Substance Use
Is Alcohol a Drug? The Effects of Drinking on Teens
Is alcohol a drug? Find out how alcohol affects young people, whether alcohol is a drug, signs and symptoms parents should watch for, and how to help teens.
Read MoreBinge Drinking: What Parents Need To Know To Stop It
As a parent, you’re often on the lookout for anything amiss with your teen or young adult. But you may not be watching for a serious issue that can have dangerous and even deadly consequences: binge drinking. “It’s a pretty big problem because in our culture and our society, it’s so normalized — and not…
Read MoreRobotripping: A Guide for Parents of Teens
For some teenagers, getting high is simple. Opening the medicine cabinet at home gives them ready access to an over-the-counter medication that seems relatively harmless — but in high doses, it’s not. What is it? Cough medicine featuring the ingredient dextromethorphan (DXM for short). This medication is used in robotripping, which refers to ingesting products…
Read MoreWhat Parents Need To Know About Vaping
Only a decade ago, teen vaping was rare, according to the Food and Drug Administration. While we’ve seen cigarette usage decline considerably among adolescents, over 25% of 12th graders reported they had vaped in the past year, according to the 2019 round of the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study. What Exactly Is Vaping,…
Read MoreA Modern Guide to Teen Marijuana Use
Learn the common names used for marijuana, the effects weed has on teenagers, and how parents can help stop cannabis use.
Read MoreHow To Cope When You Find Out Your Teen Is Using Drugs
You’ve just discovered your teen is using drugs. Whether you found out because you discovered drugs or drug paraphernalia in their room, you were informed by their school or the police, or your teen told you, you probably feel like the floor fell out from under you. Worry, anger, self-blame, and frustration are all typical…
Read MoreAdderall and Ritalin Misuse: What Parents Need To Know
Learn why teens misuse Adderall and Ritalin, the signs and symptoms, how teens with ADHD are affected, the risks of addiction, and how to help.
Read MoreAsk A Therapist: If My Teen is Using Drugs or Alcohol, Do They Need Rehab?
I just found out my teen is using drugs and alcohol. I’m so scared for them. What do I do? How do I help them? Should I consider rehab centers, residential treatment, or family therapy? When is the right time to explore treatment plans? If you’re asking yourself these questions about teen treatment, Kevin Randall, clinical director at Fulshear Treatment to Transition, has some answers about substance…
Read More6 Ways to Help Your Teen Make Smarter Decisions About Alcohol
Advice from professional therapists on how to help your teen make smarter decisions about alcohol and reduce substance use.
Read MoreHealing from Self-Medication
Whether your teen’s self-medication was exercise, food, or substances, you can help young people overcome substance use.
Read MoreUsing Alcohol To Self-Medicate
Teens trying to mask or suppress pain caused by trauma, loneliness, social stress, insecurity, and anxiety can turn to a behavior whose negative consequences include addiction and even death: self-medicating with alcohol. Learn about using alcohol to self-medicate and how you can help your teen overcome this dangerous behavior. What Is Self-Medication? It’s not hard…
Read MoreProtecting Your Teen from Self-Medication
There may be different reasons people self-medicate, but mental health issues or unresolved trauma is usually at the root of it. Learn more here.
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