The day unfolds like any other quiet Sunday. Your teen is out with some friends at a nearby mall. You're just dropping some folded laundry on her bed when you notice the Facebook page left open on her computer. You don't want to be nosy, but, well, it's right in front of you. You look.
Imagine your complete and utter astonishment when you see your very own 16-year-old daughter, wearing the outfit she had on just last night, smoking what appears to be a bong (not that you would know). It appears to be filled with smoke. Her eyes look glazed. Is that what was going on at the friend's house you drove her to?
When you confront her as she comes in the door, she brushes you off with, “Oh, Mom, it's just organic herbs!”
You are not alone
First, know that you are not alone. Wende Wood, a psychiatric pharmacist with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, says most Canadian teens experiment with drugs. However, she adds, when kids move from experimentation to chronic use to problem use, they may have an underlying problem that has not been diagnosed, such as anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder.
Similarly, what may appear to be a telltale sign of drug use, such as sleeping all day on the weekend, may be normal teen behaviour, points out Wood. "Teens can be dramatic, and it's often hard to know what's normal teenage behaviour. Keep the lines of communication open," she advises.
Becoming as knowledgeable as possible about the drugs out there before you have an open conversation with your teen is another way to help build credibility and protect your child, says Carin McLean, manager of the Youth Outreach program at CAMH. To get you started, here's a list of the most common recreational drugs, as well as their uses, side-effects and health risks.
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