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CFC#12020
CFC#12020
With help, these kids and teens can go from children at risk to children of promise.
Modern culture often encourages drinking behavior that is unmanageable and dangerous. So-called humor often involves humiliation or harm to individuals while they or their companions are drinking. Sexual behavior often becomes out of control and sometimes violent. Alcohol is a powerful drug and is not legal or appropriate for young and immature people. Sometimes it’s hard to determine whether your child’s behavior is due to normal developmental crises or if their behavior could indicate a problem with alcohol or other drugs.
If alcohol use is hurting your family, talk honestly about it. Emphasize the impact it can have on brain development for those under the age of 21. Parents can be the best resource for their families. Stay Informed. Be Open. Talk Often.
Your primary role as a parent is to nurture, teach, set limits and be aware of potential problem behaviors that may lead to a problem with alcohol or other drugs (See the paragraph above.) The role of parents in protecting kids from alcohol and other drugs involves giving a consistent, clear message about the difference between healthy and unhealthy behaviors through your words and through your example. The behavior you model to your children is extremely powerful and the lines of communication must always be open.
Talking with your kids about alcohol use, drug use, and addiction can be difficult for any parent. For recovering parents, conversations with your children or teens about drug use and abuse are even more complex, urgent, and personal. Here are some great resources to help your family start the conversation.
If you find yourself or your friends drinking excessively, be aware that this is likely to have a profound effect on your child’s future relationship with alcohol and your relationship with your child. If your drinking is causing problems in your relationships with your children or your spouse, you are strongly encouraged to seek a professional evaluation to assess not only your risk for problem drinking, but also your child’s risk for problem drinking in the future, often fueled by the chronic emotional stress of living with a parent with a drinking problem. You may want to sit down and read the Kit for Kids or make a selection from the Children’s Book List, and then discuss the messages. It may not only reduce the confusion and anxiety your child is feeling, but some of your own as well.
If you are concerned about your child, pediatricians, most school counselors and school social workers, and local treatment facilities should be able to direct you to a professional evaluator who can help you rule out a problem with substance use or explore appropriate treatment options. Do not rely on the advice of family members or friends unless they are trained to diagnose a problem with substance use disorder. Get professional help. SAMHSA (The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) offers a 24/7 treatment referral line The American Society of Addiction Medicine provides a directory of medical experts in this area. Consider attending the appropriate 12 step mutual support program meeting: Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous A parent, and other family members, may benefit from attending the appropriate family support program: Al-Anon or Nar-Anon. Check out Partnership for Drug-Free Kids for more resources.
The potential for abuse of prescription medicines has grown dramatically. The problems are found in communities across the country, raising the importance for families to wisely manage prescription medicines in the home, and to get rid of them as soon as possible when no longer needed. The higher vulnerability to addiction for some families increases the need to consider strong measures in the name of prevention and modeling good health practices. Learn how to safeguard prescription medicines while in the home, and the proper procedures for disposal.
