The terrible problem of mankind - drug addiction began to spread rapidly among young people.
In particular, the bigger problem is the annual increase in the number of drug addicts aged 13-19. Therefore, parents should be especially careful.
As you know, as the Azerbaijan Children's Fund, we are trying to educate parents and especially the younger generation by preparing a number of projects to combat the use of drugs and psychotropic substances.
Today, our interlocutor, psychologist Gunay Babayeva from the Baku Narcological Dispensary, shared her recommendations for determining drug addiction in adolescents.
- How do you know if a teenager is taking drugs?
The success of drug addiction treatment in juveniles depends on the stage at which treatment begins. Therefore, it is very important to identify addiction as early as possible. At this time, the child is more likely to get rid of this problem.
Parents should look out for the following signs to understand that a teenager has a drug problem:
Mood swings. It is impossible to know what influences the change in the emotional state of a teenager. When he is happy, he may suddenly start yelling at everyone.
Tiredness and sleepiness during the day and insomnia at night. Usually drug addicts confuse day and night. Therefore, their physical condition is deteriorating, and performance is weakening.
Loss of appetite or vice versa. Craving for sweets.
Violation of coordination of movements. When a teenager moves, his movements are chaotic. It looks like he can't control his body.
Dilated or constricted pupils. This is the easiest sign to detect addiction.
One of the obvious external manifestations is that a teenager begins to use jargon, characteristic of drug addicts. He speaks in a low voice on the phone so that others cannot hear him. He often communicates with strange people. He always asks for money from home or says he owes money.
- What should parents do when they discover that their child is a drug addict?
First of all, parents should not panic, they should think about how to help their child, and not about what others will say. You should have a frank conversation with the child, try to find out what drug his child uses and when he started doing it.
Parents should spend more time with their child and be close to him. The child should be directed to various activities to develop interest (sports, especially swimming, tennis, drawing, chess, etc.).
Sometimes it is not possible to establish a dialogue with a teenager, in this case, you can go with him to a psychotherapist or psychologist. Specialists will help identify the depth of the problem and improve the relationship between the parent and the teenager.
- How to treat drug addiction in teenagers?
To win this fight, both medical and psychological support must be provided equally. At the same time, it is more efficient to treat a teenager in a narcological dispensary. Addiction cannot be treated at home. Complex therapy should be carried out in a hospital setting. The teenager does not have the strength to resist the pain, and in the clinic the drug addict is constantly under the supervision of a doctor.
In conclusion, we note that as the Azerbaijan Children's Fund, under the slogan "Let's protect children with our love, care and attention!" we call on parents to save their children in the war on drug addiction.
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