Children and drugs. ... It's one of the worst events in modern society. As shown by statistics, it is connected with a huge number of drug fatalities - deaths and crimes. As you know - addiction - this is a real disease. And like any disease, it is necessary to start to treat addiction as soon as possible. Taking drugs often begins teenagers, so any parent should be well aware of what are the signs of drug abuse among adolescents. And even if your child grows absolutely quiet and trouble-free child, do not lose sight of this information.

After all, if the trouble still touches your family, and you will not notice it in time, you'll blame yourself that have not noticed the problem in a timely manner. And the addiction is treated in the form of running is much harder than in the initial stage. Unfortunately, the media are full of a large number of completely false information that not only helps parents, but often just confuses parents confused. In this article the only reliable signs of addiction and facts about what the impact of drugs on the body of the child.

The question of how to save children from drug use, should be concerned not only parents, but also the school. Parents should be sure to find out whether there was in school the fight against drugs - conversations, lectures on the subject. In the event that school children do not explain about the dangers of drugs, be sure to tell themselves about the child themselves. Very often, a picturesque description of how drugs affect the body, enough to permanently discourage teen desire to try them. However, remember that the conversation should be timely.

It is a common misconception that addiction - a lot of children from disadvantaged, financially unsecured families. Tragically, no parental love and affection or full material wealth can not serve as a guarantee that the child will never be interested in and not try drugs. Remember that your opponent is a strong structure of drug trafficking, which is interested in the fact that drugs can be bought as a large number of people. And the more assured teenager, the more expensive drug, he is able to buy. Thus, children from wealthy families are often more desirable prey for traffickers.

That is why the question of how to protect children from drugs, should be the parents in the first place. Keep in mind that addiction can develop in different ways - one - that it develops in a month, someone - half a year. But never a true addiction does not occur after one - two drug use. That is why it is so important to notice the first time, and alarm bells start to take emergency measures.

Most importantly, what parents should pay attention to, is the behavior of their child. There are many different symptoms in any way indicative of the presence of drug addiction, however, often inexperienced parents is very difficult to understand how a phenomenon is encountered. Nevertheless, there are three major feature changes the behavior of the child, which are sufficiently reliably indicates a problem with drugs:

• The appearance of the child's sudden and inexplicable mood swings, which can not explain the real events happening to a child. From the mood swings often look very strange way - a child may be experiencing unbridled joy, gushing unrestrained energy and optimism, and a few minutes later fall into a state of apathy and total indifference to everything going on around, and sometimes even depressed. However, in no case should not be confused, these changes in mood with the natural emotional instability that is inherent in all children in the transition to adulthood. Changes in mood related to drug addiction, always unreasonable and have no foundation.
• No less credible and alarming sign that the child began to take drugs - a violation of the child's habitual rhythm of sleep. Often during the day the baby is very lethargic, his movements slowed, it sleepy person. And in the evening the child begins to make enough vigorous action can not sleep at night to fly, listening to music, or sitting out on the computer. On the next day the situation repeats itself. In that case, if your child is by nature a night owl, the picture may be exactly the opposite - in the evening, usually when the child is active, he is asleep and in the morning is active and alert.
• No less reliable indicator of the presence of the above two, is a sudden change in appetite, not related to the physiological characteristics of a teenager and a sharp jump in growth .  Consecutive weeks the baby can almost completely refuse to eat, it is not feeling hunger .  And then, suddenly, he gets a "ravenous" appetite - child eats almost everything, not paying attention to their own taste preferences, and the portions are increased at times .  If your child has come from walk and pathological greed pounce on the food, and so you notice more than once - you should guard .  Most often, such an increase in appetite occurs after exiting the state of narcotic intoxication caused by the use of marijuana .  At first, the child will not be coming home in a state of narcotic intoxication .  This time it is to wait out and is returning home after the release from this state, while when increased appetite .

So now you know the three main features of addiction. But in any case we must not forget that all of these symptoms may also occur in perfectly healthy children, in no way associated with taking drugs. In no case do not blame the child in anything, if they themselves are not fully confident. Remember that the signs of addiction are not isolated cases but repeated regularly. If you have any doubt, take some time to observe the child, because there are still a number of features that can be suspected in a child addicted.

Additional signs that the child is taking drugs

If you have any doubts, and you do not know how to check your child for drugs, be sure to pay attention to his studies and social life. If your child has always been a good student and proud of his class, and now, without apparent reason, his interest in studying dried up, and there were unsatisfactory ratings - it is an occasion for parents to guard. Be sure to talk with your child, try to find out what his worries. Even if the reason lies not in drugs, your help and participation is very important for a teenager - he still can not fully control his emotions.

In addition to lowering school performance the child suddenly loses interest in favorite earlier studies. He can stop to play sports, or visit the section of the once favorite, he abandons previously favorite activities - such as hiking in the forest or the pool. It is almost completely ceased to interest his old friends, but may be new. And the whole circle of friends may change dramatically simply.

In addition, the child is almost completely ceases to be interested in family life - not taking part in the joint shopping trips, on vacation. Stops to take part in the discussion of joint plans for the future, it starts to forget important for him earlier events, such as anniversaries birthdays of family members.

Also, be sure to pay attention to what kind of music to listen to your child, but always keep in mind the previous musical preferences. But if your child has always listened to the usual music, and more recently for no apparent reason became interested in music, and that music - it is difficult to call - a set of repetitive rhythmic sounds - it is also an occasion to pay more attention to the child's emotional state. Child psychologists have proven that this music helps a teenager almost completely ignore the outside world and not to think about its existing problems.

