At long last, teens have been released from the school for the summer break. While most of them look forward to the freedom that awaits, most parents need to find ways to keep them busy and in check. While you can’t imprison them at home for 3 months, it is important that you remain aware of patterns that may indicate alcohol or drug use.
The last month of a high school year is filled with youth anticipation. Plans are made between friends, gatherings scheduled, and phone numbers and email addresses are exchanged with acquaintances. Some adolescents will plan to be very active during the summer months, and others will choose to take it easy. Either way, parents will be concerned about their welfare at some point.
It’s almost impossible to keep tabs on your household teens all of the time. They need their freedom, and you have to go to work or a have home to take care of. There will be a good amount of time that teens are away from you for several hours or even a few days. Assuming your family has been free from substance use problems, you will probably trust them to not get involved with alcohol or drugs, but you may still worry.
Temptation to get high is everywhere, these days, and teens are very impressionable. A 14 year old who gets excellent grades and is very active in school activities can get hooked on drugs just the same as dropout. This is not mentioned to instill fear, but you should be constructively aware of the signs of substance use. If you ignore the early stages of youth alcohol and drug use, you will open the door to more frequent use and future problems.
Watch for the signs. Teens that begin using alcohol and drugs will often go through an abrupt change of friends. They will spend less and less time at home, and sleeping patterns will change. Conflicts with parents increase. The “flu” may visit your house more than once in a short period of time. If you happen to find drugs or paraphernalia in their room, be assured that it does not belong to a friend.
If you still want to avoid a conflict with your teen and think substance use is just a passing phase, remember that most teen injuries and deaths involve substance use. Talk to them and get them help if they have a problem.
Tarzana Treatment Centers in Los Angeles provides a full array of health care services including adult and youth alcohol and drug treatment. We specialize in treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and have two primary medical care clinics in the San Fernando Valley and Antelope Valley and specialized services for HIV/AIDS care. If you or a loved one needs help with alcohol dependence, drug addiction, or co-occurring mental health disorders or from other services we offer, please call us now at 800-996-1051 or contact us using our secure contact form.
Telemedicine services are also available with online medical care, online mental health treatment, and online alcohol and drug treatment.
Southern California Locations for Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Tarzana Treatment Centers has locations all over Southern California in Los Angeles County. Other than our central location in Tarzana, we have facilities in Lancaster in the Antelope Valley, Long Beach, and in Northridge and Reseda in the San Fernando Valley.
