Drugs and boosters are ubiquitous. How do you know if your child is taking drugs? The first step is constant contact with the child. The second – vigilant observation and checking for symptoms that may indicate that the child has reached for drugs.
How do you know if your child is taking drugs? They are used by adults and increasingly younger children. Drugs are unfortunately part of culture today, not only among youth.
The most important thing is constant contact with the child, conversations (not to be confused with routine questions: what’s up at school?). The more we know about the child: what he does, what he experiences, what joys and problems he has, how he deals with peers, the greater the chance that we will notice disturbing signals and we will be able to help him.
If you noticed that your child takes drugs – you should consider treatment in a teens rehab center.
Many of the symptoms that may indicate that a child has turned to drugs are also signs that he is simply going through a difficult time: heartbreak or having his feelings hurt, exaggerating a behavior or event of which he is ashamed, having trouble in school , in contacts with colleagues or … with parents. Often family problems push children to try drugs. That’s why you need to keep your finger on the pulse, have contact with your baby and help him, even if it means hitting your own breasts.
How do you know if your child is taking drugs? Changes in behavior
If you notice your child doing anything from the list below (especially if it’s a few of the behaviors listed), watch them closely and see what causes these changes:
- mood swings – alternating excitement and lethargy,
- excessive appetite or lack of appetite,
- abandonment of previous interests,
- problems at school (lower grades, conflicts with teachers, truancy),
- isolating yourself from other household members,
- locking yourself in a room
- reluctance to talk,
- locking your room with a key,
- emphasizing the need for privacy,
- frequent airing of the room, using incense sticks and air fresheners,
- talking positively about drugs,
- changing the group of friends, especially older ones,
- short telephone conversations conducted in half words,
- late returns or sudden departures from home,
- rebellion,
- breaking house rules
- lies,
- taking valuables from home,
- repeated reports by the child of the loss or theft of small sums of money by peers,
- trouble concentrating,
- changes in bedtime
- overreactions to criticism or even minor failures.
How can you tell if your child is using drugs
If you have reasonable grounds to believe your child has been exposed to drugs, try talking to them first. Some children, in a calm conversation, admit to experimenting. However, if your son or daughter denies, reacts very aggressively even to calmly asked questions, you just have to check. Pay attention to the appearance, clothing, various accessories that the child uses. The warning signs are:
- rapid emaciation or sudden weight gain,
- chronic runny nose, nosebleeds,
- memory and thinking disorders,
- bloodshot eyes,
- excessively constricted or dilated pupils that do not react to light,
- slurred, slurred speech,
- lack of interest in their appearance and non-compliance with hygiene rules,
- sweetish smell of breath, hair and clothes,
- puncture marks,
- traces of blood on underwear, “goosebumps”,
- cigarettes, pipes, cigarette papers among personal belongings,
- small foil bags with powder, tablets, crystals or dried herbs (and even spices – young people are intoxicated, for example, with concentrated nutmeg decoction),
- pieces of burnt aluminum foil and a spoon,
- stamps, white or colored pastilles with embossed patterns,
- over-the-counter drugs, e.g. seemingly innocent preparations such as cough syrups or flu tablets (often contain pseudoephedrine),
- tubes, jars, foil bags with glue, needles, syringes
- new style of dressing.
Is the child under the influence of drugs: an eye test
The appearance of the eyes and the pupil’s response to light are important indicators of whether a child is under the influence of drugs or is taking them. Look out for: conjunctival redness, watery eyes, drooping eyelids, redness of the eyelid margins, changes in the appearance of the pupils in normal light: excessive pupil dilation (more than 6 mm in diameter) or excessive pupillary contraction (less than 3 mm in diameter), use of eye drops if you know your baby has healthy eyes. This is one way to disguise yourself if your child is taking drugs.
When you notice something suspicious, do an eye test performed by doctors and police officers. Shine a flashlight on each eye in turn. A normal pupil should constrict quickly when exposed to light. If you notice that the pupils react lazily, very slowly to light – this may be a signal that the child is under the influence of drugs. It is also possible to perform a drug test in the urine. The text is purchased at the pharmacy.
Resources: Vita Recovery
