Posts Tagged teen alcoholism

Common Questions Teens Ask About Alcohol

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse Prevention on February 23rd, 2010

Question: Is it really cool to drink alcohol?
Answer: Some people think it is because they thought everyone is doing it and so you need to do it as well to fit in. The truth is only less than a thrid of the teenage population do drink. This means that if we consider the choice of the majority, it is much more cooler not to drink.

alcoholQuestion: Does alcohol boost energy?
Answer: No. It is a depressant, so it naturally slows down your system and often makes you sleepy. That is why it is never safe to drink and drive. A driver’s skills are affected by the intake of alcohol.

Question: Does drinking alcohol improve sex?
Answer: The only thing that alcohol can do in relation to social situations is that it reduces inhibitions. This may make you try more interesting things while under the influence of alcohol. This does not mean, though, that sex becomes better. In reality, alcohol makes it difficult for the guys to have and keep an erection while it lowers sex drive for girls. Also, alcohol may make you forget to use a condom or influence you to proceed with sex wthout protection. This, of course, carries consequences like early pregnancy and contracting STDs.

Question: How can alcohol harm one’s body?
Answer: Significant alcohol intake may disturb sleep, thereby depriving your body of the sleep it needs to rejuvenate and recharge. Alcohol also causes nausea and vomiting. Serious diseases caused by too much drinking are cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer; pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas); hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart attacks; osteoporosis (loss of bone mass); and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (brain disorder) among others.

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Help Your Kids Fight Teen Depression

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Prevention, Raising Healthy Kids on February 1st, 2010

We have already discussed how teenage depression can lead to abuse of drugs and alcohol. If you think that your child or any teenager in your life suffers from depression, take action right away. Do not wait for the signs to go away. Depression, when left untreated, can be very dangerous; some teens even go as far as committing suicide.

teen depressionParents have a responsibility to always check the welfare of their children and see to it that they are away from serious danger. Here are some things to remember when dealing with a depressed teen:

1. Offer support and let them feel you are there to help them. Express your unconditional support. Let your child speak freely about what he feels and listen to what he has to say.  Do not judge. Do not criticize. Do not lecture.

2. Acknowledge their pain and take their concerns seriously. Do not underestimate their feelings. Do not try to talk teens out of their depression, although their concerns may appear shallow to you. Remember that this is important to them and that it may be difficult for them to open up about it.

3. If your teen tells you that nothing is wrong, although you feel in your heart that there is, trust your instincts. Be persistent but be gentle at the same time. Denial is a common reaction, or your teen may probably not realize it’s depression he is feeling.

4. Check your child’s activities. Make sure he does not involve himself in drugs, alcohol or gambling. Depressed teens are susceptible to drug abuse, recklessness and violence.

5. If you feel that your teen’s depression is getting worse, seek professional help.  Encourage your teen to confront this episode in his life with courage. Ensure him that you are just beside him to offer your full and unconditional support.

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Parent’s Role in Curbing Teen Alcohol Abuse

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Alcohol Abuse, Raising Healthy Kids on January 14th, 2010

If you often find it hard to understand your teenager, this is probably the time when you need to be patient the most.  That’s because at this stage, your child will likely explore the most exciting paths he will ever come across with.

teen alcohol abuseAs a teenager, your child will naturally seek and even crave acceptance among his peers. A lot of kids put high value on being accepted by friends and society rather than think what is best for them no matter the costs. For example, classmates who stay home on Friday evenings doing their Math project may be branded as “nerds” while those who hang out with friends for some party time and alcohol drinking are considered “cool”.

Of course, as a parent, you need to realize that teenagers will have their own way of understanding alcohol consumption and alcohol abuse.  For this reason, it is important for you not only to tell your children to avoid alcohol, but also to carefully explain why.  You need to put value on their interpretation of things in order for them to appreciate what you have to teach them.

Parents often make the mistake of being too authoritative with their children, but children these days are smart enough to think on their own, and they usually don’t simply follow orders just because you said so.

Many things have contrived to make today’s young people very susceptible to misinterpreting the things around them. So, it is of extreme importance that parents painstakingly explain to their children the risks and the pressures as well as instill the right attitudes.

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My Friend Was a Drug Addict: A True Story

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Alcohol Abuse, Drug Addiction on December 15th, 2009

I once had a friend in college who showed a lot of promise during his first year. He had the potential to graduate with honors in class, and it showed in the way he carried and handled himself. He was one of those people whose abilities were off-the-scale, and if you have had the chance to meet him at that time, you would probably say the same.

troubled teenBut he had one big character flaw, if you can call it that: he was an extreme loner. Somehow, he never got the hang of going out with other people. He was seen as one of the school’s biggest nerds. No one wanted to get close to him.

He could have gone on with his life and accepted this stereotyping as a passing phase – that it would not last, but his inner desire to be accepted overwhelmed his rational thinking. And so he made a choice: he would abandon his academic life in lieu of a “more active” social life. There began his downfall. He drank and drank with his buddies to no end, and began to use drugs as well.

As life would have it, things went out of control, and he found himself unable to escape his situation. His body grew dependent on the drugs, and he started to do petty crimes such as shoplifting just to sustain his habit. He dropped out of school, and he seemed to have lived off the grid; no one could contact him at all in any way.

I saw him again four years later. It turns out that he was in a rehabilitation center during the time he was gone. He admits how grave his mistakes early in life were, but he also understands that he can never live his life the same way ever again. He looks forward to a different and more meaningful future, though.

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Why Teens Need to Stay Away from Alcohol, Cigarettes and Drugs

Posted by DrugFreeHomes in Drug Abuse Prevention, Drug Addiction on December 7th, 2009

The pressures faced by today’s teenager are mounting, and teens have adopted different ways on how to cope with it. Some put all their time and efforts directed on studies. Others join organizations that focus on their skills, like the school choir, the football varsity or the Math club. Still, some find themselves succumbing into the pressure and resort to alcohol, smoking and drugs.

teen addictionTeens must be aware, though, that while it seems difficult to believe at first, there are only a few troubled teenagers who actually choose to drink, smoke or take drugs. Most take the better option – channeling their energies to more responsible and meaningful activities. So, if we take the actual number of kids who make the right choice against the number of those who may have been misled, you are more socially adept if you stay away from alcohol, cigarettes and drugs. To really fit in, you need to be clean, healthy and away from harmful vices.

It is also important to remember that teenage drinking, smoking or drug abuse have certain long-term consequences. A single puff of cigarette, mainly just for experimentation, will already do irreparable damage to your lungs. It would not matter if that would be your last or only the first of the many years of puffing, that single incident has already caused harm to your system. Other teens have also found themselves trapped in difficult situations after an impaired judgment have led them to driving under the influence (which may result to traffic accidents) or to teenage sex (which may result to early pregnancy).

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