Warning Signs for Teen Depression
and Drug Use
Parents need
to look for early warning signs and intervene lovingly and quickly. Teens are making
fatally destructive decisions when these symptoms are left unchecked.
Because a preteen or teen is not quite a
child and not quite an adult, they feel isolated and powerless in a world that wants them
to grow up and excel. All of these worries, along with the amplified physical and
emotional changes of adolescence, cause many teens to experience depression and turn
to drugs or other forms of negative behavior. Many of these signs or symptoms
overlap. If you are seeing a cluster of signs, and they are more than just normal
adolescence, seek out professional help.
Indicators of
depression include any combination of several of the following signs, extending over a
period of three weeks or longer:
1. A radical and
otherwise unexplained personality change.
2. Consistently
sleeping more or less than usual
3. Repeated
attempts to run away
4. Frequent and
lengthy bouts of anger or violent behavior
5. Chronic boredom
6. Ongoing
inability to concentrate, pay attention or think clearly
7. Loss of interest
in activities formerly enjoyed
8. Self-punishing
behaviors such as bingeing on food, starving, self-mutilation, etc.
9. Withdrawing from
family and friends
10. Abusing drugs
11. Sexual promiscuity
WHAT DO
I DO?
Depression is treatable. If you
believe your teen is depressed, arrange to have him/her seen by a professional. Spend a
lot more time with your teen. It could be just sitting in his room and really
listening or trying some new activity of his choosing together, whether you think you
would enjoy it or not.
Some General
Signs of Possible Drug Use in Teens:
1. Sudden
unexplained changes in mood or behavior
2. Loss of interest
in regular activities
3. Significant drop
in grades
4. Withdrawal from
family
6. Sudden
sloppiness in appearance
7. Unusual secrecy
8. Decreased energy
and drive
9. Slurred speech,
unclear thinking, poor short-term memory
10. Change in eating or
sleeping habits
11. Sudden change in
friends
WHAT DO
I DO?
Symptoms of drug use should be confronted
and dealt with quickly and persistently using the four steps for turning over
responsibility in the HELP! I Have a Teenager™
program. Free time must be supervised or spent with the family. Treatment programs can be
accessed in the front of your phone book.
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