The Educators Guide to Teen Substance Abuse Contents: Introduction by Inspirations for Youth and Families Educators are the First Line of Defense Signs of Substance Use and Abuse - Physical Signs of Drug or Alcohol Use - Behavioral Signs of Drug or Alcohol Use - Drug Specific Signs of Intoxication - Drug and Alcohol Paraphernalia What Can I Do As an Educator? - I m Worried About You: Talking to a Student - We Think He Needs Help: Discussing Rehab with a Parent/Guardian - 5 Tips for Choosing the Right Rehab: A Guide for Parents
Introduction by Inspirations for Youth and Families Inspirations for Youth and Families teen rehab is a small, privately run treatment center located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We re dedicated to helping youth overcome drug or alcohol addiction in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Our program includes many different types of therapy including group and oneon-one therapy with a licensed and experienced therapist. Our therapists treat the root of drug addiction and help clients to understand why they felt like they needed drugs or alcohol. Many times, undiagnosed mental illness is the cause of a drug or alcohol addiction. People choose to self-medicate or numb out their feelings by consuming different illicit substances. Our therapists teach the clients new, healthy ways of coping with stress. At Inspirations, we are a community. Teenagers of the same gender live in small apartments on a quiet, supervised campus. They learn to do chores, clean, cook, grocery shop, and be responsible for themselves. We also provide sober fun outings including trips to the beach, the park, the gym, the movie theater, and different museums and other events. The purpose of sober fun is to teach teenagers that they can have fun with other teens without using drugs or alcohol. We don t believe in putting our clients in a bubble. Instead, we want to teach them coping mechanisms to deal with life when they re out in the real world. We want them to truly learn how to Just Say No when they re confronted by their old friends and drug use after they leave Inspirations. This is part of the reason behind our very high success rate. Inspirations for Youth and Families teen rehab is also a private school listed with the Florida Department of Education. We offer an educational program for teenagers who have gotten off track or who need to stay on track academically. Our teachers work directly with our client s teachers back home to make sure clients complete school work while they re in treatment. We have a partnership with Florida Virtual School, an online learning program, so teenagers can work on school credit acceleration or remediation. We also offer SAT, ACT, and GED prep for teenagers who wish to achieve their high school diploma equivalency or who want to go to college. We created this guide as a resource to educators in our schools. We need your help in identifying students in your schools who may need drug or alcohol addiction treatment. It s important to catch drug use early and to get the teenagers the help he or she might need for the addiction. The late teen years are very important for an individual s future. These are the years when teenagers need to be succeeding in their classes in order to go to college or to find a good job after high school. Please work together with us to help guide teens to make the right choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol. For more information, please visit our website, www.inspirationsyouth.com. Thank you, The Inspirations Family
Educators are the First Line of Defense Unfortunately, many teenagers will experiment with drugs and alcohol while they re growing up. Children are using drugs like inhalants as early as elementary school. Inhalants can be a gateway to other drug use later on in life. Some of these teens escape their experimentations unscathed, while others are pulled into the downward spiral of drug and alcohol abuse and addiction. They need help. Parents are only part of the solution to this problem. Most parents work full-time and might not be as wary and alert as they should be. This is why we need your help as an educator. You spend a lot of time each week with your students. We need you to be vigilant in spotting drug and alcohol use. We created this guide as a helping hand for all educators. We will cover important signs of drug use and abuse, including behavioral cues and physical signs. We will also include information and pictures of common drug paraphernalia and the ways teens are getting creative when it comes to hiding their substance use. We will also provide you with helpful hints for talking to parents. Many parents have little to no experience with substance use or abuse. They don t realize that addiction is a disease. They are not familiar with teen rehab and they need help when it comes to choosing the right program for their son or daughter. We put together another guide for parents, 5 Tips for Choosing the Right Rehab. We highly recommend this parent focused guide for first timers who are considering getting their son or daughter treatment. We hope that are guides are a resource for you. You can also contact us at Inspirations by visiting our website, www.inspirationsyouth.com, or calling our helpline (888) 75-SOBER to learn more.
