Recognizing When Substance Use Has Become Substance Abuse

Unfortunately in many cases a teenager will use drugs and alcohol for quite some time before parents notice the signs of a problem. Often by the time a parent sees the obvious signs, the child has a problem that goes beyond occasional use of these substances. The child may now have developed an abusive pattern of use and may be addicted to drugs or alcohol. The best solution for such teens is to get them out of the immediate environment and away from the peer influences that are enabling their abuse of drugs or alcohol. Drug or alcohol rehab may be necessary to give the child a time period in which to get on his or her feet and begin a program of recovery from addiction.

To learn more about alcohol and drug use, treatment, rehabs, and other residential treatment programs, please visit ASK, the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base

Specific Signs of Addiction:

Hidden stashes of alcohol
Makes phone calls to beepers
Alcohol missing from your supply
Secretive phone calls
Hangovers
Unusual containers, wrappers
Sick more often
Reports of intoxication at school
Money missing
Desperation/withdrawal
Valuables missing
Other drug-seeking behavior
Child "disappears" for long periods
Prescription medicine missing
Running Away