Teen Substance Abuse

Teenagers who turn moody, spend a lot of time in their rooms and lose interest in hobbies or sports are acting typical, right? True, but that kind of behavior can also be a sign that your child is using alcohol or other drugs. These symptoms may not necessarily mean your child has a drug problem. It could signal depression or an eating disorder. Here are some signs that might mean your child is abusing substances:

Drugs and drug paraphernalia, such as pipes, rolling papers, eye drops and butane lighters
Seeming hostile and uncooperative
Increased borrowing of money from parents or friends
Stealing
Moodiness
Withdrawal, isolation, depression and fatigue
Suddenly missing a lot of school or work
Sudden resistance to discipline
Unusual temper flare-ups
Loss of interest in hobbies and sports
Change in eating or sleeping habits
Associating with new friends who use drugs
Loss of interest in appearance or drastic change in appearance
Heightened secrecy about actions or possessions
Change in sleeping or eating habits
Frequent headaches, nosebleeds and other physical problems without an apparent reason
Smell of chemicals or drugs

Signs of addiction include:

A feeling that you need the drug all the time
Keeping a supply of the drug
Not being able to stop using the drug
Feeling like you need the drug to cope with your emotions and problems
Using the drug when you are driving

Marijuana

A study of heavy marijuana smokers who are college students shows attention, memory and learning are affected, even after stopping for at least 24 hours, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The American Psychiatric Association says marijuana may cause panic attacks, paranoia and even psychosis (an extreme mental disorder), especially if users are having trouble with anxiety, depression or thinking. Marijuana used during the first month of breastfeeding can harm a baby's motor skills.

Side effects of marijuana use are:

Frequent respiratory infections
Trouble with memory and learning
Faster heart rate
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Poor judgment, such as getting into a car with other teens who are using marijuana
Becoming physically dependent

People who smoke the drug consistently may have the same respiratory problems as people who smoke tobacco. This kind of abuse can destroy lung tissue. Symptoms of chronic use may include:

Daily cough and phlegm
Chronic bronchitis
Frequent colds

Ecstasy

This drug may cause:

Confusion
Depression
Sleep problems
Severe anxiety
Paranoia during and sometimes weeks after taking the drug
Muscle tension
Teeth clenching
Nausea
Blurry vision
Rapid eye movement
Feeling lightheaded
Chills or sweating
Faster heart rate and higher blood pressure

Rohypnol

The short-term effects of Rohypnol include:

Drowsiness
Muscle relaxation
Memory problems
Decreased blood pressure
Dizziness
Gastrointestinal problems
Aggressive behavior in some people

GHB

GHB is sedating. The drug can cause coma and seizures and, when used with methamphetamine, the risk of seizure increases. Combining other drugs such as alcohol can result in nausea and difficulty breathing. Withdrawal from the drug can cause insomnia, anxiety, tremors and sweating.

Special K (Ketamine)

Effects are:

Hallucinations
Delirium
Amnesia
Poor motor function
Possibly fatal respiratory problems
Lost sense of time
Lost sense of self

Methamphetamine

Taken by an injection, the user has an extremely pleasurable sensation called a rush that lasts a few minutes. When taken through the mouth or nose, the person has a euphoric feeling, which is a high, but not the same as a rush. Addiction happens quickly.

Short-term effects include:

Feeling alert
More energy
Not feeling hungry
Quick breathing
Euphoria
Irritability
Insomnia
Confusion
Tremors
Convulsions
Anxiety
Paranoia
Aggressiveness
Hyperthermia and convulsions that can lead to death

Long-term use can cause:

Faster heart rate and high blood pressure
Permanent damage to blood vessels in the brain, producing strokes
Breathing problems
Irregular heartbeat
Extreme anorexia
Death

LSD

The user may feel several emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. The drug may lead to delusions and visual hallucinations. Sense of time and self-changes. Users may feel like they are hearing colors or seeing sounds. These feelings can be scary. Symptoms include:

Terrifying thoughts and feelings
Fear of losing control
Fear of insanity and death
Feelings of despair
Dilated pupils
Higher body temperature
Faster heart rate
High blood pressure
Sweating
Not feeling hungry
Insomnia
Dry mouth
Tremors

Fatal accidents can happen while under the influence of LSD.

Inhalants

Inhalants may cause permanent damage to the brain, nerve cells, heart and lungs. Symptoms may include:

Heart palpitations
Trouble breathing
Dizziness
Headaches
Unusual breath odor or chemical odor on clothing
Spots or sores around the mouth
Nausea or not feeling hungry
Slurred speech
Drunk or dazed appearance
Red or runny eyes or nose

Nearly all abused inhalants slow down the body's functions and can cause intoxicating effects that can last for a few minutes or several hours. Users also feel slightly stimulated. Eventually, as they sniff more, they feel less in control. They may even pass out.

