Learn 5 Warning Signs of Teen Drug and Alcohol Abuse

4. Drop in Academic Performance

If your child is receiving an education through traditional means, they will most likely spend six to eight hours per day in school. Depending on their grade level and school curriculum, they may attend one primary class that covers all of the core courses, or they may have numerous shorter sessions that they switch between. In any case, it’s not uncommon for parents to want their child to do well in school, so a significant fall in school performance can be concerning.

I urge you not to just attribute this decline to substance addiction; it could be due to a variety of factors such as stress, a new setting, domestic conflict, or other factors. But, like with the other warning flags on this list, early intervention may be all that stands between your child and a path best avoided.

5. Having More Sick Days

Children become sick; it’s part of growing up. You become infected with new, alien viruses and bacteria and contract the common cold, flu, or chickenpox. Some of us may have even danced with a potentially fatal sickness such as pneumonia or malaria.

But, if your child appears to be continually sick and there is no medical explanation for it, it could be a hangover or another bad result of substance addiction. Is your youngster constantly required to stay at home the day after a missed curfew or other unexplained time lapse?

Are they cranky or are they not cranky? Are you sensitive to sunshine and prone to re-bringing breakfast? Don’t those sound like classic hangover symptoms?

Don’t rule it out entirely because your child is underage, especially if you keep alcohol on hand or it is available for consumption at someone else’s residence. These withdrawal symptoms are fairly prevalent across all substances and can occur after any level of drug use. If your kid continues to exhibit these symptoms, take the required steps to discover their cause.