Are you unsure as to whether your teenager is using drugs or drinking alcohol? You aren’t alone. Teenagers can be unpredictable, moody and distant, and sometimes this is just because they are growing up. But these behaviours can also indicate a change in your child’s life resulting from outside influences like the use of drugs and alcohol.
While we usually rely on our own observations to determine whether or not our children are at risk of choosing unhealthy lifestyles, there are additional perspectives we can search out before we make the decision to use home drug test kits to keep our families drug-free.
For example, look in your teenager’s school. You can ask your teenager’s teacher to give you an insight into your child’s well-being – s/he may have valuable observations about the signs your child may show at school but adequately hides at home.
Your child’s teachers may be able to tell you whether your child is exhibiting any of the following behaviours:
• Sudden drop in grades
• Cutting classes
• Sleeping during classes
• Loss of interest in learning, work performance, or extra-curricular activities
• Increased defiance
• Loss or reduction of memory or attention span
And while some teens may exhibit some of these signs without doing drugs or drinking alcohol, this list provides a good overview of what behaviours your teenager may be displaying if s/he is experimenting with addictive, harmful substances.
And, just as a reminder, these are some behaviours to watch for at home.
• Increased lying or sneaking
• Loss of respect for your family’s rules (not obeying curfew, not telling you where s/he’s been)
• Reduced participation or interest in family activities
• Increased verbal or physical aggression
• Disappearance of money or valuables from your home
• Increased or decreased appetite
• Evidence of drug paraphernalia
• Increased defiance
• Loss or reduction of memory or attention span
• Sudden change of peer group
• Unexplained mood swings and unpredictable behaviour
• Unexplained exhaustion
• Unwillingness to share personal problems
• Becoming more negative, argumentative, anxious or paranoid
• Extreme weight loss or weight gain
• Being overly tired or overly energized
• Showing signs of depression
• Loss of care for appearance
The most effective way to learn about whether your child is participating in harmful activities is to use all avenues to gather information. Don’t be afraid to talk to other adults in your child’s life – they may see a different side of your child, or have access to information that you don’t. The more information you have about your child’s activities, the easier it will be to ask your child about his or her lifestyle and make the decision to use home drug test kits.