Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Teens: Trends
Signs of possible drug or alcohol dependency in youths include the following:
- Physical signs, including disturbed sleeping and eating patterns, confusion in thought processes, sudden changes in appearance, changes in general health, excessive anxiety or paranoia, a change in attention span…
- Psychological/emotional signs, including a general decrease in motivation and interests, heightened irritability and mood fluctuations, unprovoked hostility, uncooperativeness, an increase in irresponsible behaviors…
- School signs, including a drop in grades, increased tardiness and absences, sleeping in class, coming to school drunk or under the influence of drugs, decrease in extra-curricular activities, disciplinary problems…
- Social signs, including friends with no “Last” names, sudden interest in the Grateful Dead or other popular drug culture figures, withdrawal and isolation from others, changes in peer group, change in dress, encounters with police…