Signs of Substance Use and Abuse Teen substance use is on the rise for specific drugs, according to the 2013 Monitoring the Future Survey. About 40% of high school seniors used an illicit drug at least once prior to being surveyed. This number is higher than in previous years. The majority of teenagers are using marijuana and many teens believe that marijuana is not very dangerous. Lloyd Johnson, the principal investigator of the Monitoring the Future survey, said, "More noteworthy is the fact that the proportion of adolescents seeing marijuana use as risky declined again sharply in all three grades. Perceived risk namely the risk to the user that teenagers associate with a drug has been a lead indicator of use, both for marijuana and other drugs, and it has continued its sharp decline in 2013 among teens." There was little change in use for a majority of the drugs including LSD, amphetamines, Adderall, Ritalin, ecstasy, cocaine, crack, heroin, methamphetamine, sedatives, and steroids. Teenagers can be very creative and sneaky when it comes to evading their parents and teachers. Many teenagers are able to hide their drug use easily. However, if you know the signs then you should be able to spot drug use. While most of these physical and behavioral signs do indicate drug use, they can also indicate another issue that may or may not have to deal with substance abuse. Some of these signs could point to another issue like physical abuse or neglect. Use your own discretion. Physical Signs of Drug or Alcohol Use - Shaky hands - Difficulty concentrating - Paranoia, increased anxiety - Nausea and vomiting - Smell of alcohol on the breath - Red, bloodshot eyes - Insomnia - Lack of hygiene - Irritable, easily annoyed - Oversensitivity, acting out - Change in appetite - Cold, sweaty palms - Swollen face Behavioral Signs of Drug or Alcohol Use - Failing grades or poor work performance - Loss of interest in hobbies - Lying - Lack of energy and motivation - Drastic change in friends - Huge personality shifts (i.e. outgoing student is now introverted) - Student is secretive, demands privacy
Drug Specific Signs of Intoxication Most drugs have very specific signs of intoxication. For example, people can typically spot a person who has been drinking or who is already drunk. However, other drugs can be harder to detect. Teenagers aren t dumb they can usually hide the physical effects of whatever drug they have been using. They become experts of disguise. Many teenagers use eye drops to clear their eyes and they may cover up their breath with gum, mints, or mouthwash. If you notice a student excessively using these products then that may be a sign of drug use. You can use this guide to determine if a student has been drinking alcohol or using other drugs. The most common drug specific signs of intoxication are listed along with the drug below. Marijuana: glassy, bloodshot eyes; inappropriate laughing; drowsiness; loud talking; loss of motivation; possession of bongs/pipes/joints, lighters, or marijuana Spice/Synthetic Marijuana: nausea and vomiting; red eyes; marijuana stench; psychosis, irregular heartbeat; excessive sweating; trouble breathing; lack of coordination Alcohol: impaired motor skills; difficulty walking; slurring speech; smell of alcohol; sleepiness; lack of inhibitions Amphetamines & Stimulants (cocaine, crack, methamphetamine, bath salts): hyperactivity; euphoria; giddiness; increased focus; weight loss; insomnia; dry mouth; dilated pupils; anxiety Heroin: intense sleepiness; euphoria; loss of appetite; needle marks on arm; contracted pupils; sweating; vomiting and nausea Depressants (prescription pills): difficulty walking; slurring speech; extreme drowsiness; poor concentration; bad judgment Inhalants (spray paint, White-Out correction fluid etc.): impaired vision; memory issues; headaches; nausea and vomiting; anxiety; rashes around the nose or mouth; Hallucinogens: paranoia; hallucinations; visual and/or auditory delusions; mood swings; slurred speech; confusion
What Can I Do as an Educator? I m Worried About You: Talking to a Student It can be very difficult to talk to a student if you suspect they re using drugs or alcohol. Some teenagers may lie when they re confronted with their substance abuse issue. Some may get angry and deny everything. Other students may realize that they do have an issue and they want to get help. It s very important to remain calm, open-minded, and non-judgmental when a student is telling you about their drug or alcohol issues. This can be traumatic for a student. Most teenagers want their friends, families, and teachers to feel proud of them. After they start using drugs, these feelings can fade or disappear entirely. You don t want