Indicators of childhood addiction to substances: What to look for?

Indicators of childhood addiction to substances will be very evident when parents stay closer to their children.

When our children grow up we are often forced to release them to other people for care due to various reasons. Such reasons may include their education, our work schedule that does not allow us to have adequate time to spend with them and many others. As parents and guardians we still have a duty to ensure that they are well taken care of irrespective of their new places of residence whether temporal or permanent. And with the saturation of the drugs and alcohol in our neighborhoods we must up our sleeves to ensure that our children are brought up morally upright. It is for this reason that we want to focus our discussion on the indicators of childhood addiction to substances of addiction. To do this we are going to be talking to the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury to help us bring this topic into perspective. In view of this doctor Akoury says that we must first evaluate the accuracy of the problem at hand by answering the following questions: Do you suspect that your child is abusing alcohol or using drugs? Are you worried? Have you noticed some changes with your child? If your response to these is yes, then as a parent it is very normal to be concerned and that brings us to the next point of concern which is how are parents affected by their children’s misuse of drugs?

Before we discuss what you need to look for if you your child is misusing drugs, it is important that we find out how we are affected in the first place by our children indulgence in to drugs and alcohol. Doctor Akoury is very categorical that as a parent your ability to be helpful in this situation will highly depend on how much you understand the significance of alcohol and drugs as well as how you much have been affected by their alcohol and drug use. And in fact, the most important thing you can do to help your son or daughter is first to commit to getting help and support for yourself! And to do that better, you must first understand how you have been affected, and find out if you need some help in answering these questions:

• About alcohol: Are you troubled by someone’s drinking?
• About other drugs: Do you need help?

Depending on how you respond to those questions knowing the warning signs becomes the next focus.

Indicators of childhood addiction to substances: Warning signs

The use and abuse of alcohol and drugs are serious issues that should not be ignored or minimized and we should not sit back and hope they will just go away. If left untreated, their usage can develop into serious drug dependence or alcoholism. Therefore is very important to recognize the various signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse early enough for proper action to be taken. Doctor Akoury and her team of experts will always be there for you and so if you’re worried that your son or daughter might be abusing alcohol or drugs you can schedule for an appointment with her today for the commencement of their recovery process but in the meantime the following are some of the physical and health warning signs of drug abuse to look for:

• Irregular changes in appetite or sleep patterns or sudden weight loss or weight gain.
• Shakes, tremors, incoherent or slurred speech, impaired or unstable coordination.
• Deterioration in personal hygiene or physical appearance.
• Eyes that are bloodshot or pupils that are smaller or larger than normal.
• Frequent nose bleeding could be related to snorted drugs like meth or cocaine
• Sudden seizures without any history of epilepsy
• Impaired coordination, injuries/accidents/bruises that they won’t or can’t tell you about- they don’t know how they got hurt
• Unusual smells on breath, body, or clothing.

Indicators of childhood addiction to substances: Behavioral signs of alcohol or drug abuse

• Skipping classes, declining grades and getting in trouble at school
• Drop in attendance and performance at work, loss of interest in extracurricular activities, hobbies, sports or exercise and decreased motivation
• Consistent complaints from co-workers, supervisors, teachers or classmates
• Missing money, valuables, prescription or prescription drugs, borrowing and stealing money
• Acting isolated, silent, withdrawn, engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors
• Clashes with family values and beliefs
• Preoccupation with alcohol and drug-related lifestyle in music, clothing and posters
• Demanding more privacy, locking doors and avoiding eye contact
• Sudden change in relationships, friends, favorite hangouts, and hobbies.
• Frequently getting into trouble like arguments, fights, accidents, illegal activities
• Using incense, perfume, air freshener to hide smell of smoke or drugs
• Using eye drops to mask bloodshot eyes and dilated pupils

Indicators of childhood addiction to substances: Psychological warning signs of alcohol or drug abuse

• Unexplained, confusing change in personality or attitude.
• Sudden mood changes, irritability, angry outbursts or laughing at nothing.
• Periods of unusual hyperactivity or agitation.
• Lack of motivation; inability to focus, appears lethargic or “spaced out.”
• Appears fearful, withdrawn, anxious, or paranoid, with no apparent reason.

Having the above knowledge is not only essential for the determination of whether your son or daughter is struggling with any kind of substance abuse but also very important to you. Addiction is one condition that knows no boundary and therefore when dealing with it, expert opinion is very important in every step of the way. In that regard we want to let you know that if you have been struggling with your child’s addiction or you’re the victim, help is much closer to you that you ever imagine. Doctor Dalal Akoury is a veteran addiction expert of several decades and has registered immense success in her way of administering addiction treatment for her clients. It will interest you to note that she made a personate decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Besides that Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. You may therefore want to reach out for her professional help by calling her on telephone number 843 213 1480 for an appointment and you will not regret having done so.

Indicators of childhood addiction to substances: What to look for?