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Signs To Watch For
Most
parents are overconfident in believing they
would know if their child was drinking.
Unfortunately, all Copper Country teens are at
risk for use and abuse of alcohol. As parents,
it is important to be aware of this risk and to
continuously monitor your teen. However,
identifying signs of early alcohol use in
children can be difficult even with careful
monitoring. One sign that your child is
experimenting, or considering doing so, could be
a casual mention that all or one of your teen's
friends are drinking. Or, your child may say
that one of her friend's parents lets his teen
drink. These could be "trial balloons" to test
your reaction to underage drinking. Other early
signs of experimentation might include laughing
or joking about a friend's alcohol use, alcohol
advertisements, or other alcohol-related scenes
in TV shows or movies. Your teen may acquire
alcohol-related items such as T-shirts, mugs,
stickers, etc. It is also likely that there will
be no visible sign of early experimentation.
By the time a parent recognizes physical and
personality changes, the teen is already
engaging in heavy alcohol use and could be
developing serious alcohol problems. While some
common warning signs of alcohol abuse are listed
below, please keep in mind that because these
signs often don't become visible until the teen
has been drinking for quite awhile, the most
effective approach in reducing teen alcohol
usage is through ongoing monitoring. By
monitoring, you can find out if your teen is
using alcohol before these signs become visible
and serious abuse problems may already exist. If
you have any concerns or think there may be a
problem, share your concern with your child.
Believe in your power to help your child, but
don't be afraid to seek help if you feel
overwhelmed, uncertain, or simply want
additional information. If you believe that your
child may be having trouble, contact your
child's physician for professional advice or
assessment; if needed, obtain a referral to a
health care professional specializing in
alcohol-related problems.
Some of the signs of alcohol use may also be
"normal" adolescent behavior. What is not
"normal," however, is if more than a few of the
following signs listed below are present. Such a
combination of changes could indicate a serious
problem.
Personality or Behavior Changes
-
Abrupt changes
in mood or attitude
-
More irritable
or argumentative
-
Sudden decline
in attendance or performance at school
-
Rebelling
against family rules
-
Sudden
resistance to discipline at school
-
Uncharacteristic
withdrawal from family or friends
-
"Nothing
matters" attitude, losing interest in
school, sports or other activities that used
to be important
-
Physical,
emotional or mental problems
-
Memory lapses
-
Poor
concentration
-
Needs more
money-or more money missing
-
Heightened
secrecy about actions or possessions
-
Switching
friends
-
Associating with
a new group of friends whom your child
refuses to discuss
-
Finding alcohol
in your child's room or belongings.
Physical Changes
-
Less appetite or
continually hungry
-
Loss or gain of
weight
-
Less interested
in appearance
-
Circles under
eyes and pale skin, including face
-
Bloodshot eyes
-
Slurred or rapid
speech
-
Smell of alcohol
on breath, sudden, frequent use of breath
mints
*Please note that
these could also be signs of depression,
suicidal ideation or other mental health issues. |
