Guilt Versus Shame

At Meridian Youth Treatment Center for teens we are often asked the difference between guilt and shame.

Guilt and shame are with us from a very early age. Research suggests that guilt begins around the ages of three to six, while shame occurs much earlier – from fifteen months to three or even sooner according to some theories.  Though closely related, guilt and shame are different.  Guilt happens when you feel bad about your actions while shame happens when you feel bad about who you are as a person.  Guilt causes a person to want to make amends and reform while shame makes a person frustrated and humiliated.  Guilt says, “I’ve done something wrong;” Shame says, “There is something wrong with me.”  Guilt says, “I’ve made a mistake;” Shame says, “I am a mistake.”  Guilt says, “What I did was not good;” Shame says, “I am no good.” With guilt, the response is a desire for atonement, to correct a mistake, or heal a hurt. With shame, there are just painful feelings of depression, alienation, loneliness, isolation, inferiority, self-doubt, inadequacy, failure, helplessness, and hopelessness.

Guilt can be a very healthy stimulus to change our behavior for the better.  Healthy guilt is the feeling that occurs when you have actually done something wrong. This is an important feeling, which results from having developed a conscience. Healthy guilt results in taking responsibility for our choices and being accountable for our actions.

Shame can be a particularly problematic emotion because it is associated with a desire to hide, disappear, or even die. Shame is an emotion in which the self is perceived as defective, unacceptable, or fundamentally damaged. Shame is often experienced as the inner, critical voice that judges whatever we do as wrong, inferior, or worthless. Shame manifests itself physically in a wide variety of forms. We may hide our eyes; lower our gaze; blush; bite our lips or tongue; present a forced smile; or fidget. Other responses may include annoyance, defensiveness, exaggeration or denial. Because the effect of shame often interferes with our ability to think, we may experience confusion, being at a loss for words, or a completely blank mind. 

Shame can lead to unhealthy behaviors and misperceptions. In a study done by Ronda Dearing, Ph.D., Dr. Dearing found that people who feel shame are more likely to fall into alcohol or other drug abuse than those confronted with feelings of guilt. Dr. Dearing went on to state that successfully reducing shame is likely to result in better treatment outcomes.

Shame is often at the root of relationship discord. For example, if one member of a couple wants more intimacy, and/or communication than the other, both may feel shame as a result. The one wanting more intimacy may feel rejected and shamed for wanting too much, the other may feel shame for either not being comfortable with more closeness, or for wanting more distance than the other. Shame, because it is so painful, is often bypassed, and can turn into blaming each other (“You don’t love me!”, or “You’re too needy!”).  Unfortunately, this results in an increase in shame for both people, resulting in an escalation of blame, a vicious cycle that can have devastating results.

Clearly, these shaming inner voices can do considerable damage to our self worth. These self criticisms, that we are stupid, selfish, a show-off, etc., become, in varying degrees, how we see ourselves. For some of us, the inner critical judge is continuously providing a negative evaluation of what we are doing, moment-by-moment. The inner critic may make it impossible for you to feel you can do anything right, telling you that you are too aggressive, or not aggressive enough, that you are too selfish, or that you let people walk all over you.

Steps you can take to reduce shame include confronting the shame, talking to someone you trust about the shame, making an action plan to overcome areas in which shame is blocking your personal growth, engaging in positive self-talk, working on being more assertive (not aggressive), developing an external circle of support, and seeking therapy or counseling if necessary.

 If you have questions about the effects of shame on the development of your teen and how these effects may be stopped, call Meridian Youth Treatment Center for a consultation.

Parents’ Tip of the Month

Time, Actions and Integrity

1.   The one thing your teen wants and needs most from you is your time. Brief periods of intense engagement can’t replace shared daily routines, nor can material advantages compensate for lost time.

2.   Do your best as a parent, but accept your imperfections. Being a parent that is not perfect teaches your child that it is okay not to be perfect. A child that is not perfect learns from their mistakes, and becomes open for new inspirations, growth and knowledge.

3.   To your child, your actions say more than your words.  Teens may tune out after a few moments of long speeches, but will remain very focused on your behavior. Model behavior – don’t lecture it.

4.   Listen to your teen before you speak. Feeling heard opens many doors. It doesn’t matter what you’re discussing; the more you listen to what your child tells you, the more effective your conversation will be.

5.   When your child asks a question, give a simple, truthful answer, regardless of the topic. Questions about death, reproduction and similar weighty matters may seem to require lengthy discussion, but they don’t. Providing too much information wastes the resource and overwhelms the recipient.

