Watch For Our Monthly Column
The First Thursday Of Every Month
HEED WARNING SIGNS OF
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
THE ITHACA JOURNAL (FEBRUARY 2004)
By: Cherrylynn Burris
The mood swings and unpredictable behavior of the “tween” and teen years often make it hard to tell if a young person is using drugs—but there are warning signs you can watch out for. If your child exhibits one or more of the following behaviors or moods, drugs may have become a part of his or her life:
- She's withdrawn, depressed, tired, or careless about her personal grooming.
- He's hostile, uncooperative, and frequently breaks curfews.
- Her relationships with family members have deteriorated.
- He's hanging around with a new group of friends.
- Her grades have slipped, and her school attendance is irregular.
- He's lost interest in hobbies, sports, and other favorite activities.
- Her eating and sleeping patterns have changed; she's up at night and sleeps during the day.
- He has a hard time concentrating.
- Her eyes are red-rimmed and her nose is runny—but she doesn't have allergies or a cold.
- Household money has been disappearing.
- You have found any of the following in your home: pipes, rolling papers, small medicine bottles, eye drops, butane lighters, homemade pipes, or bongs (pipes that use water as a filter) made from soda cans or plastic beverage containers.
Some of these indicators can be caused by emotional problems or physical illness. Discuss the possibility with your child's doctor and, if necessary, take him in for a physical exam. If illness is not the problem, it's time to choose a course of action. Help can be found through your child’s school or you can contact the Alcohol and Drug Council for additional advice and information.
Whether children are using drugs or not, we can support them by helping them to develop positive relationships, opportunities, skills and values that young people need to succeed.
Listed below are some ways you can accomplish this:
- Show them you care about them and you are willing to help them through challenges.
- Set reasonable boundaries and high, reachable expectations.
- Help them develop social competencies that they can use throughout life.
- Help them become committed to learning by modeling a love of learning throughout life.
- Celebrate their positive identity by letting youth know that they are valuable and worthwhile with a purpose in life.
- Inspire youth to make constructive use of their time, but suggest productive things to do.
It is with this in mind that The Alcohol & Drug Council is hosting its second annual No Limits basketball tournament for students. It was created to promote healthy choices for students and to assure them that there are No Limits to what their minds, hearts, and bodies, can conceive, believe, or achieve.
No Limits promises to be an exciting 3-on-3 basketball tournament for 6 th through 12th grade boys and girls on Saturday, March 20 from 10am -5pm. Each team should have 3-5 players and will play at Cornell University’s Barton Hall with professional referees. The cost is $5 per person if you pre-register; $6 at the door.
Adults can support young people by putting together a team of students to participate in the No Limits tournament. Children need parental permission to participate. More information and a registration form is available on-line at www.alcoholdrugcouncil.org or phone us at 274-6288. Make your team reservation soon!
Sober Talk is a monthly column by the Alcohol & Drug Council of Tompkins County, Inc. and runs in the Journal the first Thursday of each month. Cherrylynn Burris, MSW is the Youth Services Coordinator at the Alcohol & Drug Council.
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