ADDICTION

Lying A decline in school or work performance Missing money or valuables Loss of interest in common activities (athletics, music, hobbies, family events) Change in physical appearance (sudden weight loss, pale skin, pinpoint or hugely dilated pupils) A change in friends Missing or skipping school Secretive or sneaky behavior (spending a lot of time locked in the bathroom or bedroom, being unclear about his or her whereabouts) A reluctance to introduce new friends to parents If it’s taking your child more time than usual to do ordinary things (getting home from school, going for a bike ride, running up to the store) Changes in sleeping patterns Withdrawn or depressed Unusually forgetful Angry or aggressive outbursts

The word “Addiction” brings to mind different images for different people. It can be difficult for someone suffering with an addiction or potential addiction to identify with the term “addict.” And it can be especially trying for a young person. Teens commonly associate addiction with movie images, or people they’ve seen at the absolute lowest, worst point of their addiction. Many have ideas about what an addict looks like: desperate, homeless, suicidal, criminal. With these ideas in mind, it’s hard for them to understand how their drug or alcohol use is a problem — after all, their consequences seem less extreme. It’s true; the external effects of someone using at age 16 are often much less severe or obvious. They might get in trouble at school, get grounded by their parents, fight with their friends or lose relationships. And they’ll often write off these consequences as other people’s problems, not seeing how their own behavior is a direct result of their substance use. They often s