6.   Your teen is not responsible for rewarding your parenting; that gratification comes from within and can be a labor of great joys, deep sorrows and, most of all, lasting satisfaction.

Hang in there and hang out with other parents.

 

www.Meridianteen.com

Teen Suicide

The reasons behind a teen’s suicide or attempted suicide can be complex. Although suicide is relatively rare among children, the rate of suicides and suicide attempts increases tremendously during adolescence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds, surpassed only by accidents and homicide. www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/suicide/

Suicide rates differ between boys and girls. Girls think about and attempt suicide about twice as often as boys, and tend to attempt suicide by overdosing on drugs or cutting themselves. Yet boys die by suicide about four times as often girls, because they tend to use more lethal methods.

A teen with a good support system of friends, family, religious affiliations, peer groups, or extracurricular activities has an outlet to deal with everyday frustrations. But many teens don’t believe they have an outlet, and feel disconnected and isolated from family and friends. These teens are at increased risk for suicide.

 Factors that increase the risk of suicide among teens include:

•     A psychological disorder, especially depression, bipolar disorder, and alcohol and drug use (in fact, approximately 95% of people who die by suicide have a psychological disorder at the time of death);

•     Feelings of distress, irritability, or agitation;

 •     Feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness that often accompany depression (a teen, for example, who experiences repeated failures at school, who is overwhelmed by violence at home, or who is isolated from peers is likely to experience such feelings);

 •     A previous suicide attempt;

 •     Family history. This can include a family history of suicide, mental disorders, and/or substance (drug or alcohol) abuse;

 •     Identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual;

 •     Lack of a support network, poor relationships with parents or peers, and feelings of social isolation;

 •     Substance abuse/alcohol abuse, which can create feelings of dependency, illness and depression;

 •     Feeling out of control and powerless due to drug or alcohol addiction can be a major risk factor in attempted teen suicide;

 •     Evidence also supports the idea that suicides are sometimes imitated. In particular, exposure to the death of a peer by suicide or by another violent means may increase the likelihood of subsequent suicides among young people in a community.

 Adolescence can be a period of great confusion and anxiety. There is pressure to fit in socially, to perform academically, and to act responsibly. There is also an awakening of sexual feelings, a growing self-identity, and a need for autonomy that often conflicts with the rules and expectations set by others.

Warning signs of a teen who may be thinking about suicide can include: talking about suicide or death in general, talking about “going away”, talking about feeling hopeless or feeling shame, pulling away from friends or family, losing the desire to take part in favorite things or activities, having trouble concentrating or thinking clearly, experiencing changes in eating or sleeping habits, or engaging in self-destructive behavior (drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or driving too fast, for example). These signs do not always mean that a teenager is thinking of suicide, but they should alert others to talk with the teenager about what is on his or her mind.

Parents should not be afraid to ask their teenager if he or she is thinking about suicide.  Talking with them about suicide does not make teenagers do it. Showing concern and asking questions calmly is the first step when dealing with a suicidal adolescent. Asking teenagers how they feel and if they have thoughts of ending their life keeps open lines of communication and sets the stage for professional intervention. If a teen has a specific plan to act on a suicidal impulse, the risk is greater and immediate intervention is needed.

Whenever an adolescent has suicidal thoughts or makes a suicide attempt, professional help should be sought immediately to protect the adolescent from self-harm. Once the initial suicidal crisis is over, treatment with a mental health professional should continue. It often takes a number of sessions to help adolescents figure out what is happening in their lives that has led to suicidal behavior and to help them learn ways to manage stressors.

 If you are worried about your teen having suicidal thoughts or actions, or see any of the factors that increase the risk of suicide, contact a professional who specializes in the adolescent mental health or call Meridian Youth Treatment Center for a consultation.

 

Parents’ Tip of the Month

Teaching Children How To Make Friends

Research shows that parents play an important role in teaching their children how to make friends.  The most popular kids are pro-social and are able to demonstrate caring, sharing, and helpful traits.  They also know how to control their selfish or aggressive impulses and behaviors.  Most of all, popular children are good at interpersonal skills: empathy, perspective-taking, and moral reasoning.  Parents play an important role in helping their children develop these skills. 

