What to Look for - Signs and SymptomsDo you suspect that your child is abusing alcohol or using drugs? Are you worried? Have you noticed some changes with your child? As a parent, it is normal to be concerned. Listen to your intuitive voice and read on! How Are Parents Affected?: Before we discuss what you need to look for if you are concerned about your child, including the signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug use, we need to talk about how you have been affected by their alcohol and drug use. Your ability to be helpful depends on how much you understand about alcohol and drugs as well as how you have been affected by their alcohol and drug use. In fact, the most important thing you can do to help your son or daughter is to commit to getting help and support for yourself! To better understand how you have been affected, and find out if you need some help, answer these questions:
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 just go away. If left untreated, use and abuse can develop into drug dependence or alcoholism. As a result, it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse early. If you’re worried that your son or daughter might be abusing alcohol or drugs, here are some of the warning signs to look for:
Signs and symptoms of alcoholism and drug dependence:Alcoholism involves all the symptoms of alcohol abuse, but also involves another element: physical dependence- tolerance and withdrawal. 1. Tolerance: Tolerance means that, over time, you need more alcohol to feel the same effect. Do you drink more than you used to? Do you drink more than other people without showing obvious signs of intoxication? 2. Withdrawal: As the effect of the alcohol wears off you may experience withdrawal symptoms: anxiety or jumpiness; shakiness or trembling; sweating, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, depression, irritability, fatigue or loss of appetite and headaches. Do you drink to steady the nerves, stop the shakes in the morning? Drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms is a sign of alcoholism and addiction. In severe cases, withdrawal from alcohol can be life-threatening and involve hallucinations, confusion, seizures, fever, and agitation. These symptoms can be dangerous and should be managed by a physician specifically trained and experienced in dealing with alcoholism and addiction. 3. Loss of Control: Drinking more than you wanted to, for longer than you intended, or despite telling yourself that you wouldn’t do it this time. 4. Desire to Stop - But Can’t: You have a persistent desire to cut down or stop your alcohol use, but all efforts to stop and stay stopped, have been unsuccessful. 5. Neglecting Other Activities: You are spending less time on activities that used to be important to you (hanging out with family and friends, exercising- going to the gym, pursuing your hobbies or other interests) because of the use of alcohol. 6. Alcohol Takes Up Greater Time, Energy and Focus: You spend a lot of time drinking, thinking about it, or recovering from its effects. You have few, if any, interests, social or community involvements that don’t revolve around the use of alcohol. 7. Continued Use Despite Negative Consequences: You drink even though they know it’s causing problems. As an example, you realize that your alcohol use is interfering with your ability to do your job, is damaging your marriage, making your problems worse, or causing health problems, but you continue to drink. For additional information, Learn About Alcohol, Learn About Drugs or Get Help may be helpful. |
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