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The Troubled Teen
6 Warning Signs to Watch For
By Teri Brown
Drug use is one of the most important signs that your child is heading into serious trouble, according to Dr. Friman. "I ask about the presence of lighters, suspicious phone calls, major change in behavior and emotional disposition, changes in appetite and affect, sleep habits and major shifts in interests," he says. "I also ask about changes in interactional style. Although its true that most adolescents want to keep portions of their life private, the drug-using adolescent has more to protect and can appear much less honest or forthcoming than they previously had been."
Cathy Moran, a licensed clinical social worker and director of children's community services for the Mental Health Association of NYC, agrees that there are many warning signs parents can be on the lookout for. "Red flag signs include decrease or loss of interest in school as evidenced by decrease in academic performance (sometimes this may be subtle), poor hygiene or lack of interest in personal appearance or a negative change in peer relationships," she says.
Other signs include these:
- Loss of interest in peers resulting in isolative behavior
- Changes in weight
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Markedly dramatic mood swings out of the normal adolescent hormonal arena
It's also important to remember that it's totally normal for teens to make abrupt changes in their lives as they go about the business of discovering who they really are. Suddenly dying their hair vermilion isn't a warning sign, unless it is combined with other signs such as ignoring their friends or a change in their academic performance.