Research has revealed important things you can do to help your child make friends.  First, offer your child empathetic support by being an “Authoritative Parent” (not to be confused with being an “authoritarian”).  Authoritative parents believe in developing a close and nurturing relationship with their children while also upholding and maintaining a reasonably high level of expectations and rules.  Authoritative parents develop clear and fair behavioral guidelines for their children.  Studies show that authoritative parents tend to have kids who are less aggressive, more self-reliant, more self-controlled, and better-liked by their peers.  

Teach your child to be part of the conversation, not dominate it.  A number of studies have shown that unpopular kids improve their status with peers after they’ve been trained in “active listening”.  An active listener is someone who makes it clear he is paying attention – by making appropriate eye contact, orienting the body in the direction of the speaker, remaining quiet, and making relevant verbal responses.  

Children get along better when they are engaged in cooperative activities, i.e., activities in which kids work toward a common goal versus being competitive.  It is important to be aware of your child’s social life including where they hang out and who they hang out with.  Children are better off when their parents monitor their social activities. 

Finally it is important to teach your child about cultural differences.

Meridian Youth Treatment Center-Malibu

Meridian Youth Treatment Center – Malibu is a residential treatment center located in the calming hills above Malibu.  Our teen treatment center is a place where parents can find hope for their child.  Adolescents can achieve emotional clarity, psychological wellness and experience calm and balance.  At Meridian we help teens overcome psychological, emotional, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders. 

For more information please call us at

(818) 914-6283

Or visit us at our website at

www.MeridianTeen.com

The Adolescent Brain and Substance Use

Adolescence is a time of profound brain growth and change. It has been shown that the brain of an early adolescent compared to that of a late adolescent is different in the areas of anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology.  As the adolescent brain moves toward adulthood it becomes faster and more efficient at processing information.  One area in particular that becomes more efficient is the frontal lobes.  The frontal lobes are involved with reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving.  There is mounting evidence that neuronal circuitry in the frontal lobes is shaped and fine tuned during adolescence, and that experience plays a prominent role in these changes.  An important part of the frontal lobe is the prefrontal cortex (PFC).  The PFC is responsible for such skills as setting priorities, organizing plans and ideas, forming strategies, controlling impulses, and allocating attention. 

Because the adolescent brain is a work in progress, substance use during adolescence has been associated with alterations in brain structure, function, and neurocognition.  Alcohol and drug use can have seriously negative effects damaging long and short-term growth processes. In some cases the damage done during adolescence can even be irreversible.

Short-term or moderate drinking impairs learning and memory far more in youth than adults.  Research has identified subtle but important brain changes that occur among adolescents who abuse alcohol resulting in a decreased ability in problem solving, verbal and non-verbal retrieval, visuospatial skills, and working memory.  For example adolescent drinkers scored worse than non-users on vocabulary, general information, memory, and memory retrieval tests than non users.  In a study comparing alcohol dependent and healthy control adolescents, it was found that drinkers recalled 10% less verbal and nonverbal information than controls, even after three weeks of monitored abstinence.  A similar degree of reduction was found on attentional and speeded information processing tasks as well as deficits in language competence and academic achievement.   Deficits in executive functioning, specifically in future planning, abstract reasoning strategies, and generation of new solutions to problems, have also been found.

The association between antisocial behavior during adolescence and alcoholism may be explained by abnormalities in the frontal limbic system, which appears to cause “blunted emotional reactivity.”  This can negatively affect self control, decision making, and behavior regulation. Blackouts, or alcohol induced amnesia in which a person does not remember events or behavior, are also common among adolescent drinkers.  This is due in part to the effect of alcohol on neural plasticity in the hippocampus.  The hippocampus is involved in the formation of new memories, and it can be disrupted by excessive drinking.  As heavy drinking continues, the brain becomes less able to compensate for the disruptions caused by the effects of alcohol.  Thus, the more a teen drinks, the higher the chances for developing permanent neuronal damage.

Marijuana use in adolescence has an adverse impact on brain development, leading to poorer performance on thinking tasks as compared to non-drug using peers.  Marijuana users also have slower psychomotor speeds, poorer complex attention, weaker verbal memory, and impaired planning abilities.  Although studies suggest that verbal memory function can be partially recovered within three weeks of discontinuing marijuana use, complex attention skills continued to be affected.

If you have questions about the effects of substance abuse on the development of your teen and whether or how these effects can be stopped, call Meridian Youth Treatment Center  at 818 914-6283 or email at info@meridianteen.com for a consultation.

