Signs That Your Teenager Might be Abusing Drugs

Learn the signs that your teen is abusing drugs

If you’re worried that your teenager is abusing drugs or alcohol, you know how difficult it is to even cope with the idea, let alone receive confirmation. It can be challenging to notice signs and symptoms of substance abuse in your teen, as these signs are often similar to normal adolescent behavior or mental health issues.

If your child demonstrates several of the symptoms listed below, we strongly recommend that you contact us for a professional assessment. Getting an assessment will help to find out what is really going on as well as make sure your teen is going to be safe and healthy in the future. Your child’s well-being is the most important thing to you, and to us, so we believe it’s always best to err on the side of caution.

The symptoms below are typical signs of drug abuse in teenagers, taken from the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids’ website:

Personal Appearance

  • Messy, lack of caring about appearance
  • Bad hygiene
  • Red, flushed cheeks or face
  • Track marks on arms or legs, or wearing long sleeves in warm weather to hide marks
  • Burns or soot on fingers

Personal Habits

  • Clenching teeth
  • Smell of smoke or other unusual smells on breath or clothes
  • Chewing gum or mints often to cover smells
  • Heavy use of over-the-counter drugs to reduce eye reddening, nasal irritation or bad breath
  • Breaking curfew often
  • Cash flow problems
  • Reckless driving
  • Avoiding eye contact
  • Locked doors
  • Going out every night
  • Secretive phone calls
  • Sudden appetite or “munchies”

Behavioral Issues

  • Change in relationships with family members or friends
  • Loss of inhibitions
  • Mood changes or emotional instability
  • Loud, annoying behavior
  • Laughing at nothing
  • Clumsy, stumbling, lack of coordination, poor balance
  • Sullen, withdrawn, depressed
  • Extremely tired
  • Uncommunicative or silent
  • Hostile, angry, uncooperative
  • Secretive or deceitful
  • Endless excuses
  • Decreased motivation
  • Lethargic movement
  • Unable to speak, slurred or rapid speech
  • Inability to focus
  • Hyperactivity
  • Unusually elated
  • Sleeplessness or high energy periods, followed by long periods of sleep
  • Disappearing for long periods of time

Academic or Work-Related Issues

  • Nosebleeds
  • Runny nose that isn’t caused by allergies or a cold
  • Frequently sick
  • Sores, spots around mouth
  • Nausea
  • Seizures
  • Vomiting
  • Wetting lips or excessive thirst
  • Sudden or dramatic weight loss or gain
  • Skin abrasions/bruises
  • Accidents or injuries
  • Depression
  • Headaches
  • Sweatiness

Home or Car-Related Problems

  • Prescription drugs disappearing
  • Missing alcohol or cigarettes
  • Disappearance of money or valuables
  • Smell in the car, or bottles, pipes or bongs on the floor or in glove box
  • Appearance of unusual containers or wrappers, or seeds left on surfaces used to clean marijuana
  • Appearance of unusual drug apparatuses, like pipes, rolling papers, small medicine bottles, eye drops, butane lighters or makeshift smoking devices, like bongs made from toilet paper rolls and aluminum foil
  • Hidden alcohol stashes

How Can Residential Treatment Help My Teenage Daughter?

Residential treatment from the CERTS Group is an intensive level of care that combines 24/7 staffing, experiential therapies specific to overcoming addiction, individual therapy, group therapy and fully accredited education. This treatment is ideal for a young person engaging in dangerous, drug-related behavior, or someone who needs a high level of support for mental or behavioral issues. If you want a more detailed assessment of your child’s situation, call us now at 1-888-406-5968.