the student to feel confrontational when you eventually discuss substance addiction. Start out by staying that you re worried; you ve noticed the student acting differently and you re concerned; you want the very best for the student. This approach is more likely to get the student talking about the issues. It s best to be proactive - try to build relationships with the student body in general. Teenagers need adults in their lives to act as role models. Many teens grow up in single parent homes. Some teenagers don t have a good relationship with their parent or guardian and they need an adult to talk to about their problems. You can be that adult in a teenager s life! Act like a role model and mentor teenagers who need you. Unfortunately, there will be some students who steadfastly proclaim that they are drug-free, even when you strongly believe otherwise. In this case, make sure the student knows that you re there to talk. You can t force anyone to tell you anything, but a student who knows you care might be more willing to talk later on. Keep track of all evidence that leads you to believe the student is using drugs or alcohol. You will need to bring in the parent or guardian if you catch a student red-handed with drugs or alcohol. Bringing drugs or alcohol onto a school campus (in a backpack, locker, etc.) is a very serious offense. It can result in suspension or expulsion and possibly criminal action against the student. Punishing the student is not going to do any good. Instead, focus on getting the student treatment for their addiction. Our next section of this guide covers how to discuss rehab with a parent.
What Can I Do as an Educator? We Think He Needs Help: Discussing Rehab with a Parent/Guardian Telling parents that you believe their son or daughter needs help can be very tough! Many parents refuse to believe that their child could be doing drugs or alcohol, because they think they would have noticed something like that. These parents can be hard to convince because they don t think there is a problem. You will need to show them all of the evidence you have collected that their child has been using drugs or alcohol. Many parents will feel territorial if you confront them about their child s drug or alcohol use. They might think that you are blaming them or calling them a bad parent for not catching their teenager. It s important to remain calm and collected when discussing a student s substance use with the mom, dad, or guardian. Remind them that addiction is a mental health issue. Teenagers may experiment with drugs or alcohol, but a teen with a serious substance abuse problem needs help for their addiction. A teenager who brings drugs or alcohol onto the school campus is not only breaking school rules; he or she is also breaking the law by having those substances on his or her person. Teenagers might give excuses like, It s not mine or I was holding it for a friend. Whether the excuse is true or not, it does not exempt the student from the consequences of his or her actions. Rehab can be a great option for teenagers who are struggling with substance abuse. Teenagers who get help for their addiction early in life are able to lead more productive lives and stay away from drugs or alcohol. Rehab teaches the teenagers more effective ways of coping with stress. It also teaches them to figure out what triggers their substance use and to avoid any possible triggers. Educators need to be aware of addiction treatment resources for parents. Many parents have little to no experience with drug or alcohol addiction treatment. They might think they can use tough love to get their child to stop using. However, there is little evidence that tough love actually works. What actually works is getting the teenager into a reliable and successful drug and alcohol addiction program. We highly recommend our other guide, 5 Tips for Choosing the Right Rehab, as a resource for parents who are sending their child to rehab for the first time.
Check out our guide for parents! You can download our guide created specifically for parents by clicking on this link: http://www.inspirationsyouth.com/guides/5-tips-choosing-right-rehab/ This guide tells parents what they should look for when choosing a rehab for their son or daughter. Rehab can be expensive, even though it is typically covered by insurance. It s a huge time commitment for both the family and the person who needs substance abuse treatment. Parents should make sure their son or daughter is getting the most for their time and money. The guide covers important t factors when choosing a rehab. These factors include: 1. Licensing & Accreditation 2. Facilities 3. Personalized Treatment ent Plan 4. Time & Cost 5. After-Care Program