Teens and Binge Drinking

According to studies from the U.S. Department of Justice, binge drinking accounts for 90 percent of all the alcohol consumed by teenagers.  These underage drinkers don’t sip a drink slowly, they take it down quickly and the effects can be very dangerous.  Binge drinking used to mean drinking heavily over several days.  The current research definition of binge drinking is having five or more drinks in a row at least once in the previous 2 weeks.  Heavy binge drinking includes three or more such episodes in 2 weeks.  According to a study published in the January 2007 issue of Pediatrics magazine, almost half of 15,214 teenagers surveyed admitted to having had alcohol in the past month. And 64% of those who drank said they’d had five or more drinks in a row.  Risk factors include family environment, peer group attitudes, community attitudes, childhood trauma, genetic predisposition, social traditions, advertising, and the availability of alcohol to underage drinkers.  With so many significant risk factors for binge-drinking behavior, this complex phenomenon cannot be fully explained by any one influence.  Research indicates that binge-drinkers are more likely to have parents who drink and/or abuse substances and are more likely to have little parental supervision.  Unfortunately teens do not perceive themselves as alcoholics because they do not drink every day, so they feel occasional binge drinking is okay.  They also tend to anticipate a greater number of positive effects and a smaller number of negative effects from drinking that their peers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) www.cdc.gov, binge drinkers are five times more likely to have sex, 18 times more likely to smoke cigarettes, four times more likely to smoke marijuana, four times more likely to get into physical fights with others.  Binge drinkers are 21 times more likely to miss class, fall behind in schoolwork, damage property, injure themselves, engage in unplanned or unprotected sex, get in trouble with the police, and drink and drive.  Research from Columbia University shows alcohol is the leading cause of accidents, murder and rape among teens.  Experts say it’s the most dangerous drug of all.  Teens who binge drink could be risking serious damage to their brains now and increasing memory loss later in adulthood.  According to the results of the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings (NSDUH), than one-fifth (23.0 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge-drinking within the last 30 days. 

Other statistics to consider:

•     The average girl takes her first sip of alcohol at age 13.  The average boy takes his first sip of alcohol at age 11.

•     Underage drinking causes over $53 billion in criminal, social and health problems.

•     Seventy-seven percent of young drinkers get their liquor at home, with or without permission.

 •     Students who are binge drinkers in high school are three times more likely to binge drink in college.

•     Nearly 25 percent of college students report frequent binge drinking, that is, they binged three or more times in a two-week period.

•     Autopsies show that patients with a history of chronic alcohol abuse have smaller, less massive and more shrunken brains.

•     Alcohol abstinence can lead to functional and structural recovery of alcohol-damaged brains.

Unfortunately providing teens with a list of statistics does not go far in terms of preventing binge drinking.  Teens tend to believe they are invincible and do not believe the statistics apply to them.  Teens benefit more from hearing about real-life examples of teens who have suffered consequences of binge drinking.  Meeting other teens who have suffered consequences from binge drinking is particularly effective.

If you are worried about your teen engaging in binge drinking, contact a professional who specializes in the treatment of substance abuse or call Meridian Youth Treatment Center  818 914-6283or email us at info@meridianteen.com for a consultation.

Prescription Drugs – Easier to Get than Beer?

Prescription Drugs – Easier to Get than Beer?

OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin or Ritalin are easier to get than Budweiser, Corona, or Miller say a growing number of American teens.  For the first time in The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) survey’s history, more teens said prescription drugs were easier to buy than beer (19 vs. 15 percent).  The proportion of teens who say prescription drugs are easiest to buy jumped 46 percent since 2007 (13 vs. 19 percent).  Almost half (46 percent) of teens say painkillers are the most commonly abused prescription drug among teens.  So where are the teens getting the drugs?  From friends and classmates (31 percent), home, parents, and medicine cabinets (34 percent), drug dealers (9 percent), and other places (9 percent).  When polled by CASA, 43 percent of 17-year-olds said they could buy the drug in less than an hour.

Meridian Youth Treatment Center-Malibu

Meridian Youth Treatment Center – Malibu is a residential treatment center located in the calming hills above Malibu.  Our teen treatment center is a place where parents can find hope for their child.  Adolescents can achieve emotional clarity, psychological wellness and experience calm and balance.  At Meridian we help teens overcome psychological, emotional, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders. 

