer attention to your child’s behavior during—and AFTER—transitions, such as:
EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN Some teens use alcohol or drugs to dull the pain in their lives. When they’re given a chance to take something to make them temporarily feel better, many can’t resist. Some teens turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with the pressures of everyday teen drama or to escape from family problems, stress or issues with school or grades. The pressures kids feel from social media – feeling left out, fear of missing out, feeling like everyone else has a perfect life – can become too much for kids. Loneliness, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety disorder and other mental health issues lead many teens to use substances. Furthermore, many of these issues occur in combinations, each compounding the intensity of the others. What Parents Can Do:
How to Talk with Your Son or Daughter about Drugs and Alcohol Productive communication with your teen or young adult about alcohol and drugs doesn’t always have to feel like you’re giving the third degree. Remain calm, relax and follow the tips below to ensure that your child hears what you have to say — and visa versa.
Adapted from Partnership for Drug-Free Kids Thom Kessler, LMFT, RAS [email protected] 415-454-8931 Comments are closed.
|
Thom KesslerMarriage & Family Therapist and Registered Addiction Specialist Archives
January 2024
Categories |