Next a number of reasons can not be a reliable sign, but often serves as an indirect sign of addiction in adolescents:

• Intolerance. And intolerance as the people around him and to himself. Those actions, which the teenager had not paid any attention can start to cause him a sharp denial and rejection.
• Causeless irritability, recurring adolescent.
• Girls taking drugs very, very often parents say tearfulness and a strong tendency to hysteria.
• Groundless aggression towards both people and animals.
• At least once a suicide attempt, even if not brought any harm to the health of adolescents, should serve as a serious cause for immediate recourse to a child psychologist.

A very significant moment may be monitored for a change in the child's habitual manner of speaking, and his emotional reaction. Try to ask any child a simple question to which the answer is obvious, and pay attention to how much time will pass between question and answer. If there is a noticeable pause, you can talk about the so-called delay of communication which indicates that the child does not immediately interprets the information. But in some cases after the question you get a stream does not correspond to the information given question, but the answer you too did not get, or get a long delay.

The most popular question that, in order to test the reaction of the child, ask psychologists - is a simple question, "What is your name? ". If the child does not impair the ability of the emotional contact, he immediately calls his name. And if the problem still exists, there may be some delay in response or even ask again "Me? "All this shows that the child is not emotionally in contact with someone, and immersed in their own experiences and feelings. Do not think that the child is doing it to annoy you. Often, it may subconsciously avoid emotional contact, knowing that you do not approve of his behavior.

As mentioned above - a child may be almost completely replaced by a circle of acquaintances - often one and the first signs of addiction. Also radically changed his way of communicating by telephone. If earlier the child could spend hours talking to friends on the phone, absolutely act burdensomely your presence, it is now during the conversation he tries to go into the next room, and all of its phrases have become extremely laconic and dry - "yes, no, I will soon." You do not know what and with whom your child communicates, where he goes and who is. If you try to figure it out, baby just slams the door loudly and trying to get away from the conversation.

Attentive parents will notice and the changes in appearance that happen to their child. And these changes can be very different. For example, a child who used to very carefully monitor their appearance, can be a messy and untidy. Or, on the contrary, begin to pay their clothes and hairstyle too much attention. In some cases, the child is almost completely and radically change its image, preferring leather jacket, faded jeans, a wide belt. All their appearance as if the child protests against the world around him.

In addition, parents should see to it quietly, if there is a reliable sign that the child is taking drugs. These characteristics are injection marks on his arms and legs. If your child tries to avoid hitting you in the eye without clothes with long sleeves, wearing it even in hot summer weather, it should alert you. But do not forget that the drug can be administered without injections, so the lack of their traces also can not guarantee that the child will definitely not use drugs.

That is why parents should also pay attention to the color and size of the pupils of her child - their change can also indicate problems with a child's drug. It can also alert the appearance of the child's mouth smell of acetone, but it may indicate many diseases of internal organs.

Also note if there are any foreign objects in the house and stuff, the origin of which the child can not intelligibly explain. This may be syringes, boxes with green or white powder acetone solvent. You should also sound the alarm in the event that if you begin to notice that the spoon in the house become bloated - all this may indicate that the child makes the drugs at home.

The appearance of the child's criminal behavior. Criminal called such behavior in which the child's antisocial tendencies are beginning to appear - theft, escape from home, drives to the police for minor offenses. You may begin to notice that the child has large sums of money, new things, telephones and so on.

But often parents can celebrate the loss of the house of valuables and money. Be sure to monitor how much money is in your wallet, and other public places, as well as how much money is available to your child. In no case can not let the matter take its course - you must clearly aware of all the financial affairs of your son or daughter.

Another fairly strong indication of addiction can be a child's reluctance to leave the familiar surroundings more ches for one - two days. The child may flatly refuse to go on holiday abroad, or for the summer to his beloved grandmother. This is due to the fact that in a strange place to get drugs will be much harder. But do not blame the child, focusing only on this character - because it is possible that your child's first love. But if there are other key features of addiction, parents should be alerted.

How to wean a child from drugs?

If you are convinced that your child is taking drugs, to seek an answer to the question of how to protect children from drugs, for you it's too late. Now you need to learn how to wean kids off drugs. In any case, to cope on their own, without the help of professionals, you are unlikely to succeed. This will only aggravate the situation, because if the addiction not treated in a timely manner, then save the child from drug addiction will be very, very difficult.

The first thing you have to do is to talk openly with your child. Be prepared for the fact that the conversation with kids about drugs is very difficult. Do not expect that at first your question your child as long as you everything. Rather, the issue in direct child will deny everything and can even take a very aggressive stance, which only intensify with increasing your reproaches.

Of course, talking about the dangers of drugs to children does not make sense and is unlikely to stop their drug use. But the rigid prohibitions and their aggressive behavior you will only make the situation worse, alienating the child. Of course, the game of friendship, in this case, at least not relevant, but nonetheless the child should feel your understanding and support.

The next step that needs to be done to parents whose child is taking drugs - is to seek help from Drug Addiction and child psychology. It may be experts in the district hospital or drug treatment clinic, and can be and specialized private clinics.
However, wherever you asked for help, teenage drug addiction treatment is carried out on a strictly defined scheme:

• Interrupting anesthesia followed by relief of withdrawal symptoms.
• The complex process of eliminating the consequences of long-term chronic intoxication teen substance.
• Carrying correctional program pathological characteristics and anti-social behavior.
• Psychological help in giving up drugs.

Parents do not be fooled, and hoped that the treatment of drug addiction to be as simple and quick affair as the treatment of the common cold or flu. Treatment of drug addiction takes a long time and lasts almost continuously and systematically. As a rule, immediately after the diagnosis of a teenager admitted to hospital. The duration of treatment varies depending on the severity of the disease and can last from two to six months.