For more information please call us at

(818) 914-6283

info@meridianteen.com

Or visit us at our website at

http://www.MeridianTeen.com

Parents’ Tip of the Month

Parents’ Tip of the Month

Family Dinners

Family dinners are a simple way of decreasing the chances of teen smoking, drinking, and using illegal and prescription drugs.  The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) reported that compared to teens who eat dinner frequently with their families (five or more family dinners per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are:

• three and a half times likelier to have abused prescription drugs;
• three and a half times likelier to have used an illegal drug other than marijuana or prescription drugs;
• three times likelier to have used marijuana;
• more than two and a half times likelier to have used tobacco; and
• one and a half times likelier to have used alcohol.

The Importance of Family Dinners IV

September 2007

CASA

Meridian Youth Treatment Center-Malibu

Meridian Youth Treatment Center – Malibu is a residential treatment center located in the calming hills above Malibu.  Our teen treatment center is a place where parents can find hope for their child.  Adolescents can achieve emotional clarity, psychological wellness and experience calm and balance.  At Meridian we help teens overcome psychological, emotional, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders. 

For more information please call us at

(818) 914-6283

info@meridianteen.com

Or visit us at our website at

http://www.MeridianTeen.com

Anxiety in Teenagers – Is it Getting Worse?

Anxiety in Teenagers – Is it Getting Worse?

Adolescent anxiety is on the rise and anti-anxiety medications are among the most abused drugs in the United States.  Anxiety and stress levels in teenagers have drastically increased over the last few decades.  As the pressures of the world around adolescents have increased, more and more teens are facing health problems both on the physical and on the emotional sides. 

So why are our teens so anxious?  First, anxiety conditions can be hereditary.  Anxiety tends to run in families, so if a person’s mom, dad, or other close relative has anxiety, they have a higher chance of developing anxiety themselves.  Second are environmental factors and life experiences.  Growing up in a family where fear and anxiety are constantly shown to children by parents or role models can “teach” children to be anxious.  High expectations of a child in academic or other performances can contribute to anxiety.  If a child grows up in an abusive home, he or she may learn to always expect the worst. 

Examples of stressors teens may be faced with are things like divorce of their parents, homework, grades in school, concern about how they look, and how they measure up to their peers, and peer pressures.  Most parents are not even aware that their teens are under a great deal of pressure in many areas of their lives.  Many times it is easy to chalk up teenage stress and anxiety a child is facing as just normal teen problems.  Yet, serious conditions are often present and should be addressed as quickly as possible by a professional.

Anxiety can affect many aspects of a teenager’s life.  It can affect a teen’s ability to make friends, perform well in school, and try new things.  This will make enjoying life very difficult.  Some teens who suffer from anxiety will attempt to treat themselves with alcohol, illicit drugs, or illegally obtained prescriptions drugs.  One of the common reasons teens use drugs like marijuana, according to teens we have talked with at Meridian, is that it helps to decrease anxiety.  Teens with anxiety disorders are more likely to use alcohol or drugs.  Paradoxically, alcohol and drug abuse behaviors may make conditions worse such as increasing anxiety, mood swings, depression, and decrease memory and cognitive functioning.

For teens dealing with anxiety disorders, symptoms can feel strange and confusing at first.  Constant worries can make a person feel overwhelmed by every little thing.  All this can affect confidence, concentration, sleep, appetite, and outlook.  Teens with anxiety disorders might avoid talking about their worries, thinking that others might not understand.  They may fear being unfairly judged, or considered weak or scared or may feel misunderstood or alone.  Stressed teens may show signs of emotional disabilities, aggressive behavior, shyness, social phobia and often lack interest in otherwise enjoyable activities.  If the anxiety is mild, parents can help by first understanding the illness, then listening to their teen’s feelings, keeping calm when their teen becomes anxious, reassuring their teen when appropriate, teaching their teen relaxation techniques, praising their teen’s efforts, providing structure, setting a good example by modeling healthy reactions to various situations, and planning for transitions, as transitions can cause anxiety.  If the anxiety is more than just mild, then the teen should be evaluated by a professional such as a qualified therapist or psychiatrist. 

If you are concerned about your teen suffering from anxiety, please call Meridian Youth Treatment Center where we offer an anxiety assessment and can help you determine whether your teen is suffering from normal anxiety or clinical anxiety.  Meridian can help you find the most qualified professionals to help.

Meridian Youth Treatment Center-Malibu

Meridian Youth Treatment Center – Malibu is a residential treatment center located in the calming hills above Malibu.  Our teen treatment center is a place where parents can find hope for their child.  Adolescents can achieve emotional clarity, psychological wellness and experience calm and balance.  At Meridian we help teens overcome psychological, emotional, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders. 

