How To Talk To Your Children About Drug Abuse

Some conversations feel like daggers, yet these conversations can lead to honest revelations. The truth is that all families have to come face to face with the reality of drug addiction, even for kids. It is important to understand the danger, especially for those who have a history of addiction in their family. Kids and teenagers need to hear about your family’s addiction problems, and they need to be prepared for the reality of drugs.

Addictive Substances are on the Prowl

Sure, it is possible that your child or teen has not tried drugs, but that does not mean that he or she has not been exposed to them. Consider that by the eighth grade, 28 percent of adolescents have already consumed some type of alcohol, fifteen percent of kids have smoked a cigarette, and 16.5 percent of kids have smoked marijuana.

To say that it is not likely that your child or teen will be exposed to drugs is dangerous, because the studies suggest the possibility.

Remember that kids and teenagers are in a very fragile state in their development. This is a stage where friends and groups of children are influenced by other kids. This means, even though your child has not tried drugs, there is a high probability that he or she has a friend who has.

Talking to Your Children

You might think that all those pamphlets, articles, and general information about talking to your kids about drugs will not be helpful, but that is not the case. Statistics show that kids who constantly hear about the dangers of drugs or hear just how damaging they have been in their own family tend to listen. Kids who are constantly taught about the ills of drugs are 50 percent less likely to use drugs than kids who never had these conversations.

Actions may Speak Louder Than Words

Patterns are real, and some families suffer from patterns of drug addiction. This is sometimes linked to poor stress coping techniques. It is no secret that drug abuse starts with people who have a hard time coping with different stresses in life. Anxiety, shock, and other issues can negatively effect people, which may lead them to use drugs.

Kids learn from you and their surroundings. This means that it is likely that your child might learn poor coping techniques, so your kid could end up using drugs, too.

Children have a lot of stuff to worry about like keeping up grades and social pressures, not to mention friends. A child could also be dealing with problems in the household, so the life of your young one is full of triggers.

Pointers to Remember When Talking to Your Children...