Drug problem - or experimentation?

Drug problem . . . or not?

When we say drug or alcohol problem we are talking about a situation where an individual has lost control over the use of a drink or drug. This may involve taking more of a drug than they used to, taking a drug more often, or taking different kinds of drugs. Remember wherever we use the word 'drug' here, we are including alcohol.

The type of symptoms that could indicate whether someone has a drug problem are if he or she:

Denies or tries to hide his or her drinking or drug use.
Pretends to use less drugs or alcohol that he or she really does.
Denies having a problem because he or she only uses beer, cannabis or some other supposedly "harmless" substance.
Behaves differently when intoxicated (perhaps louder or more aggressive than normal).
Avoids talking about their drug or alcohol use - and their behavior when they have been intoxicated.
Forgets or denies things that happened when he or she was intoxicated.
Has problems directly related to the use of alcohol or drugs - such as accidents, money problems, difficulties at school, conflicts with teachers, family and old friends etc.
Minimizes the amount and frequency of problems related to their drug or alcohol use.
Chooses friends who are drinkers or drug users.
Seems to have a low self-image and uses alcohol or other drugs to feel better.

If you believe that your child demonstrates any of these symptoms of problematic drug use - then you're right to be concerned about them - and it will help if you read through this whole section for parents.

If your child does not display any of these symptoms, then the chances are that, if they have indeed been taking drugs or alcohol, he or she has done this only occasionally - perhaps as an experiment.
Lots of young people do this - and the best thing you can do is to talk with them and explain the risks and consequences of using drugs or alcohol.

Nevertheless we would encourage you to read through the section for parents, just to learn about appropriate ways of dealing with child drug or alcohol problems. Who knows, you may be asked for advice by another parent one day.

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