Adolescent Drug Problems: Why is My Teen Using Cannabis and What Can I Do?

Adolescence is an exciting and dangerous period of time for young adults. As a parent it’s your job to help support and guide your child through this development with love, compassion and most importantly, information. You goal when it comes to your teenage children is to carve a path to a healthy, well adjusted and successful adulthood. Yet it is hard to know where to start, what to look out for and how to create that path without seeming overbearing to your teenage children. You don’t want to create animosity between yourself and your teen by being too ‘annoying’ or create a divide by seeming too stern or strict. There’s a balance to find especially when it comes to the inevitable for your teens; drug exposure/use. Here are some information you need to understand about adolescent drug problems.

Adolescent Drug Problems: Why is my teen using it?

You may be worried or wondering if or why your teen may be using cannabis. Each teenager has a different reason why they do or don’t and being aware as a parent will get your closer to being able to understand and cope with your teen in this area of their development. Some of the more common reasons why teen drug problems occur:

-The feeling of peer pressure and the need of social acceptance.

-The need to experiment and experience the same substances that they see their friends use

-An escape route from emotions like anxiety, boredom, self-esteem problems and depression

-It feels good or carefree to use cannabis

-Its seen as a ‘less risk’ behavior compared to other substances

-Social and familial culture (they see it used on social media or within their own family)

-They lean on the fact that it’s now a prescribed medicinal substance without understanding that marijuana that’s being prescribed by doctors in CBD (Not the THC that’s in marijuana).

teen drug problems

What can be done as a parent?

There is plenty of information online about what signs to look for as a parent with your child is potentially using marijuana. However, you will want to thoroughly check what sources you are using as some are less than honorable. You may claims from the tobacco and vaping industries that was strictly meant to ease your mind while helping to promote their sales. Misinformation can be your biggest enemy when it comes to your teen and drug use. So, one of your best indicators should be your instincts and gut feeling. Are you teaching your children by way of example? You must keep in mind that your children as impressionable. If they see that you cope with stress or anger by drinking or having a few cigarettes they may turn to this as a natural and learned way of coping themselves. You should also work on the ways in which you communicate with your teenager. You may remember your teenage years and the feeling when adults either listened to you in earnest or brushed you off as ‘just another angsty teen’. Brushing off your child’s concerns or problems as ‘less than’ because they are ‘just a teenager’ can only help to cement in their mind that you are not an adult with which they can be honest and open.

If you believe that your teen may be involved in drug abuse or is having problems with creating healthy coping mechanisms for their emotions you can reach out to the Insight Treatment for more information about our programs and admissions process. Counseling or group therapy may be the best way to help your teenager through the tumultuous young adult years that they are facing. Call today (888) 295-9995