Substance Abuse Counseling - Contact Family Crisis Counseling Solutions

Current Family Solutions Services Offered:

This information was taken from the Teen and Drug Substance Abuse website

GFCS offers comprehensive substance use screenings. Individual and group therapy are available.

According to a recent report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a young person's average day often includes drinking, smoking, or using illicit drugs.

On an average day in 2006, about 1.2 million adolescents, age 12 to 17, smoked cigarettes, 631,000 drank alcohol, and 586,000 used marijuana.

In addition, about 49,000 adolescents used inhalants, 27,000 used hallucinogens (e.g., Ecstasy and other club drugs), 13,000 used cocaine, and 3,800 used heroin.

On an average day in 2006, nearly 8,000 adolescents drank alcohol for the first time; 4,300 used an illicit drug for the first time; 4,000 smoked their first cigarette; 3,600 smoked marijuana for the first time; and 2,500 used pain relievers for non-medical reasons for the first time.

In 2005 (the most recent data), more than 76,000 youth were in outpatient treatment; 10,000 in non-hospital residential treatment; and 1,000 in hospital inpatient treatment.

Teenagers may be involved with legal or illegal drugs in various ways. Experimentation with drugs during adolescence is common. Unfortunately, teenagers often don’t see the link between their actions today and the consequences tomorrow. They also have a tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the problems that others experience.

Using alcohol and tobacco at a young age increases the risk of using other drugs later. Some teens will experiment and stop, or continue to use occasionally, without significant problems. Others will develop a dependency or addiction, often moving on to more dangerous drugs and causing significant harm to themselves and possibly others.

Adolescence is a time for trying new things. Teens use drugs for many reasons, including curiosity, because it feels good, to reduce stress, to feel grown up, or to fit in. It is difficult to know which teens will experiment and stop and which will develop serious problems.

The following behaviors can be warning signs of problems related to alcohol or other drug use.

Physical

Fatigue
Repeated health complaints
Frequent flu-like episodes, chest pains, "allergy" symptoms, chronic cough
Red and glazed eyes
Impaired ability to fight off common infections and fatigue
Impaired short-term memory
Change in health or grooming

Emotional

Personality change
Sudden mood changes
Irritability, anger, hostility
Irresponsible behavior
Low self-esteem
Poor judgment
Feelings of loneliness, paranoia, or depression
Apathy or general lack of interest
Change in personal priorities

Family Relationships

Decreased interest in the family and family activities
Starting arguments
Negative attitude
Verbal (or physical) mistreatment of younger siblings
Breaking rules
Withdrawing from family
Secretiveness
Failure to provide specific answers to questions about activities
Personal time that is unaccounted for
Lying and dishonesty
Unexplained disappearance of possessions in the home
Increased money or poor justification of how money was spent

School Activities

Decreased interest
Negative attitude
Unexplained drop in grades
Irregular school attendance
Truancy
Discipline problems
Not returning home after school

Peer Relationships

Dropping old friends
New group of friends
Not bringing friends home
New friends who make poor decisions and are not interested in school or family activities
Changes to a different style in dress and music
Attending parties with no parental supervision

Some of the warning signs listed above can also be signs of other problems. Parents may recognize signs of trouble but should not be expected to make the diagnosis.

Consulting a physician to rule out physical causes of the warning signs is a good first step. This should often be followed or accompanied by a comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional.

Substance Abuse Counseling - Family Crisis Counseling Solutions