Teen Drug Abuse - Active Parents Can Help
One of the core dynamic principles in raising psychologically healthy and productive teenagers is that of boundaries. The process of instilling a sense of what is acceptable and unacceptable begins in early childhood and undergoes progressive modifications tuned to the youngster's increasing age.
A toddler needs to be made aware that it is not permissible to strike out at parents when he or she is angry. That same pre-teen youngster will be taught that it is not acceptable to enter his parents' bedroom at will or to participate as an equal at parents' social gatherings.
With the onset of the pre-teen years and the normally accompanying quest for independence, parents need to instill a sense of conformity to the values and expectations held in the home and community.
The youngster at this life stage begins to prioritize social relationships external to the home and in these may encounter markedly different values and expectations from those with which he or she might have been raised.
The child needs to experience a certain sense of internalized boundaries within the family structure and behave within the boundaries set and maintained by the parents. Thus it is important that the teenager understand the importance of treating parents and other adults with respect. Rules must be set and consistently maintained by parents which regulate the life of the child both inside and outside the home.
These rules apply to the use of appropriate language, hours for and conditions pertaining to school study, neatness and organization of the youngster's personal space, use of the telephone and internet especially during the school week, personal hygiene, curfew times during weekends, participating with the family at mealtimes, use of the car, and most importantly, clearly unequivocal and uncompromising prohibitions regarding the use of alcohol and drugs.
Conformity to values and expectations is reinforced by the judicious and regular use of consequences for infractions of the rules. Parents need to speak with one voice in these matters and always support each other in disciplinary situations. In those instances where it might be impossible to consult with the other parent it is necessary to indicate that an answer to the teenager's request will be forthcoming as soon as possible.
In those situations requiring discipline for infractions it is important for both parents to confront the teenager and implement the consequences together.
When the use of drugs or alcohol is suspected parents should approach the teenager together and gently but firmly make their suspicions apparent and ask for an explanation. Whether the teen admits to the behavior or denies it, the parents should take immediate measures to arrange for a visit to the family physician who will initiate appropriate blood testing and urine analysis as parts of a comprehensive diagnostic examination. Positive test results need to be followed by the initiation of drug or alcohol abuse treatment which involves the parents.
A note regarding certain "beating the tests" tactics employed by some teens is appropriate at this point. Youngsters who are intent upon pursuing their drug and alcohol involvement while avoiding detection may take the some of the following measures:
1) Abstain from use to allow evidence from blood and urine examinations to dissipate
2) Ingest certain easily available food supplements (eg: Golden Seal) which mask evidence of cannabis usage.
3) Substitute " clean " urine obtained from a friend or even purchased for examination.
Teenagers eagerly communicate among themselves about methods to avoid drug and alcohol use detection and sophisticated testing personnel are aware of this.
It is essential that the provision of urine samples be witnessed by screeners and that these samples are tested for additives known to be used to mask drug and alcohol use.
The increasingly widespread development of drug and alcohol abuse behavior among teens has given rise to a new industry that sells drug test kits commercially and over the Internet. These probably have reasonable reliability but ought not to be the sole method used to verify suspicions of drug and alcohol abuse. Quality controls for these kits may be satisfactory but their use will be subject to variation and error by well meaning but untrained parents. It is recommended that such detection procedures be performed by experts whose procedures follow strict and non varying protocols.
Professionals in the community best equipped to deal with drug and alcohol abuse issues on an outpatient basis are psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric social workers and certified substance abuse counselors. Usually, the primary care physician is best able to make an appropriate referral.
Along with treatment, strict disciplinary actions need to be implemented in the home and maintained in force until a suitable period of drug or alcohol free functioning has been achieved. These actions should include grounding for a reasonable period with access to friends strictly limited and monitored and prohibitions on telephone and internet usage. Additionally, any activity outside the home and school must be strictly supervised by a responsible adult.
Some success has been achieved in addressing the issue of teen drug and alcohol abuse through the use of contracts. These are written agreements between parents and the teenager which acknowledge and describe the abuse behavior and stipulate the conditions necessary for full reinstatement of privileges in the home. They will reference adherence to specific parental expectations ("You will attend three AA/NA meetings per week and bring us a signature indicating your presence" - "You are permitted to leave the house only to attend school" - "There will be random urine analyses").The results of failure to adhere to the provisions of the contract are also stipulated. The contract requires the signatures of parent, teenager, and any necessary witnesses.
Contracts may also be initiated at the conclusion of treatment programs and apply to the youngster's return to the home setting. In these instances, the instrument will also carry the signatures of treatment team staff.
In those instances where outpatient treatment and firm home management prove unsuccessful in resolving the problem, measures to place the child in an appropriate drug or alcohol rehabilitation treatment facility external to the community must be implemented.
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