For more information please call us at

(818) 914-6283

info@meridianteen.com

Or visit us at our website at

http://www.MeridianTeen.com

Parent Awareness and Teen Drug Use

 

Parent Awareness and Teen Drug Use

Parents are apparently not aware of the depth, and potential severity of alcohol or drug use.  Dr. Neil B. McGillicuddy, a researcher at the State University of Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (www.ria.buffalo.edu), said “…parents are missing the boat when it comes to being in touch about their children’s alcohol and other drug use.”  A report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) (www.casacolumbia.org) critiques parents for failing to be aware of their teen’s alcohol and other drug use. 

It is not just parents who are missing the boat.  Joseph A. Califano Jr., who served as health secretary during the Carter administration, also commented that “…school administrators, and government officials need to wake up to the reality of the increase in drug-infested schools.  Parents and schools need to realize that, more likely than not, their teen is going to a school where drug use, sale, and possession are as much a part of the curriculum as reading, writing, and arithmetic.”  A study by CASA, examining alcohol and drug use among pre-teens and teenagers, found that 55 percent of American teenagers, ages 12 to 17, “…fall into the high or moderate substance-abuse risk categories.”

A recent survey on substance abuse among teens has lowered the boom on parents.  The annual survey from CASA calls out parents for contributing to drug and alcohol use among kids ages 12 to 17.  Some parents fail to monitor their children’s activities, do not safeguard medications at home that can be used for abuse, and do not set good examples for their kids, the report said.  Almost half of the teens surveyed – a nationally representative sample of 1,002 teens and 312 of their parents – said they leave the house to hang out with friends on school nights.  Among those teens, half who come home after 10 p.m. said they had been drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana or doing other drugs.  Just under 30% of those who come home between 8 and 10 p.m. said they had been drinking or using drugs.  In contrast, only 14% of the parents said their teens leave the house to hang out with friends on school nights. By age 14, 35% of youth have engaged in some form of illicit (illegal) drug use. By the end of high school, more than 50% will have tried at least one illicit drug.

At Meridian Youth Treatment Center-Malibu, parents in a recent parenting class were asked why they think parental awareness is lacking.  Parents reported the following:  Denial – It hurts to see drug use as the problem so a parent may look for some other reason the child’s behavior has changed; Enabling – To keep the teen from experiencing the consequences of drug use, parents may try to keep the teen out of trouble by covering up or lying for their teen; and, Shame and Blame – It can be difficult for parents to admit to their child’s substance use problems because of the shame that they connect with it.  They may also blame themselves feeling like they created the problems. 

It is important that parents monitor their teens and be aware of possible indicators of substance abuse.  In addition to the list of signs and symptoms in the following table, other factors include: a family history of substance abuse, depression, low self-esteem, and not feeling like you fit in.

Signs in the Home

• ·Loss of interest in family activities
• ·Disrespect for family rules
• ·Withdrawal from responsibilities
• ·Verbally or physically abusive
• ·Disappearance of valuable items or money
• ·Not coming home on time
• ·Constant excuses for behavior
• ·Spending a lot of time in bedroom
• ·Lies about activities

Signs at School

• ·Sudden drop in grades
• ·Increase in tardiness
• ·Truancy
• ·Loss of interest in learning
• ·Sleeping in class
• ·Defiant of authority
• ·Reduced memory and attention span
• ·Changes in friends: new hang-outs, avoidance of old crowd, new friends are drug users
• ·Lack of motivation, energy, self-esteem, discipline, bored, “I don’t care” attitude

Physical and Emotional Signs

• ·Mood swings
• ·Negative, argumentative, paranoid or confused, destructive, anxious behavior
• ·Irritability
• ·Overly tired or hyperactive
• ·Change in appetite
• ·Drastic weight loss or gain
• ·Cheats, steals
• ·Sloppiness in appearance
• ·Secretive or suspicious behavior

 

 

Meridian Youth Treatment Center-Malibu

Meridian Youth Treatment Center – Malibu is a residential treatment center located in the calming hills above Malibu.  Our teen treatment center is a place where parents can find hope for their child.  Adolescents can achieve emotional clarity, psychological wellness and experience calm and balance.  At Meridian we help teens overcome psychological, emotional, behavioral problems, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders. 

For more information please call us at

(818) 914-6283

info@meridianteen.com

Or visit us at our website at

http://www.MeridianTeen.com