Teens And Alcohol
Information On Teens and Alcohol
Teens and alcohol, or drug, experimentation is sadly common. But since youth are only out to see the effects, they don't see the link between what they are doing now and what may happen down the road as a result. Teens often feel that they are immune to consequences, and indestructible.
Obviously, using alcohol, drugs and tobacco at an early age can have many negative effects on their health. Some teenagers will experiment and then quit, or they may continue to use them only occasionally, without many ill effects. But teens and alcohol who are close acquaintances for a longer period of time may cause the adolescent to develop a dependency, and/or they may move onto worse drugs and more alcohol. How do we know which teens will quit and which will go on to have problems with dependency?
Teens at risk for developing more serious drug and alcohol problems include:
Those who are depressed
Those who feel like they don't fit anywhere
Those with a family history of alcohol or drug abuse
Those who have low self-esteem
Teens and alcohol is as big a problem as teens and drugs, even though drug abuse often gets more publicity. Whether they abuse what is legal or illegal to purchase, they may be setting themselves up for a life of dependency.
Alcohol abuse at a young age can result in further abuse as the child gets older, and they are also at risk to abuse drugs as well. They may be setting themselves up for failure in school, violence, accidents, unsafe sex and, sadly, suicide. Parents can try to prevent this by talking to their children openly about the dangers of abusing alcohol. They should also recognize the warning signs that their teen may be overdrinking, and be ready to support their child if they notice these signs:
Social problems: friends who aren't interested in usual school and home activities; problems with police, changes in the way the teen dresses and the music he listens to.
Family: withdrawing, breaking rules or starting arguments.
Emotional: mood changes, lack of interest, depression, poor judgment, low self-esteem, irresponsible behavior, irritability, personality changes.
Physical: persistent cough, red or glazed eyes, redundant health complaints, fatigue.
A few of the warning sign's I've listed may be indicative of other problems. If you as a parent recognize any of these symptoms in your child, you need to talk with your teenager. If that doesn't work, or even if it does, take them to see a healthcare professional to rule out other reasons for any of the symptoms. If there are no other reasons, take your teen to be evaluated by a psychiatrist or a mental health professional. It's never too early to worry about teens and alcohol or drug abuse.