Sniffing a lot of chemicals in solvents or aerosol sprays can cause heart failure and death. This is particularly true of fluorocarbons and butane-type gases. These gases can cause death from suffocation by displacing oxygen in the lungs.

Permanent effects include:

Hearing loss from using paint sprays, glues, dewaxers, cleaning fluids and correction fluids
Central nervous system or brain damage from paint sprays, glues and dewaxers
Nerve damage in the arms and legs from glues, gasoline, whipping cream and gas cylinders
Central nervous system or brain damage from paint sprays, glues and dewaxers
Bone marrow damage from gasoline
Liver and kidney damage from correction fluids and dry cleaning fluids

DXM

If you see your teenager taking a lot of over-the-counter cold and flu medications, particularly if they aren't sick, get them help. Also, look out for cough and cold medications that seem to disappear from the medicine cabinet or packages of cough and cold drugs in your teen's room or backpack. Symptoms include:

Poor judgment
Loss of coordination
Dizziness
Nausea
Hot flashes
Feelings of being dissociated from the body
Hallucinations

Ritalin

The drug may cause:

Psychotic episodes
Cardiovascular problems
Severe psychological addiction
High body temperature
Irregular heartbeat
Fatal seizures
Hostility
Feelings of paranoia

OxyContin

This drug may cause problems with breathing that may lead to death. Withdrawal may include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, vomiting, feeling cold and involuntary leg movements.

Barbiturates and benzodiazepines

In low doses, these drugs lower:

Anxiety
Breathing rates
Blood pressure
Heart rate
Rapid eye movement sleep (deep sleep)

In higher doses, these drugs can act like stimulants and lower inhibitions. They can also make the person very tired and can lead to coma and even death.

Steroids

Effects may include:

Excessive and rapid muscle growth
Increased aggression, even violent
Extreme mood changes
Depression
Fatigue
Restlessness
Loss of appetite
Irritability
Mania
Delusions

Problems may eventually lead to a higher risk for heart attack, strokes and stunted growth.

Cocaine

When people stop using cocaine, they may become depressed. This depression sets up a vicious cycle because users try to alleviate the depression through the drug. Often more and more cocaine is needed to produce the same effect. Prolonged cocaine use can damage the nasal septum (a partition between the nasal cavities) and may cause it to collapse. Cocaine-related deaths are usually because the person had a heart attack or a seizure followed by not being able to breathe.

Signs of cocaine abuse:

Disturbances in heart rhythm
Increased heart and breathing rates
High blood pressure
Dilated pupils
Loss of appetite
Hyperactive
Talkativeness
Irritability
Argumentativeness
Nervousness
Agitation

If the person takes a lot of cocaine, these problems might also occur:

Loss of coordination
Collapse
Perspiration
Blurred vision
Dizziness
Restlessness
Anxiety
Delusions
Heart attack
Chest pain
Rhabdomyolysis with acute kidney failure
Respiratory failure
Stroke
Seizure
Headache
Abdominal pain
Sexual dysfunction
Placenta abruption in pregnancy
Nausea
Paranoia

Heroin

Users may have:

A surge of euphoria, a sense of feeling good
Warm flushing of the skin
A dry mouth
Heavy feeling in arms and legs
Muddled thinking
Alternations between wakeful and sleepy states

Long-term use of heroin may lead to:

Collapsed veins
Infection of the heart lining and valves
Abscesses
Cellulitis
Liver disease
Death

PCP

Feelings of detachment and distance from the user's surroundings
Numbness
Slurred speech
Loss of coordination
A sense of strength and invulnerability
A blank stare
Rapid and involuntary eye movement
Hearing things that aren't there
Severe mood changes
Amnesia
Sometimes anxiety, a feeling of impending doom or psychosis
Rage and anger

A low to moderate dose may cause:

Shallow breathing
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Numbness of the arms and legs
Flushing
Profuse sweating

High doses may cause:

A drop in blood pressure and heart rate
Shallow breathing
Nausea
Vomiting
Blurred vision
Flicking up and down of the eyes
Drooling
Loss of balance
Dizziness
Illusions, delusions and hallucinations
Speech is sparse and garbled

Long-term use of PCP may lead to coma. Problems with long-term use may include:

Memory loss
Speech problems
Depression
Weight loss
Loss of motor skills
Loss of short-term memory
Mood disorders

Mushrooms

Effects depend on the dosage and the age of the mushrooms. Effects include:

Muscle relaxation
Dilation of pupils
Vivid and auditory hallucinations
Emotional disturbances