How to know if your child is at risk of drug abuse
55Trends I've Noticed
Most of the adults in my life have either drug or alcohol problems. My mother and one of my brothers are alcoholics. Two of my brothers are recovered drug addicts and another has been an additct for over 30 years. Many of the men I've been involved with, including my partner of 17 years were/are recovered addicts.
I guess what I'm getting at is that what I lack formal drug and alcohol dependency training and education, I more than make up for in life experience.
I've noticed there are definitely traits most of the addicts in my life share and serve as risk indicators.
(1). They all are sensitive people.
I recognized this when my best bud complained that I'd attracted yet ANOTHER "loser driggie" for a boyfriend. I had to wonder why I was drawn to addicts. Was I a loser magnet? Co-dependent?
What I liked about them is they were guys with big sensitive hearts. And it's, unfortunately, the one trait my oldest son has that concerns me most.
(2). They all have a family history of alcoholism or drug addiction.
I know that the nature vs. nuture is still up for debate: Is it that parents model addiction or is there a genetic link? My family is just one big old tree lined with addicts. Those of us who didn't develop a drug habit have other less-than-desirable addictive traits---computers, gambling, over-zealous religiosity to name the more popular ones.
If you have a family history of addictive personalities (as I do) I would acknowledge any tendency toward addictive behavior and try to steer the kid toward the less destructive things. (Exercize, anyone?)
(3). They are relatively meek.
My oldest brother cannot stand up for himself. Unless he drinks or uses, that is. He has a pattern of allowing people to take advantage of him while sober that turns into him being withdrawn, which then turns to a huge (usually several years long) bender of alcohol and narcotics. I've always seen this as his coping strategy---he needs to say these things and can't unless he's high.
(4) Many times, they are idealists.
They envision this perfect world and get very disillusioned when it doesn't measure up. Drugs seem to help soothe that over.
I hope this helps.
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Comments
Sure.
Usually abusers will, upon beginning either staring or relapsing into using their drug of choice will change.
There are changes in behavior---more outgoing or less so, basically any personality change (I have a brother who goes from being a lot more mellow than his usual temperament and another who gets more going at first and then as time progresses, gets way more withdrawn than normal). A friend of mine gets less high-strung and happier.
Changes in basic patterns such as sleeping more or sleeping less, eating more or eating less are often there as well.
Change in associates: I can tell whether one firend is using or not based on who they're hanging out with.
Change in interests: For example one person I know is very into her church and religion when sober, and she stops going when she's using. Another stops excercising.
GeniusJunky says:
2 years ago
So you've given us a series of personality traits that you find common among addicts. Can you give some insights as to the actual behavioral patterns of abuse?