Help for Parents with kids abusing drugs or alcohol.

RISK AND WARNING SIGNS

We, the adolescents, who are recovering addicts/alcoholics at Banner Behavioral Health Hospital, AOC (Adolescent Open for Change) Chemical Dependency Unit, would like to inform and share information from our personal experiences with you. We have compiled a list of RISKS & WARNING SIGNS to help you figure out if your teen is using drugs and/or alcohol. IF their lives are becoming out of control and unmanageable, please, continue to read and find out how you can tell and how to help.

COMMUNICATION

ATTITUDE SIGNS

	□	1.	Dishonesty		□	1.	Boredom
	□	2.	Manipulation		□	2.	Apathy
	□	3.	Not listening		□	3.	Selfishness
	□	4.	Argumentative		□	4.	Lack of hobbies
	□	5.	Sneaky		□	5.	Consistently late
B.	MEDICAL SIGNS				□	6.	Laziness
	□	1.	Loss of appetite	E.	SOCIALIZATION SIGNS
	□	2.	Weight loss		□	1.	Low self-esteem
	□	3.	Weird sleep patterns		□	2.	Poor grades
	□	4.	Headaches		□	3.	Ditching school
	□	5.	Vomit/nausea		□	4.	Disrespecting authority
	□	6.	Poor hygiene		□	5.	Drastic change of friends
	□	7.	Frequent nose bleeds		□	6.	Lack of spirituality
	□	8.	Always tired		□	7.	Relationship difficulties
	□	9.	Unexplained sores		□	8.	Can't hold jobs
	□	10.	Dental problems	F.	INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
	□	11.	Eye issues		□	1.	Out of control anger
	□	12.	Somatic complaints		□	2.	Stealing
	□	13.	Depression		□	3.	Frequent school supervision
	□	14.	Mood swings		□	4.	Multiple arrests
	□	15.	Track marks		□	5.	Has money but no money source
	□	16.	Unexplained bruises		□	6.	New stuff
	□	17.		G.	DRUG RELATED SIGNS
	□	18.			□	1.	Gone for days at a time
C.	HOME LIFE SIGNS				□	2.	Frequent RAVS attendance
	□	1.	Isolation		□	3.	Drug oriented music
	□	2.	Supervision	H.	FEARS/FEELINGS
	□	3.	Family member's use		□	1.	Grief & loss
	□	4.	Abuse (verbal, physical, emotional)		□	2.	Abandonment
	□	5.	No interest in family		□	3.	Rejection
	□	6.	Visitors call all hours of the night		□	4.	Dying
					□	5.	Criticism
					□	6.	Hopelessness

Adolescents use drugs-alcohol for various reasons – No single reason determines who will USE or won’t, but there are risk factors to be aware of:

A.	SCHOOL			B.	FRIENDS
	□	1.	Poor grades		□	1.	Using friends
	□	2.	Low achievement		□	2.	Gangs
	□	3.	Issue with authority		□	3.	Music
	□	4.	Peer pressure: rejection		□	4.	Hanging out
	□	5.	Drop out		□	5.	Negative influence
	□	6.	Outsides		□	6.	Parents rejecting friends
	□	7.	Change in friends		□	7.	Communication in drug slang
	□	8.	Loss of interest in school activities/sports		□	8.
	□	9.			□	9.
	□	10.			□	10.
C.	BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES			D.	ENVIRONMENT
	□	1.	Poor grades		□	1.	Using friends
	□	2.	Hostile		□	2.	Lack of supervision
	□	3.	Defiant behavior		□	3.	History of family drug use
	□	4.	Broken home		□	4.	Broken home
	□	5.	Negative influence		□	5.	Bad neighborhood
	□	6.	Low self-esteem		□	6.	Victim of abuse
	□	7.			□	7.	Lack of hobbies
	□	8.			□	8.	Significant death/losses
	□	9.			□	9.	Loss of spirituality

AWARENESS
What kind of things to look for (common paraphernalia)			Other things to look for
□	1.	Baggies	□	1.	Burns in clothes
□	2.	Razorblades	□	2.	Eye drops
□	3.	Mirrors	□	3.	Excessive use of cologne
□	4.	Scales	□	4.	Missing liquid bottles, empty bottles or cans (beer)
□	5.	Rolling papers	□	5.	Lower liquor levels in bottles
□	6.	Pipes	□	6.	Watery liquor
□	7.	Bongs/waterpipes	□	7.	Missing funnels/pots and pans
□	8.	Straws or rolled up bills and paper	□	8.	Aerosol products don't last as long as they did
□	9.	Lighter or matches	□	9.	Room smells like weed-strange odor
□	10.	Needles	□	10.	Excessive happiness or severe depression
□	11.	Tin foil with black residue	□	11.	Gum (a large quantity)
□	12.	Baggies full of paint	□	12.	Velvet black light posters
□	13.	Bent or burnt soda cans	□	13.	Black lights
□	14.	Burnt light bulgs or socket (electric)	□	14.	Drawings or pot leaves and mushrooms
□	15.	Sink screens	□	15.	Clothing portraying drug use
□	16.	Burnt spoons	□	16.	High times or other drug-related magazines
□	17.	Roach clips	□	17.	Drops out of school
□	18.	Seeds and stems	□	18.	"No parents" off limit areas
□	19.	Shot glasses	□	19.	Incense burning
□	20.	Empty pill bottles	□	20.	Food missing
□			□	21.	Money missing
□			□	22.	Belongings missing

22 Things (as a teen) I want my parents to know

INTRODUCTION: The following tips from teens were put together to encourage honest, loving, safe, sharing, communication. Check the most significant issue for discussion.

TIPS FOR PARENTS
□	1.	Spend time with kids
□	2.	Be involved in extracurricular activities
□	3.	Be a parent, not a friend
□	4.	Don’t be afraid to tell your kids things they don’t want to hear (confront when necessary)
□	5.	Be supportive – Believe in me
□	6.	Get to know your kids’ friends/parents
□	7.	Communicate with teachers, counselors, principals, and coaches
□	8.	Resolve family issues instead of putting them off
□	9.	Feelings checks
□	10.	Consequence appropriately – Teach me better choices – self-esteem
□	11.	Talk to your kids when sober (otherwise arguments will occur)
□	12.	Learn to LISTEN
□	13.	Be honest
□	14.	Set an example
□	15.	Don’t be afraid to share feelings
□	16.	Don’t be afraid to show affection-love
□	17.	Encourage positive interests
□	18.	Educate yourself about teen issues
□	19.	Get to know your neighborhood
□	20.	Educate your children about the dangers of drugs (approx. 8 years old)
□	21.	Explore – Admit to your own addictions – sobriety
□	22.	It’s okay to take your kid to a meeting CA-AA-NA-CMA-Alateen, so that they can sit and listen to others’ stories about addiction and sobriety

NOTE TO PARENTS:

Please make the choice to get involved. An addicts’ life isn’t fun. Sometimes just being an adolescent isn’t fun. Remember addiction doesn’t affect just one; it affects the whole family and everyone around them – especially the addict or alcoholic.
Thanks,
An anonymous A.O.C. resident

NOTE:
All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medial advice, diagnosis, and treatment, consult your family doctor or request a referral to a therapist, counselor or psychiatrist.

This information is used with permission of Banner Behavioral Health Hospital. For additional assistance call them at 602-254-4357.