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Signs that your teen may be using Meth
When to do What It's important to address concerns and suspicions early. Don't wait for absolute proof of addiction thelp your teen. Get Educated: First, learn as much as you can about substance abuse in general and Meth use in particular. Attend avaiable educational events. Act Now: Begin to more closely monitor your teen's activities. Keep track of changes in behavio, appearance, and friends. Find out who is on your teen's interntet buddy list and what sites are bookmarked as favorites. Don't Make Excuses: It's natural for parents to be tempted to make excuses for their child or teen's behavior - but this type of enabling actually makes it harder for a young person to become responsible and self reliant. Have the Talk: (Or Let Them Know You Know) It's not easy to confront someone with your concerns even when it is your own child. It is much harder to simply watch and worry when you believe your teen is following a self destructive path. Have the talk when you are calm and haveplenty of time. Pick a time when your teen is not impaired or high - even if it means waiting a day if your teen comes obviously intoxicated or high. Remember you are not the first parent to deal with these issues, and you don't have to do it alone. Discuss the situation with someone you trust. Take the time to take care of yourself while you are in the midst of this situation.
The "See It, Say It" Approach
Information adapted from Central CAPT's "Walking The Talk" manual - (800) 782-1878
After looking over the signs and symptoms of Meth use, do you think it is time to have "The Talk" with your teen? Take a deep breath. This might be one of the hardest things you'll have to do as a parent.
First, be prepared. Practice what you want to say and how you want to say it. Brace yourself for any type of reaction from your teen - from denial to anger to confrontation. Teens will sometimes try to throw their parent's history at them to deflect attention from their own behavior. Your teen may ask questions about what you did when you were young. If so, it is best to be honest. If you try to deceive your teen and the truth comes out later, you will lose credibility. If you drank underage, or used drugs in the past, connect your use to negative consequence: " I drank alcohol and smoked marijuana because I was bored and wanted to take some risks. But soon I found out I couldn't control the risks. I lost the trust of my parents and friends. There are better ways of challenging yourself than doing drugs."
The following process may help you initiate and complete a conversation with your teen if you are concerned about Meth use or other substance abuse.
" I Care" - Don't just jump in to the conversation with a list of complaints or accusations. Let your teen know your love and concern is still uppermost in your mind. This can help to diffuse defensive feelings and responses.
"I See" - Be specific about the things you have observed that cause your concern. Try to remain clam, unemotional, and factually honest in talking about your teen's bahavior and its day to day consequences. Make it known if you have found drugs or paraphernalia. Explain what changes you've seen in your teen's behavior, appearance or attitude that is causing your concern. Focus on the conerns and why they worry you.
"I Feel" - Be honest about how your teen's behavior makes you feel. This will remove the sense of blame, helping you sound less judgemental. You don't need to make assumption about the cause of the behavior, or diagnose anything. You just need to be concerned. This is no easy task; your feelings may range from anger to guilt that you have "failed" becasue your kid is using drugs. This isn't true, and by staying involved you can help your teen stop using and make positive choices.
LISTEN - This may be the hardest step for some parents. It requires you to be quiet and respectfully listen to what your teen has to say. Allow for plenty of time for your child to share feelings, problems, and explanations. Be prepared for a variety of responses, including silence, tears, the discolsure of a significant problems, anger, or even hostility.
"I Want" - Be ready to be specific about what changes you want to see in your teen's behavior. First, acknowledge what your teen has said and shared. Then, explain what action steps you want to see taken. Suggest, don't demand, what you want to see happen. If possible, allow your teen to come up with a workable solution. Remember, often referral for professional help is the most caring thing you can do.
"I Will" - Be ready to share what you will do to help your teen change and reach the new goals. Will this include providing moral support? Arranging a meeting wit someone who can help? More listening? Make it clear that you are willing to keep talking, and if your teen chooses to say nothing right now, the door is open for future discussion. When discussing these next steps, you can include setting new rules and consequences that are resaonable and enforeceable. Be firn but loving with you tone and try not to get hooked into an argument.
For more information about signs of meth, refer to "User Affects" under the Meth icon, or view "Amy's Q & A"
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 15 August 2008 ) |
